diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl.go b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl.go
index b7d48a850..8dab854a6 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl.go
@@ -514,6 +514,13 @@ func (s *LaunchTemplateServiceImpl) DeleteLaunchTemplateVersions(ctx context.Con
 		return nil, errors.New(awserrors.ErrorMissingParameter)
 	}
 
+	// Naming the default version fails the whole request, so nothing is deleted.
+	for _, v := range input.Versions {
+		if n, perr := strconv.ParseInt(aws.StringValue(v), 10, 64); perr == nil && n == header.DefaultVersionNumber {
+			return nil, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, "The default version cannot be deleted. Either specify another version as default or delete the launch template.")
+		}
+	}
+
 	out := &ec2.DeleteLaunchTemplateVersionsOutput{}
 
 	for _, v := range input.Versions {
@@ -524,14 +531,9 @@ func (s *LaunchTemplateServiceImpl) DeleteLaunchTemplateVersions(ctx context.Con
 				deleteErrorItem(header, 0, awserrors.ErrorInvalidLaunchTemplateIdVersionNotFound, "invalid version number"))
 			continue
 		}
-		if n == header.DefaultVersionNumber {
-			out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions = append(out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions,
-				deleteErrorItem(header, n, awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, "cannot delete the default version of a launch template"))
-			continue
-		}
 		if _, err := s.getVersion(ctx, accountID, header.LaunchTemplateId, n); err != nil {
 			out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions = append(out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions,
-				deleteErrorItem(header, n, awserrors.ErrorInvalidLaunchTemplateIdVersionNotFound, "version does not exist"))
+				deleteErrorItem(header, n, launchTemplateVersionDoesNotExist, "The launch template version does not exist."))
 			continue
 		}
 		if err := s.kv.Delete(ctx, versionKey(accountID, header.LaunchTemplateId, n)); err != nil {
@@ -551,6 +553,10 @@ func (s *LaunchTemplateServiceImpl) DeleteLaunchTemplateVersions(ctx context.Con
 	return out, nil
 }
 
+// launchTemplateVersionDoesNotExist is the per-version code AWS reports in a
+// DeleteLaunchTemplateVersions result; it is never a request-level error.
+const launchTemplateVersionDoesNotExist = "launchTemplateVersionDoesNotExist"
+
 func deleteErrorItem(h *LaunchTemplateHeader, n int64, code, msg string) *ec2.DeleteLaunchTemplateVersionsResponseErrorItem {
 	item := &ec2.DeleteLaunchTemplateVersionsResponseErrorItem{
 		LaunchTemplateId:   aws.String(h.LaunchTemplateId),
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl_test.go
index 96c4a55ac..1c518a941 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/launchtemplate/service_impl_test.go
@@ -396,15 +396,23 @@ func TestModifyLaunchTemplate_DefaultToMissingVersion(t *testing.T) {
 func TestDeleteLaunchTemplateVersions_RejectDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	svc := setupTestService(t)
 	lt := createTemplate(t, svc, "web", "t3.micro") // default = v1
-	out, err := svc.DeleteLaunchTemplateVersions(context.Background(), &ec2.DeleteLaunchTemplateVersionsInput{
-		LaunchTemplateId: lt.LaunchTemplateId,
-		Versions:         []*string{aws.String("1")},
+	id := aws.StringValue(lt.LaunchTemplateId)
+	addVersion(t, svc, id, "a", "") // v2
+
+	// The default alongside a deletable version still fails the whole request.
+	_, err := svc.DeleteLaunchTemplateVersions(context.Background(), &ec2.DeleteLaunchTemplateVersionsInput{
+		LaunchTemplateId: aws.String(id),
+		Versions:         []*string{aws.String("2"), aws.String("1")},
 	}, testAccountID)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	code, msg, ok := awserrors.ResolveErrorDetail(err)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Equal(t, awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, code)
+	assert.Equal(t, "The default version cannot be deleted. Either specify another version as default or delete the launch template.", msg)
+
+	nums, err := svc.listVersionNumbers(t.Context(), testAccountID, id)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Empty(t, out.SuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions)
-	require.Len(t, out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions, 1)
-	assert.Equal(t, awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
-		aws.StringValue(out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions[0].ResponseError.Code))
+	assert.ElementsMatch(t, []int64{1, 2}, nums)
 }
 
 func TestDeleteLaunchTemplateVersions_SuccessAndMissing(t *testing.T) {
@@ -421,7 +429,10 @@ func TestDeleteLaunchTemplateVersions_SuccessAndMissing(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Len(t, out.SuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(2), aws.Int64Value(out.SuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions[0].VersionNumber))
 	require.Len(t, out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions, 1)
-	assert.Equal(t, int64(9), aws.Int64Value(out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions[0].VersionNumber))
+	missing := out.UnsuccessfullyDeletedLaunchTemplateVersions[0]
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(9), aws.Int64Value(missing.VersionNumber))
+	assert.Equal(t, "launchTemplateVersionDoesNotExist", aws.StringValue(missing.ResponseError.Code))
+	assert.Equal(t, "The launch template version does not exist.", aws.StringValue(missing.ResponseError.Message))
 }
 
 // --- DeleteLaunchTemplate ---