diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/event/ActionEventUtils.java b/server/src/com/cloud/event/ActionEventUtils.java
index 7b727cd6f9d..4ee6e9e0a2b 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/event/ActionEventUtils.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/event/ActionEventUtils.java
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ public class ActionEventUtils {
 
     private static long getDomainId(long accountId){
         AccountVO account = _accountDao.findByIdIncludingRemoved(accountId);
+        if (account == null) {
+            s_logger.error("Failed to find account(including removed ones) by id '" + accountId + "'");
+            return 0;
+        }
         return account.getDomainId();
     }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
index 5fc4f418ca2..b4890970ec1 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
@@ -2805,13 +2805,6 @@ public class NetworkManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements NetworkManager, L
             return false;
         }
 
-        // Don't allow to delete network via api call when it has vms assigned to it
-        int nicCount = getActiveNicsInNetwork(networkId);
-        if (nicCount > 0) {
-            s_logger.debug("Unable to remove the network id=" + networkId + " as it has active Nics.");
-            return false;
-        }
-
         // Make sure that there are no user vms in the network that are not Expunged/Error
         List<UserVmVO> userVms = _userVmDao.listByNetworkIdAndStates(networkId);
 
@@ -2822,6 +2815,15 @@ public class NetworkManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements NetworkManager, L
             }
         }
 
+        // Don't allow to delete network via api call when it has vms assigned to it
+        int nicCount = getActiveNicsInNetwork(networkId);
+        if (nicCount > 0) {
+            s_logger.debug("The network id=" + networkId + " has active Nics, but shouldn't.");
+            // at this point we have already determined that there are no active user vms in network
+            // if the op_networks table shows active nics, it's a bug in releasing nics updating op_networks
+            _networksDao.changeActiveNicsBy(networkId, (-1 * nicCount)); 
+        }
+
         //In Basic zone, make sure that there are no non-removed console proxies and SSVMs using the network
         DataCenter zone = _configMgr.getZone(network.getDataCenterId());
         if (zone.getNetworkType() == NetworkType.Basic) {