diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl
index fef3decba6d7..5f73f81c500a 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl
@@ -1523,7 +1523,14 @@ notify_policy_changed(Q) when ?is_amqqueue(Q) ->
 
 consumers(Q) when ?amqqueue_is_classic(Q) ->
     QPid = amqqueue:get_pid(Q),
-    delegate:invoke(QPid, {gen_server2, call, [consumers, infinity]});
+    try
+        delegate:invoke(QPid, {gen_server2, call, [consumers, infinity]})
+    catch
+        exit:_ ->
+            %% The queue process exited during the call.
+            %% Note that `delegate:invoke/2' catches errors but not exits.
+            []
+    end;
 consumers(Q) when ?amqqueue_is_quorum(Q) ->
     QPid = amqqueue:get_pid(Q),
     case ra:local_query(QPid, fun rabbit_fifo:query_consumers/1) of
@@ -1619,17 +1626,23 @@ delete_immediately_by_resource(Resources) ->
 -spec delete
         (amqqueue:amqqueue(), 'false', 'false', rabbit_types:username()) ->
             qlen() |
+            rabbit_types:error(timeout) |
             {protocol_error, Type :: atom(), Reason :: string(), Args :: term()};
         (amqqueue:amqqueue(), 'true' , 'false', rabbit_types:username()) ->
-            qlen() | rabbit_types:error('in_use') |
+            qlen() |
+            rabbit_types:error('in_use') |
+            rabbit_types:error(timeout) |
             {protocol_error, Type :: atom(), Reason :: string(), Args :: term()};
         (amqqueue:amqqueue(), 'false', 'true', rabbit_types:username()) ->
-            qlen() | rabbit_types:error('not_empty') |
+            qlen() |
+            rabbit_types:error('not_empty') |
+            rabbit_types:error(timeout) |
             {protocol_error, Type :: atom(), Reason :: string(), Args :: term()};
         (amqqueue:amqqueue(), 'true' , 'true', rabbit_types:username()) ->
             qlen() |
             rabbit_types:error('in_use') |
             rabbit_types:error('not_empty') |
+            rabbit_types:error(timeout) |
             {protocol_error, Type :: atom(), Reason :: string(), Args :: term()}.
 delete(Q, IfUnused, IfEmpty, ActingUser) ->
     rabbit_queue_type:delete(Q, IfUnused, IfEmpty, ActingUser).
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_classic_queue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_classic_queue.erl
index a7fea8d18187..b7ed084ac0a3 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_classic_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_classic_queue.erl
@@ -171,11 +171,8 @@ delete(Q0, IfUnused, IfEmpty, ActingUser) when ?amqqueue_is_classic(Q0) ->
                             case delete_crashed_internal(Q, ActingUser) of
                                 ok ->
                                     {ok, 0};
-                                {error, timeout} ->
-                                    {error, protocol_error,
-                                     "The operation to delete ~ts from the "
-                                     "metadata store timed out",
-                                     [rabbit_misc:rs(QName)]}
+                                {error, timeout} = Err ->
+                                    Err
                             end
                     end
             end;
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_queue_type.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_queue_type.erl
index a7bb45aac12f..938588da6662 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_queue_type.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_queue_type.erl
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ declare(Q0, Node) ->
              boolean(), rabbit_types:username()) ->
     rabbit_types:ok(non_neg_integer()) |
     rabbit_types:error(in_use | not_empty) |
+    rabbit_types:error(timeout) |
     {protocol_error, Type :: atom(), Reason :: string(), Args :: term()}.
 delete(Q, IfUnused, IfEmpty, ActingUser) ->
     Mod = amqqueue:get_type(Q),
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl
index 45b97d93eb6e..ed229e7d6ac2 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl
@@ -823,10 +823,8 @@ delete(Q, _IfUnused, _IfEmpty, ActingUser) when ?amqqueue_is_quorum(Q) ->
                     _ = erpc:call(LeaderNode, rabbit_core_metrics, queue_deleted, [QName],
                                   ?RPC_TIMEOUT),
                     {ok, ReadyMsgs};
-                {error, timeout} ->
-                    {protocol_error, internal_error,
-                     "The operation to delete ~ts from the metadata store "
-                     "timed out", [rabbit_misc:rs(QName)]}
+                {error, timeout} = Err ->
+                    Err
             end;
         {error, {no_more_servers_to_try, Errs}} ->
             case lists:all(fun({{error, noproc}, _}) -> true;
@@ -849,10 +847,8 @@ delete(Q, _IfUnused, _IfEmpty, ActingUser) when ?amqqueue_is_quorum(Q) ->
             case delete_queue_data(Q, ActingUser) of
                 ok ->
                     {ok, ReadyMsgs};
-                {error, timeout} ->
-                    {protocol_error, internal_error,
-                     "The operation to delete queue ~ts from the metadata "
-                     "store timed out", [rabbit_misc:rs(QName)]}
+                {error, timeout} = Err ->
+                    Err
             end
     end.
 
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl
index 12c10c5e4ddc..6eac47fc781e 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl
@@ -189,8 +189,12 @@ delete_stream(Q, ActingUser)
     #{name := StreamId} = amqqueue:get_type_state(Q),
     case process_command({delete_stream, StreamId, #{}}) of
         {ok, ok, _} ->
-            _ = rabbit_amqqueue:internal_delete(Q, ActingUser),
-            {ok, {ok, 0}};
+            case rabbit_amqqueue:internal_delete(Q, ActingUser) of
+                ok ->
+                    {ok, {ok, 0}};
+                {error, timeout} = Err ->
+                    Err
+            end;
         Err ->
             Err
     end.
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl
index cbdc20daa5a0..a7aa3a5a18cc 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl
@@ -214,11 +214,14 @@ create_stream(Q0) ->
 -spec delete(amqqueue:amqqueue(), boolean(),
              boolean(), rabbit_types:username()) ->
     rabbit_types:ok(non_neg_integer()) |
-    rabbit_types:error(in_use | not_empty).
+    rabbit_types:error(timeout) |
+    {protocol_error, Type :: atom(), Reason :: string(), Args :: term()}.
 delete(Q, _IfUnused, _IfEmpty, ActingUser) ->
     case rabbit_stream_coordinator:delete_stream(Q, ActingUser) of
         {ok, Reply} ->
             Reply;
+        {error, timeout} = Err ->
+            Err;
         Error ->
             {protocol_error, internal_error, "Cannot delete ~ts on node '~ts': ~255p ",
              [rabbit_misc:rs(amqqueue:get_name(Q)), node(), Error]}
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_processor.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_processor.erl
index 9cd6887599ca..15a65ff5f986 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_processor.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_processor.erl
@@ -769,7 +769,9 @@ handle_clean_start(_, QoS, State = #state{cfg = #cfg{clean_start = true}}) ->
                 ok ->
                     {ok, SessPresent, State};
                 {error, access_refused} ->
-                    {error, ?RC_NOT_AUTHORIZED}
+                    {error, ?RC_NOT_AUTHORIZED};
+                {error, _Reason} ->
+                    {error, ?RC_IMPLEMENTATION_SPECIFIC_ERROR}
             end
     end;
 handle_clean_start(SessPresent, QoS,
@@ -991,7 +993,8 @@ clear_will_msg(#state{cfg = #cfg{vhost = Vhost,
     QName = #resource{virtual_host = Vhost, kind = queue, name = QNameBin},
     case delete_queue(QName, State) of
         ok -> ok;
-        {error, access_refused} -> {error, ?RC_NOT_AUTHORIZED}
+        {error, access_refused} -> {error, ?RC_NOT_AUTHORIZED};
+        {error, _Reason} -> {error, ?RC_IMPLEMENTATION_SPECIFIC_ERROR}
     end.
 
 make_will_msg(#mqtt_packet_connect{will_flag = false}) ->
@@ -1323,8 +1326,10 @@ ensure_queue(QoS, State) ->
             case delete_queue(QName, State) of
                 ok ->
                     create_queue(QoS, State);
-                {error, access_refused} = E ->
-                    E
+                {error, _} = Err ->
+                    Err;
+                {protocol_error, _, _, _} = Err ->
+                    {error, Err}
             end;
         {error, not_found} ->
             create_queue(QoS, State)
@@ -1829,7 +1834,10 @@ maybe_delete_mqtt_qos0_queue(_) ->
     ok.
 
 -spec delete_queue(rabbit_amqqueue:name(), state()) ->
-    ok | {error, access_refused}.
+    ok |
+    {error, access_refused} |
+    {error, timeout} |
+    {protocol_error, Type :: atom(), Reason :: string(), Args :: term()}.
 delete_queue(QName,
              #state{auth_state = #auth_state{
                                     user = User = #user{username = Username},
@@ -1841,8 +1849,12 @@ delete_queue(QName,
       fun (Q) ->
               case check_resource_access(User, QName, configure, AuthzCtx) of
                   ok ->
-                      {ok, _N} = rabbit_queue_type:delete(Q, false, false, Username),
-                      ok;
+                      case rabbit_queue_type:delete(Q, false, false, Username) of
+                          {ok, _} ->
+                              ok;
+                          Err ->
+                              Err
+                      end;
                   Err ->
                       Err
               end
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl
index 298dd0766deb..77e59848bec8 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl
@@ -109,17 +109,16 @@ declare(Q0, _Node) ->
              boolean(),
              boolean(),
              rabbit_types:username()) ->
-    rabbit_types:ok(non_neg_integer()).
+    rabbit_types:ok(non_neg_integer()) |
+    rabbit_types:error(timeout).
 delete(Q, _IfUnused, _IfEmpty, ActingUser) ->
     QName = amqqueue:get_name(Q),
     log_delete(QName, amqqueue:get_exclusive_owner(Q)),
     case rabbit_amqqueue:internal_delete(Q, ActingUser) of
         ok ->
             {ok, 0};
-        {error, timeout} ->
-            {protocol_error, internal_error,
-             "The operation to delete ~ts from the metadata store timed "
-             "out", [rabbit_misc:rs(QName)]}
+        {error, timeout} = Err ->
+            Err
     end.
 
 -spec deliver([{amqqueue:amqqueue(), stateless}],