A computer program product, according to one embodiment, includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se. The program instructions are readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method which includes: receiving a request to delete a volume stored in one or more regions in physical space of a storage system; determining whether at least one of the regions having at least a portion of the volume includes reclaimable space; deleting the portion of the volume from the at least one region having the reclaimable space in response to determining that at least one of the regions having at least a portion of the volume includes reclaimable space; and failing the received request to delete the volume in response to determining that none of the regions include reclaimable space.