diff --git a/rattail/importing/sqlalchemy.py b/rattail/importing/sqlalchemy.py
index c466987a7ee8aa7cb7fcbbfc669e962170730a41..3b34efd0b07064075f010b933aeeb90bcb5b4988 100644
--- a/rattail/importing/sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/rattail/importing/sqlalchemy.py
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ class ToSQLAlchemy(Importer):
         truly delete and expunge the local object from the session.
         """
         self.session.delete(obj)
-        self.session.expunge(obj)
         return True
 
     def cache_model(self, model, **kwargs):
diff --git a/rattail/tests/importing/test_sqlalchemy.py b/rattail/tests/importing/test_sqlalchemy.py
index c5674c97edb3b02ef45860dae40ab86453b0350e..6500f96af8785c61e7445542e6d4b0f4d58cf6ff 100644
--- a/rattail/tests/importing/test_sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/rattail/tests/importing/test_sqlalchemy.py
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ class TestToSQLAlchemy(TestCase):
     def test_create_object(self):
         importer = self.make_importer(key='id', session=self.session)
         widget = importer.create_object((42,), {'id': 42, 'description': "Latest Widget"})
-        self.assertFalse(self.session.new or self.session.dirty or self.session.deleted) # i.e. has been flushed
-        self.assertIn(widget, self.session) # therefore widget has been flushed and would be committed
+        self.assertIn(widget, self.session)
+        self.assertIn(widget, self.session.new)
         self.assertEqual(widget.id, 42)
         self.assertEqual(widget.description, "Latest Widget")
 
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ class TestToSQLAlchemy(TestCase):
         self.assertIn(widget, self.session)
         importer = self.make_importer(session=self.session)
         self.assertTrue(importer.delete_object(widget))
-        self.assertNotIn(widget, self.session)
+        self.assertIn(widget, self.session)
+        self.assertIn(widget, self.session.deleted)
+        self.session.flush()
         self.assertIsNone(self.session.query(Widget).get(1))
 
     def test_cache_model(self):