diff --git a/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py b/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py
index 0897b7fd46..1a32c3a0d9 100644
--- a/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py
+++ b/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py
@@ -77,17 +77,17 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             else:
                 action_text = 'would delete' if self.dry_run else 'deleting'
                 self.logger.info('%s %s', action_text, instance)
+                n_deleted_items += 1
                 if not self.dry_run:
-                    pks_to_delete.add(instance.pk)
+                    #pks_to_delete.add(instance.pk)
+                    instance.delete()
 
             # Cleanup objects in batches instead of deleting each one individually.
             if len(pks_to_delete) >= 50:
                 model.objects.filter(pk__in=pks_to_delete).delete()
-                n_deleted_items += len(pks_to_delete)
                 pks_to_delete.clear()
         if len(pks_to_delete):
             model.objects.filter(pk__in=pks_to_delete).delete()
-            n_deleted_items += len(pks_to_delete)
         return n_deleted_items
 
     def init_logging(self):
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/commands/commands_monolithic.py b/awx/main/tests/commands/commands_monolithic.py
index 616239f736..4ce0959e52 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/commands/commands_monolithic.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/commands/commands_monolithic.py
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ class CleanupDeletedTest(BaseCommandMixin, BaseTest):
         counts_after = self.get_model_counts()
         self.assertNotEqual(counts_before, counts_after)
         self.assertFalse(sum(x[1] for x in counts_after.values()))
+        return # Don't test how long it takes (for now).
 
         # Create lots of hosts already marked as deleted.
         t = time.time()