diff --git a/src/core/compact_object.h b/src/core/compact_object.h
index 50f1797d9c93..77a402f761b1 100644
--- a/src/core/compact_object.h
+++ b/src/core/compact_object.h
@@ -255,14 +255,6 @@ class CompactObj {
 
   bool DefragIfNeeded(PageUsage* page_usage);
 
-  void SetAsyncDelete() {
-    mask_bits_.io_pending = 1;  // io_pending flag is used for async delete for keys.
-  }
-
-  bool IsAsyncDelete() const {
-    return mask_bits_.io_pending;
-  }
-
   bool HasStashPending() const {
     return mask_bits_.io_pending;
   }
@@ -542,8 +534,8 @@ class CompactObj {
   union {
     uint8_t mask_ = 0;
     struct {
-      uint8_t ref : 1;  // Mark objects that have expiry timestamp assigned.
-      uint8_t expire : 1;
+      uint8_t ref : 1;      // Mark objects that don't own their allocation.
+      uint8_t expire : 1;   // Mark objects that have expiry timestamp assigned.
       uint8_t mc_flag : 1;  // Marks keys that have memcache flags assigned.
 
       // See the EncodingEnum for the meaning of these bits.
@@ -551,7 +543,7 @@ class CompactObj {
 
       // IO_PENDING is set when the tiered storage has issued an i/o request to save the value.
       // It is cleared when the io request finishes or is cancelled.
-      uint8_t io_pending : 1;  // also serves as async-delete for keys.
+      uint8_t io_pending : 1;
       uint8_t sticky : 1;
 
       // TOUCHED used to determin which items are hot/cold.
diff --git a/src/server/db_slice.cc b/src/server/db_slice.cc
index 33683152088d..01f217a166e6 100644
--- a/src/server/db_slice.cc
+++ b/src/server/db_slice.cc
@@ -802,7 +802,7 @@ void DbSlice::ActivateDb(DbIndex db_ind) {
   CreateDb(db_ind);
 }
 
-void DbSlice::Del(Context cntx, Iterator it, DbTable* db_table) {
+void DbSlice::Del(Context cntx, Iterator it, DbTable* db_table, bool async) {
   CHECK(IsValid(it));
 
   ExpIterator exp_it;
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ void DbSlice::Del(Context cntx, Iterator it, DbTable* db_table) {
     DCHECK(!exp_it.is_done());
   }
 
-  PerformDeletionAtomic(it, exp_it, table);
+  PerformDeletionAtomic(it, exp_it, table, async);
 }
 
 void DbSlice::DelMutable(Context cntx, ItAndUpdater it_updater) {
@@ -1771,7 +1771,7 @@ unique_ptr<base::Histogram> DbSlice::StopSampleValues(DbIndex db_ind) {
 }
 
 void DbSlice::PerformDeletionAtomic(const Iterator& del_it, const ExpIterator& exp_it,
-                                    DbTable* table) {
+                                    DbTable* table, bool async) {
   FiberAtomicGuard guard;
   size_t table_before = table->table_memory();
   if (!exp_it.is_done()) {
@@ -1804,7 +1804,7 @@ void DbSlice::PerformDeletionAtomic(const Iterator& del_it, const ExpIterator& e
   }
   AccountObjectMemory(del_it.key(), pv.ObjType(), -value_heap_size, table);  // Value
 
-  if (del_it->first.IsAsyncDelete() && MayDeleteAsynchronously(pv)) {
+  if (async && MayDeleteAsynchronously(pv)) {
     DenseSet* ds = (DenseSet*)pv.RObjPtr();
     pv.SetRObjPtr(nullptr);
     const size_t kClearStepSize = 512;
@@ -1815,7 +1815,7 @@ void DbSlice::PerformDeletionAtomic(const Iterator& del_it, const ExpIterator& e
     } else {
       CompactObj::DeleteMR<DenseSet>(ds);
     }
-  }  // del_it->first.IsAsyncDelete()
+  }
 
   if (table->slots_stats) {
     SlotId sid = KeySlot(del_it.key());
diff --git a/src/server/db_slice.h b/src/server/db_slice.h
index 6d62c24ea69c..4785890e9b7a 100644
--- a/src/server/db_slice.h
+++ b/src/server/db_slice.h
@@ -325,7 +325,8 @@ class DbSlice {
   // Deletes the iterator. The iterator must be valid.
   // Context argument is used only for document removal and it just needs
   // timestamp field. Last argument, db_table, is optional and is used only in FlushSlotsCb.
-  void Del(Context cntx, Iterator it, DbTable* db_table = nullptr);
+  // If async is set, AsyncDeleter will enqueue deletion of the object
+  void Del(Context cntx, Iterator it, DbTable* db_table = nullptr, bool async = false);
 
   // Deletes a key after FindMutable(). Runs post_updater before deletion
   // to update memory accounting while the key is still valid.
@@ -571,7 +572,8 @@ class DbSlice {
   void RemoveOffloadedEntriesFromTieredStorage(absl::Span<const DbIndex> indices,
                                                const DbTableArray& db_arr) const;
 
-  void PerformDeletionAtomic(const Iterator& del_it, const ExpIterator& exp_it, DbTable* table);
+  void PerformDeletionAtomic(const Iterator& del_it, const ExpIterator& exp_it, DbTable* table,
+                             bool async = false);
 
   // Queues invalidation message to the clients that are tracking the change to a key.
   void QueueInvalidationTrackingMessageAtomic(std::string_view key);
diff --git a/src/server/generic_family.cc b/src/server/generic_family.cc
index 5387ef988dc9..9e42d8fdddc9 100644
--- a/src/server/generic_family.cc
+++ b/src/server/generic_family.cc
@@ -1111,10 +1111,7 @@ OpResult<uint32_t> GenericFamily::OpDel(const OpArgs& op_args, const ShardArgs&
     if (!IsValid(it))
       continue;
 
-    if (async)
-      it->first.SetAsyncDelete();
-
-    db_slice.Del(op_args.db_cntx, it);
+    db_slice.Del(op_args.db_cntx, it, nullptr, async);
     ++res;
   }