diff --git a/packages/endpoint/src/schemas/Invalidate.ts b/packages/endpoint/src/schemas/Invalidate.ts
index 40e8f0b686ff..09d766edc956 100644
--- a/packages/endpoint/src/schemas/Invalidate.ts
+++ b/packages/endpoint/src/schemas/Invalidate.ts
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ export default class Invalidate<
     args: readonly any[],
     unvisit: (schema: any, input: any) => any,
   ): AbstractInstanceType<E> {
-    // TODO: is this really always going to be the full object - validate that calling fetch will give this even when input is a string
-    return unvisit(this._entity, id) as any;
+    // TODO: this return type should offer string, but we need to figure out an ergonomic way to do this
+    return unvisit(this._entity, id) ?? id;
   }
 
   /* istanbul ignore next */
diff --git a/packages/react/src/hooks/__tests__/useController/fetch.tsx b/packages/react/src/hooks/__tests__/useController/fetch.tsx
index d709b7539743..8d8c1885ff8b 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/hooks/__tests__/useController/fetch.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/hooks/__tests__/useController/fetch.tsx
@@ -333,6 +333,51 @@ describe.each([
     expect(warnSpy.mock.calls.length).toBe(0);
   });
 
+  it('should return denormalized value when schema is present (delete)', async () => {
+    const { controller } = renderDataClient(
+      () => {
+        return 'hi';
+      },
+      {
+        resolverFixtures: [
+          {
+            endpoint: CoolerArticleResource.delete,
+            args: [{ id: payload.id }],
+            response: payload,
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
+    const ret = await controller.fetch(CoolerArticleResource.delete, {
+      id: payload.id,
+    });
+    expect(ret.content).toEqual(payload.content);
+    expect(ret).toBeInstanceOf(CoolerArticle);
+    expect(warnSpy.mock.calls.length).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('should return denormalized value when schema is present (delete with string response)', async () => {
+    const { controller } = renderDataClient(
+      () => {
+        return 'hi';
+      },
+      {
+        resolverFixtures: [
+          {
+            endpoint: CoolerArticleResource.delete,
+            args: [{ id: payload.id }],
+            response: payload.id,
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
+    const ret = await controller.fetch(CoolerArticleResource.delete, {
+      id: payload.id,
+    });
+    expect(ret).toEqual(payload.id);
+    expect(warnSpy.mock.calls.length).toBe(0);
+  });
+
   it('should return denormalized value when schema is present (unions)', async () => {
     const response = [
       null,