diff --git a/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace.go b/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace.go
index dfd791e20..c70dfa090 100644
--- a/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace.go
+++ b/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace.go
@@ -688,15 +688,33 @@ func resourceTFEWorkspaceDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 
 	forceDelete := d.Get("force_delete").(bool)
 
-	if ws.Permissions.CanForceDelete == nil && !forceDelete {
-		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"Error deleting workspace %s: This workspace must be force deleted by setting force_delete=true", id)
-	}
-
-	if forceDelete {
-		err = tfeClient.Workspaces.DeleteByID(ctx, id)
+	// presence of Permissions.CanForceDelete will determine if current version of TFE supports safe deletes
+	if ws.Permissions.CanForceDelete == nil {
+		if forceDelete {
+			err = tfeClient.Workspaces.DeleteByID(ctx, id)
+		} else {
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"Error deleting workspace %s: This workspace must be force deleted by setting force_delete=true", id)
+		}
+	} else if *ws.Permissions.CanForceDelete {
+		if forceDelete {
+			err = tfeClient.Workspaces.DeleteByID(ctx, id)
+		} else {
+			err = tfeClient.Workspaces.SafeDeleteByID(ctx, id)
+			if err != nil {
+				if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "conflict") {
+					return fmt.Errorf(
+						"Error deleting workspace %s: %w\nTo delete this workspace without destroying the managed resources, add force_delete=true to the resource config", id, err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	} else {
-		err = tfeClient.Workspaces.SafeDeleteByID(ctx, id)
+		if forceDelete {
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"Error deleting workspace %s: missing required permissions to set force_delete=true", id)
+		} else {
+			err = tfeClient.Workspaces.SafeDeleteByID(ctx, id)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -706,7 +724,6 @@ func resourceTFEWorkspaceDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 		return fmt.Errorf(
 			"Error deleting workspace %s: %w", id, err)
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace_test.go b/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace_test.go
index b81ff23eb..aed79bad3 100644
--- a/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace_test.go
+++ b/tfe/resource_tfe_workspace_test.go
@@ -1907,7 +1907,7 @@ func TestTFEWorkspace_delete_withoutCanForceDeletePermission(t *testing.T) {
 	// workspace resource delete function directly, rather than use the usual resource.
 
 	rInt := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano())).Int()
-	orgName := fmt.Sprintf("test-orgnaization-%d", rInt)
+	orgName := fmt.Sprintf("test-organization-%d", rInt)
 
 	client := testTfeClient(t, testClientOptions{defaultOrganization: orgName})
 	workspace, err := client.Workspaces.Create(ctx, orgName, tfe.WorkspaceCreateOptions{
@@ -1926,9 +1926,8 @@ func TestTFEWorkspace_delete_withoutCanForceDeletePermission(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	err = resourceTFEWorkspaceDelete(rd, client)
-
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected an error deleting workspace with CanForceDelete=nil and force_delete=true")
+		t.Fatalf("Expected an error deleting workspace with CanForceDelete=nil and force_delete=false")
 	}
 	expectedErrSubstring := "workspace must be force deleted by setting force_delete=true"
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expectedErrSubstring) {