diff --git a/lib/obs.py b/lib/obs.py
index 6f00e5b..3d149ae 100644
--- a/lib/obs.py
+++ b/lib/obs.py
@@ -148,28 +148,12 @@ class OBS:
         ]
 
     def _download(self, project, package, name, revision):
-        # the object might be deleted but we can only pass deleted=1
-        # if it is actually deleted
-        deleted = 0
-        while deleted < 2:
-            url = osc.core.makeurl(
-                self.url,
-                ["source", project, package, urllib.parse.quote(name)],
-                {"rev": revision, "expand": 1, "deleted": deleted if deleted else ()},
-            )
-            try:
-                osc.core.http_request("HEAD", url)
-                break
-            except Exception:
-                pass
-            deleted += 1
-
         url = osc.core.makeurl(
-                self.url,
-                ["source", project, package, urllib.parse.quote(name)],
-                {"rev": revision, "expand": 1, "deleted": 1 if deleted else ()},
-            )
-        return osc.core.http_request("GET", url)
+            self.url,
+            ["source", project, package, urllib.parse.quote(name)],
+            {"rev": revision, "expand": 1},
+        )
+        return osc.core.http_GET(url)
 
     def download(
         self,