diff --git a/src/ol/webgl/Helper.js b/src/ol/webgl/Helper.js
index 7334355dc8..79c139d622 100644
--- a/src/ol/webgl/Helper.js
+++ b/src/ol/webgl/Helper.js
@@ -410,8 +410,8 @@ class WebGLHelper extends Disposable {
     const gl = this.getGL();
     const bufferKey = getUid(buf);
     const bufferCacheEntry = this.bufferCache_[bufferKey];
-    if (!gl.isContextLost()) {
-      gl.deleteBuffer(bufferCacheEntry.buffer);
+    if (bufferCacheEntry && !gl.isContextLost()) {
+      gl.deleteBuffer(bufferCacheEntry.webGlBuffer);
     }
     delete this.bufferCache_[bufferKey];
   }
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/webgl/helper.test.js b/test/spec/ol/webgl/helper.test.js
index c9d250b431..e88d70947c 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/webgl/helper.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/webgl/helper.test.js
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
+import WebGLArrayBuffer from '../../../../src/ol/webgl/Buffer.js';
 import WebGLHelper, {DefaultUniform} from '../../../../src/ol/webgl/Helper.js';
-import {FLOAT} from '../../../../src/ol/webgl.js';
+import {ARRAY_BUFFER, FLOAT, STATIC_DRAW} from '../../../../src/ol/webgl.js';
 import {
   create as createTransform,
   rotate as rotateTransform,
   scale as scaleTransform,
   translate as translateTransform,
 } from '../../../../src/ol/transform.js';
+import {getUid} from '../../../../src/ol/util.js';
 
 const VERTEX_SHADER = `
   precision mediump float;
@@ -240,6 +242,20 @@ describe('ol/webgl/WebGLHelper', function () {
       });
     });
 
+    describe('deleteBuffer()', function () {
+      it('can be called to free up buffer resources', function () {
+        const helper = new WebGLHelper();
+        const buffer = new WebGLArrayBuffer(ARRAY_BUFFER, STATIC_DRAW);
+        buffer.fromArray([0, 1, 2, 3]);
+        helper.flushBufferData(buffer);
+        const bufferKey = getUid(buffer);
+        expect(helper.bufferCache_).to.have.property(bufferKey);
+
+        helper.deleteBuffer(buffer);
+        expect(helper.bufferCache_).to.not.have.property(bufferKey);
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('#createTexture', function () {
       let h;
       beforeEach(function () {