diff --git a/server/src/db.rs b/server/src/db.rs
index f88da1f5e0..f7a8e633d8 100644
--- a/server/src/db.rs
+++ b/server/src/db.rs
@@ -4218,6 +4218,39 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn drop_unpersisted_chunk_on_persisted_db() {
+        // We don't support dropping unpersisted chunks from a persisted DB because we would forget the write buffer
+        // progress (partition checkpoints are only created when new parquet files are stored).
+        // See https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb_iox/issues/2291
+        let test_db = TestDb::builder()
+            .lifecycle_rules(LifecycleRules {
+                persist: true,
+                ..Default::default()
+            })
+            .build()
+            .await;
+        let db = Arc::new(test_db.db);
+
+        write_lp(db.as_ref(), "cpu bar=1 10").await;
+
+        let partition_key = "1970-01-01T00";
+        let chunks = db.partition_chunk_summaries(partition_key);
+        assert_eq!(chunks.len(), 1);
+        let chunk_id = chunks[0].id;
+
+        let err = db
+            .drop_chunk("cpu", partition_key, chunk_id)
+            .await
+            .unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(
+            err,
+            Error::LifecycleError {
+                source: super::lifecycle::Error::CannotDropUnpersistedChunk { .. }
+            }
+        ));
+    }
+
     async fn create_parquet_chunk(db: &Arc<Db>) -> (String, String, u32) {
         write_lp(db, "cpu bar=1 10").await;
         let partition_key = "1970-01-01T00";
diff --git a/server/src/db/lifecycle/drop.rs b/server/src/db/lifecycle/drop.rs
index ad737ec911..d2710cb34b 100644
--- a/server/src/db/lifecycle/drop.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/lifecycle/drop.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use snafu::ResultExt;
 use tracker::{TaskTracker, TrackedFuture, TrackedFutureExt};
 
 use super::{
-    error::{CommitError, Result},
+    error::{CannotDropUnpersistedChunk, CommitError, Result},
     LockableCatalogChunk, LockableCatalogPartition,
 };
 use crate::db::catalog::{
@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@ pub fn drop_chunk(
         chunk: guard.addr().clone(),
     });
 
+    // check if we're dropping an unpersisted chunk in a persisted DB
+    // See https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb_iox/issues/2291
+    if db.rules().lifecycle_rules.persist && !matches!(guard.stage(), ChunkStage::Persisted { .. })
+    {
+        return CannotDropUnpersistedChunk {
+            addr: guard.addr().clone(),
+        }
+        .fail();
+    }
+
     guard.set_dropping(&registration)?;
 
     // Drop locks
diff --git a/server/src/db/lifecycle/error.rs b/server/src/db/lifecycle/error.rs
index 6fb416f2ac..24e8227789 100644
--- a/server/src/db/lifecycle/error.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/lifecycle/error.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ pub enum Error {
 
     #[snafu(display("Cannot write chunk: {}", addr))]
     CannotWriteChunk { addr: ChunkAddr },
+
+    #[snafu(display("Cannot drop unpersisted chunk: {}", addr))]
+    CannotDropUnpersistedChunk { addr: ChunkAddr },
 }
 
 pub type Result<T, E = Error> = std::result::Result<T, E>;