diff --git a/http/delete_handler.go b/http/delete_handler.go
index acb7018c5e..d575ebca8b 100644
--- a/http/delete_handler.go
+++ b/http/delete_handler.go
@@ -197,6 +197,24 @@ func decodeDeleteRequest(ctx context.Context, r *http.Request, orgSvc influxdb.O
 			}
 			return false, nil
 		})
+
+		var walkError error
+		influxql.WalkFunc(expr, func(e influxql.Node) {
+			if v, ok := e.(*influxql.BinaryExpr); ok {
+				if vv, ok := v.LHS.(*influxql.VarRef); ok && v.Op == influxql.EQ {
+					if vv.Val == "_field" {
+						walkError = &errors.Error{
+							Code: errors.ENotImplemented,
+							Msg:  "",
+							Err:  fmt.Errorf("delete by field is not supported"),
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		})
+		if walkError != nil {
+			return nil, nil, walkError
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, &errors.Error{
 				Code: errors.EInvalid,
diff --git a/http/delete_test.go b/http/delete_test.go
index eeabb259db..99d72b472a 100644
--- a/http/delete_test.go
+++ b/http/delete_test.go
@@ -379,6 +379,60 @@ func TestDelete(t *testing.T) {
 				  }`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "unsupported delete by field",
+			args: args{
+				queryParams: map[string][]string{
+					"org":    {"org1"},
+					"bucket": {"buck1"},
+				},
+				body: []byte(`{
+					"start":"2009-01-01T23:00:00Z",
+					"stop":"2019-11-10T01:00:00Z",
+					"predicate": "_field=\"cpu\""
+				}`),
+				authorizer: &influxdb.Authorization{
+					UserID: user1ID,
+					Status: influxdb.Active,
+					Permissions: []influxdb.Permission{
+						{
+							Action: influxdb.WriteAction,
+							Resource: influxdb.Resource{
+								Type:  influxdb.BucketsResourceType,
+								ID:    influxtesting.IDPtr(platform.ID(2)),
+								OrgID: influxtesting.IDPtr(platform.ID(1)),
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			fields: fields{
+				DeleteService: mock.NewDeleteService(),
+				BucketService: &mock.BucketService{
+					FindBucketFn: func(ctx context.Context, f influxdb.BucketFilter) (*influxdb.Bucket, error) {
+						return &influxdb.Bucket{
+							ID:   platform.ID(2),
+							Name: "bucket1",
+						}, nil
+					},
+				},
+				OrganizationService: &mock.OrganizationService{
+					FindOrganizationF: func(ctx context.Context, f influxdb.OrganizationFilter) (*influxdb.Organization, error) {
+						return &influxdb.Organization{
+							ID:   platform.ID(1),
+							Name: "org1",
+						}, nil
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			wants: wants{
+				statusCode: http.StatusNotImplemented,
+				body: `{
+					"code": "not implemented",
+					"message": "delete by field is not supported"
+				  }`,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "complex delete",
 			args: args{