diff --git a/kits/delete-user-data/src/handlers.ts b/kits/delete-user-data/src/handlers.ts
index 87c76102c..8f240d339 100644
--- a/kits/delete-user-data/src/handlers.ts
+++ b/kits/delete-user-data/src/handlers.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import type { DocumentReference } from "firebase-admin/firestore";
 import { FieldPath } from "firebase-admin/firestore";
 import chunk from "lodash.chunk";
 import * as events from "./events";
+import { getDatabaseUrl } from "./export-config";
 import { extractUserPaths, hasValidUserPath } from "./helpers";
 import * as logs from "./logs";
 import { recursiveDelete } from "./recursiveDelete";
@@ -156,7 +157,10 @@ export async function handleClear(
   } else {
     logs.firestoreNotConfigured();
   }
-  if (ctx.config.rtdbPaths) {
+  if (
+    ctx.config.rtdbPaths &&
+    getDatabaseUrl(ctx.config.rtdbInstance, ctx.config.rtdbLocation)
+  ) {
     promises.push(clearDatabaseData(ctx.config.rtdbPaths, uid, ctx));
   } else {
     logs.rtdbNotConfigured();
diff --git a/kits/delete-user-data/tests/handlers.test.ts b/kits/delete-user-data/tests/handlers.test.ts
index 4b544d079..e3326f709 100644
--- a/kits/delete-user-data/tests/handlers.test.ts
+++ b/kits/delete-user-data/tests/handlers.test.ts
@@ -406,7 +406,11 @@ describe("handleClear", () => {
 
   test("deletes the configured rtdb paths", async () => {
     const ctx = makeContext({
-      config: { rtdbPaths: "users/{UID},admins/{UID}" },
+      config: {
+        rtdbPaths: "users/{UID},admins/{UID}",
+        rtdbInstance: "test-rtdb-instance",
+        rtdbLocation: "us-central1",
+      },
     });
 
     await handleClear(UID, ctx);
@@ -418,6 +422,17 @@ describe("handleClear", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test("skips rtdb deletion when no database instance is configured", async () => {
+    const ctx = makeContext({
+      config: { rtdbPaths: "users/{UID}" },
+    });
+
+    await handleClear(UID, ctx);
+
+    expect(ctx.rtdbRemovals).toEqual([]);
+    expect(log.rtdbNotConfigured).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   test("deletes the configured storage paths", async () => {
     const ctx = makeContext({
       config: {
@@ -463,7 +478,11 @@ describe("handleClear", () => {
   test("logs rtdb errors without failing", async () => {
     const error = new Error("boom");
     const ctx = makeContext({
-      config: { rtdbPaths: "users/{UID}" },
+      config: {
+        rtdbPaths: "users/{UID}",
+        rtdbInstance: "test-rtdb-instance",
+        rtdbLocation: "us-central1",
+      },
       rtdbError: error,
     });