diff --git a/libcni/api.go b/libcni/api.go
index 6ac26949..06faaa5e 100644
--- a/libcni/api.go
+++ b/libcni/api.go
@@ -663,9 +663,9 @@ func (c *CNIConfig) DelNetwork(ctx context.Context, net *PluginConfig, rt *Runti
 	if gtet, err := version.GreaterThanOrEqualTo(net.Network.CNIVersion, "0.4.0"); err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else if gtet {
-		cachedResult, err = c.getCachedResult(net.Network.Name, net.Network.CNIVersion, rt)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get network %q cached result: %w", net.Network.Name, err)
+		if cachedResult, err = c.getCachedResult(net.Network.Name, net.Network.CNIVersion, rt); err != nil {
+			_ = c.cacheDel(net.Network.Name, rt)
+			cachedResult = nil
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/libcni/api_test.go b/libcni/api_test.go
index 76d20925..193076ca 100644
--- a/libcni/api_test.go
+++ b/libcni/api_test.go
@@ -837,12 +837,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Invoking plugins", func() {
 				})
 
 				Context("result is invalid JSON", func() {
-					It("returns an error", func() {
+					It("tolerates the error", func() {
 						err := os.WriteFile(cacheFile, []byte("adfadsfasdfasfdsafaf"), 0o600)
 						Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
 						err = cniConfig.DelNetwork(ctx, netConfig, runtimeConfig)
-						Expect(err).To(MatchError("failed to get network \"apitest\" cached result: decoding version from network config: invalid character 'a' looking for beginning of value"))
+						Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 					})
 				})
 
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Invoking plugins", func() {
 						Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 					})
 
-					It("returns an error when the cached result cannot be converted", func() {
+					It("tolerates the error when the cached result cannot be converted", func() {
 						err := os.WriteFile(cacheFile, []byte(`{
 							"cniVersion": "0.4567.0",
 							"ips": [{"version": "4", "address": "10.1.2.3/24"}],
@@ -868,7 +868,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Invoking plugins", func() {
 						Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
 						err = cniConfig.DelNetwork(ctx, netConfig, runtimeConfig)
-						Expect(err).To(MatchError("failed to get network \"apitest\" cached result: unsupported CNI result version \"0.4567.0\""))
+						Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 					})
 				})
 			})