diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index b02a8f9..75a8919 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -58,10 +58,7 @@ type Finisher interface {
 
 type Deleter interface {
 	Inserter
-	// Delete deletes ID from tables that matched ProbeXxx
-	Delete(int64, interface{}) error
-	// DeleteElem deletes element from all tables
-	DeleteElem(element.OSMElem) error
+	Delete(int64, []mapping.Match) error
 }
 
 type Optimizer interface {
diff --git a/database/postgis/postgis.go b/database/postgis/postgis.go
index b87111a..f08582a 100644
--- a/database/postgis/postgis.go
+++ b/database/postgis/postgis.go
@@ -510,36 +510,13 @@ func (pg *PostGIS) InsertRelationMember(rel element.Relation, m element.Member,
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (pg *PostGIS) Delete(id int64, matches interface{}) error {
-	if matches, ok := matches.([]mapping.Match); ok {
-		for _, match := range matches {
-			pg.txRouter.Delete(match.Table.Name, id)
-		}
-		if pg.updateGeneralizedTables {
-			for _, generalizedTable := range pg.generalizedFromMatches(matches) {
-				pg.txRouter.Delete(generalizedTable.Name, id)
-			}
-		}
+func (pg *PostGIS) Delete(id int64, matches []mapping.Match) error {
+	for _, match := range matches {
+		pg.txRouter.Delete(match.Table.Name, id)
 	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (pg *PostGIS) DeleteElem(elem element.OSMElem) error {
-	// handle deletes of geometries that did not match in ProbeXxx.
-	// we have to handle multipolygon relations that took the tags of the
-	// main-member. those tags are not avail. during delete. just try to
-	// delete from each polygon/relation table.
-	if _, ok := elem.Tags["type"]; ok {
-		for _, tableSpec := range pg.Tables {
-			if tableSpec.GeometryType != "polygon" && tableSpec.GeometryType != "geometry" && tableSpec.GeometryType != "relation" {
-				continue
-			}
-			pg.txRouter.Delete(tableSpec.Name, elem.Id)
-			if pg.updateGeneralizedTables {
-				for _, genTable := range tableSpec.Generalizations {
-					pg.txRouter.Delete(genTable.Name, elem.Id)
-				}
-			}
+	if pg.updateGeneralizedTables {
+		for _, generalizedTable := range pg.generalizedFromMatches(matches) {
+			pg.txRouter.Delete(generalizedTable.Name, id)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/update/deleter.go b/update/deleter.go
index 459108a..fb64c6e 100644
--- a/update/deleter.go
+++ b/update/deleter.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ type Deleter struct {
 	tmPoints         mapping.NodeMatcher
 	tmLineStrings    mapping.WayMatcher
 	tmPolygons       mapping.RelWayMatcher
+	tmRelation       mapping.RelationMatcher
+	tmRelationMember mapping.RelationMatcher
 	expireor         expire.Expireor
 	singleIdSpace    bool
 	deletedRelations map[int64]struct{}
@@ -28,6 +30,8 @@ func NewDeleter(db database.Deleter, osmCache *cache.OSMCache, diffCache *cache.
 	tmPoints mapping.NodeMatcher,
 	tmLineStrings mapping.WayMatcher,
 	tmPolygons mapping.RelWayMatcher,
+	tmRelation mapping.RelationMatcher,
+	tmRelationMember mapping.RelationMatcher,
 ) *Deleter {
 	return &Deleter{
 		delDb:            db,
@@ -36,6 +40,8 @@ func NewDeleter(db database.Deleter, osmCache *cache.OSMCache, diffCache *cache.
 		tmPoints:         tmPoints,
 		tmLineStrings:    tmLineStrings,
 		tmPolygons:       tmPolygons,
+		tmRelation:       tmRelation,
+		tmRelationMember: tmRelationMember,
 		singleIdSpace:    singleIdSpace,
 		deletedRelations: make(map[int64]struct{}),
 		deletedWays:      make(map[int64]struct{}),
@@ -82,12 +88,27 @@ func (d *Deleter) deleteRelation(id int64, deleteRefs bool, deleteMembers bool)
 	if elem.Tags == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	// delete from all tables to handle relations with tags from members
-	// and relation_members
-	e := element.OSMElem(elem.OSMElem)
-	e.Id = d.RelId(e.Id)
-	if err := d.delDb.DeleteElem(e); err != nil {
-		return err
+
+	deleted := false
+	deletedPolygon := false
+	if matches := d.tmPolygons.MatchRelation(elem); len(matches) > 0 {
+		if err := d.delDb.Delete(d.RelId(elem.Id), matches); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		deleted = true
+		deletedPolygon = true
+	}
+	if matches := d.tmRelation.MatchRelation(elem); len(matches) > 0 {
+		if err := d.delDb.Delete(d.RelId(elem.Id), matches); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		deleted = true
+	}
+	if matches := d.tmRelationMember.MatchRelation(elem); len(matches) > 0 {
+		if err := d.delDb.Delete(d.RelId(elem.Id), matches); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		deleted = true
 	}
 
 	if deleteRefs {
@@ -96,13 +117,19 @@ func (d *Deleter) deleteRelation(id int64, deleteRefs bool, deleteMembers bool)
 				if err := d.diffCache.Ways.DeleteRef(m.Id, id); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
+			} else if m.Type == element.NODE {
+				if err := d.diffCache.CoordsRel.DeleteRef(m.Id, id); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	if deleteMembers {
+	if deleteMembers && deletedPolygon {
 		// delete members from db and force reinsert of members
 		// use case: relation is deleted and member now stands for its own
+
+		// TODO: still needed after old-style mp removal, remove when #148 is closed
 		for _, member := range elem.Members {
 			if member.Type == element.WAY {
 				d.deletedMembers[member.Id] = struct{}{}
@@ -124,7 +151,7 @@ func (d *Deleter) deleteRelation(id int64, deleteRefs bool, deleteMembers bool)
 	if err := d.osmCache.InsertedWays.DeleteMembers(elem.Members); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if d.expireor != nil {
+	if deleted && d.expireor != nil {
 		if err := d.osmCache.Ways.FillMembers(elem.Members); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -136,7 +163,7 @@ func (d *Deleter) deleteRelation(id int64, deleteRefs bool, deleteMembers bool)
 			if err != nil {
 				continue
 			}
-			expire.ExpireProjectedNodes(d.expireor, m.Way.Nodes, 4326, true)
+			expire.ExpireProjectedNodes(d.expireor, m.Way.Nodes, 4326, deletedPolygon)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/update/process.go b/update/process.go
index 3b8aa3d..e59a0eb 100644
--- a/update/process.go
+++ b/update/process.go
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ func Update(oscFile string, geometryLimiter *limit.Limiter, expireor expire.Expi
 		tagmapping.PointMatcher,
 		tagmapping.LineStringMatcher,
 		tagmapping.PolygonMatcher,
+		tagmapping.RelationMatcher,
+		tagmapping.RelationMemberMatcher,
 	)
 	deleter.SetExpireor(expireor)