diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java
index 114a5444caff..81a7fbfad9a3 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java
@@ -350,36 +350,35 @@ private boolean canContainDeletedFiles(ManifestFile manifest) {
     return canContainExpressionDeletes || canContainDroppedPartitions || canContainDroppedFiles || canContainDropBySeq;
   }
 
-  @SuppressWarnings({"CollectionUndefinedEquality", "checkstyle:CyclomaticComplexity"})
+  @SuppressWarnings("CollectionUndefinedEquality")
   private boolean manifestHasDeletedFiles(PartitionAndMetricsEvaluator evaluator, ManifestReader<F> reader) {
     boolean isDelete = reader.isDeleteManifestReader();
-    boolean hasDeletedFiles = false;
+
     for (ManifestEntry<F> entry : reader.liveEntries()) {
       F file = entry.file();
       boolean markedForDelete = deletePaths.contains(file.path()) ||
           dropPartitions.contains(file.specId(), file.partition()) ||
           (isDelete && entry.sequenceNumber() > 0 && entry.sequenceNumber() < minSequenceNumber);
 
-      boolean nonMatchingDeleteFile = !file.content().equals(FileContent.DATA) && !evaluator.rowsMustMatch(file);
-      if (!markedForDelete && nonMatchingDeleteFile) {
-        // not all DeleteFiles removal can be handled by metadata operation, skip in this case
-        continue;
-      }
-
       if (markedForDelete || evaluator.rowsMightMatch(file)) {
+        boolean allRowsMatch = markedForDelete || evaluator.rowsMustMatch(file);
         ValidationException.check(
-            markedForDelete || evaluator.rowsMustMatch(file),
+            allRowsMatch || isDelete, // ignore delete files where some records may not match the expression
             "Cannot delete file where some, but not all, rows match filter %s: %s",
             this.deleteExpression, file.path());
 
-        hasDeletedFiles = true;
-        if (failAnyDelete) {
-          throw new DeleteException(reader.spec().partitionToPath(file.partition()));
+        if (allRowsMatch) {
+          if (failAnyDelete) {
+            throw new DeleteException(reader.spec().partitionToPath(file.partition()));
+          }
+
+          // as soon as a deleted file is detected, stop scanning
+          return true;
         }
-        break; // as soon as a deleted file is detected, stop scanning
       }
     }
-    return hasDeletedFiles;
+
+    return false;
   }
 
   @SuppressWarnings({"CollectionUndefinedEquality", "checkstyle:CyclomaticComplexity"})
@@ -396,29 +395,33 @@ private ManifestFile filterManifestWithDeletedFiles(PartitionAndMetricsEvaluator
       try {
         reader.entries().forEach(entry -> {
           F file = entry.file();
-          boolean fileDelete = deletePaths.contains(file.path()) ||
+          boolean markedForDelete = deletePaths.contains(file.path()) ||
               dropPartitions.contains(file.specId(), file.partition()) ||
               (isDelete && entry.sequenceNumber() > 0 && entry.sequenceNumber() < minSequenceNumber);
           if (entry.status() != ManifestEntry.Status.DELETED) {
-            if (fileDelete || evaluator.rowsMightMatch(file)) {
+            if (markedForDelete || evaluator.rowsMightMatch(file)) {
+              boolean allRowsMatch = markedForDelete || evaluator.rowsMustMatch(file);
               ValidationException.check(
-                  fileDelete || evaluator.rowsMustMatch(file),
+                  allRowsMatch || isDelete, // ignore delete files where some records may not match the expression
                   "Cannot delete file where some, but not all, rows match filter %s: %s",
                   this.deleteExpression, file.path());
 
-              writer.delete(entry);
-
-              CharSequenceWrapper wrapper = CharSequenceWrapper.wrap(entry.file().path());
-              if (deletedPaths.contains(wrapper)) {
-                LOG.warn("Deleting a duplicate path from manifest {}: {}",
-                    manifest.path(), wrapper.get());
-                duplicateDeleteCount += 1;
+              if (allRowsMatch) {
+                writer.delete(entry);
+
+                CharSequenceWrapper wrapper = CharSequenceWrapper.wrap(entry.file().path());
+                if (deletedPaths.contains(wrapper)) {
+                  LOG.warn("Deleting a duplicate path from manifest {}: {}", manifest.path(), wrapper.get());
+                  duplicateDeleteCount += 1;
+                } else {
+                  // only add the file to deletes if it is a new delete
+                  // this keeps the snapshot summary accurate for non-duplicate data
+                  deletedFiles.add(entry.file().copyWithoutStats());
+                }
+                deletedPaths.add(wrapper);
               } else {
-                // only add the file to deletes if it is a new delete
-                // this keeps the snapshot summary accurate for non-duplicate data
-                deletedFiles.add(entry.file().copyWithoutStats());
+                writer.existing(entry);
               }
-              deletedPaths.add(wrapper);
 
             } else {
               writer.existing(entry);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestOverwriteWithValidation.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestOverwriteWithValidation.java
index 1938ddddc649..899d4b6169d5 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestOverwriteWithValidation.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestOverwriteWithValidation.java
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ public class TestOverwriteWithValidation extends TableTestBase {
       greaterThanOrEqual("id", 5L),
       lessThanOrEqual("id", 9L));
 
+  private static final Expression EXPRESSION_DAY_2_ANOTHER_ID_RANGE = greaterThanOrEqual("id", 10L);
+
   @Parameterized.Parameters(name = "formatVersion = {0}")
   public static Object[] parameters() {
     return new Object[] { 1, 2 };
@@ -995,4 +997,29 @@ public void testOverwriteCaseSensitivity() {
             .validateNoConflictingData()
             .commit());
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testMetadataOnlyDeleteWithPositionDeletes() {
+    Assume.assumeTrue(formatVersion == 2);
+
+    Assert.assertNull("Should be empty table", table.currentSnapshot());
+
+    table.newAppend()
+        .appendFile(FILE_DAY_2)
+        .appendFile(FILE_DAY_2_ANOTHER_RANGE)
+        .commit();
+
+    table.newRowDelta()
+        .addDeletes(FILE_DAY_2_POS_DELETES)
+        .addDeletes(FILE_DAY_2_ANOTHER_RANGE_EQ_DELETES)
+        .commit();
+
+    table.newOverwrite()
+        .overwriteByRowFilter(EXPRESSION_DAY_2_ANOTHER_ID_RANGE)
+        .addFile(FILE_DAY_2_MODIFIED)
+        .commit();
+
+    validateTableFiles(table, FILE_DAY_2, FILE_DAY_2_MODIFIED);
+    validateTableDeleteFiles(table, FILE_DAY_2_POS_DELETES);
+  }
 }