diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Api/SettingsController.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Api/SettingsController.php
index a25019e69..0fd5631e7 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Api/SettingsController.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Api/SettingsController.php
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class SettingsController extends ApiMutableModelControllerBase
 {
     protected static $internalModelName = 'dnsmasq';
     protected static $internalModelClass = '\OPNsense\Dnsmasq\Dnsmasq';
+    protected static $internalModelUseSafeDelete = true;
 
     /**
      * @inheritdoc