diff --git a/github/resource_github_repository_file.go b/github/resource_github_repository_file.go
index 46775f9c6..8a9c278cd 100644
--- a/github/resource_github_repository_file.go
+++ b/github/resource_github_repository_file.go
@@ -455,16 +455,14 @@ func resourceGithubRepositoryFileDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta any) error
 
 	var branch string
 
-	message := fmt.Sprintf("Delete %s", file)
-
-	if commitMessage, hasCommitMessage := d.GetOk("commit_message"); hasCommitMessage {
-		message = commitMessage.(string)
+	opts, err := resourceGithubRepositoryFileOptions(d)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-	sha := d.Get("sha").(string)
-	opts := &github.RepositoryContentFileOptions{
-		Message: &message,
-		SHA:     &sha,
+	if *opts.Message == fmt.Sprintf("Add %s", file) {
+		m := fmt.Sprintf("Delete %s", file)
+		opts.Message = &m
 	}
 
 	if b, ok := d.GetOk("branch"); ok {
@@ -498,7 +496,7 @@ func resourceGithubRepositoryFileDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta any) error
 		opts.Branch = &branch
 	}
 
-	_, _, err := client.Repositories.DeleteFile(ctx, owner, repo, file, opts)
+	_, _, err = client.Repositories.DeleteFile(ctx, owner, repo, file, opts)
 	return handleArchivedRepoDelete(err, "repository file", file, owner, repo)
 }
 
diff --git a/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go b/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go
index 34d37c589..03603e5d8 100644
--- a/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go
+++ b/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
-	randomID := acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum)
-
 	t.Run("creates and manages files", func(t *testing.T) {
 		config := fmt.Sprintf(`
 	
@@ -31,7 +29,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_author  = "Terraform User"
 				commit_email   = "terraform@example.com"
 			}
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 				"github_repository_file.test", "content",
@@ -107,7 +105,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_email        = "terraform@example.com"
 			}
 
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
@@ -196,7 +194,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_author  = "Terraform User"
 				commit_email   = "terraform@example.com"
 			}
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
@@ -272,7 +270,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_email      = "terraform@example.com"
 				autocreate_branch = false
 			}
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
@@ -352,7 +350,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_author = "Terraform User"
 				commit_email = "terraform@example.com"
 			}
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 
 		archivedConfig := strings.Replace(config,
 			`auto_init = true`,
@@ -391,7 +389,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 								auto_init = true
 								archived = true
 							}
-						`, randomID),
+						`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum)),
 					},
 				},
 			})