diff --git a/internal/daemon/common/worker_list.go b/internal/daemon/common/worker_list.go
index 6763991d09..0a348eb0b3 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/common/worker_list.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/common/worker_list.go
@@ -81,3 +81,20 @@ func (w WorkerList) Filtered(eval *bexpr.Evaluator) (WorkerList, error) {
 	}
 	return ret, nil
 }
+
+// SeparateManagedWorkers divides the incoming workers into managed and
+// unmanaged workers, respectively
+func SeparateManagedWorkers(workers WorkerList) (managedWorkers, nonManagedWorkers WorkerList) {
+	// Build a set of managed and unmanaged workers
+	managedWorkers = make([]*server.Worker, 0, len(workers))
+	nonManagedWorkers = make([]*server.Worker, 0, len(workers))
+	for _, worker := range workers {
+		tags := worker.CanonicalTags()
+		if len(tags[ManagedWorkerTag]) != 0 {
+			managedWorkers = append(managedWorkers, worker)
+		} else {
+			nonManagedWorkers = append(nonManagedWorkers, worker)
+		}
+	}
+	return managedWorkers, nonManagedWorkers
+}
diff --git a/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service.go b/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service.go
index d372a02ba8..f211b07d8b 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/globals"
+	wl "github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/common"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/controller/auth"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/controller/common"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/controller/common/scopeids"
@@ -317,7 +318,18 @@ func (s Service) DeleteWorker(ctx context.Context, req *pbs.DeleteWorkerRequest)
 	if authResults.Error != nil {
 		return nil, authResults.Error
 	}
-	_, err := s.deleteFromRepo(ctx, req.GetId())
+
+	w, err := s.getFromRepo(ctx, req.GetId())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	managed, _ := wl.SeparateManagedWorkers(wl.WorkerList{w})
+	if len(managed) == 1 {
+		return nil, handlers.InvalidArgumentErrorf("Error in provided request.", map[string]string{"id": "Managed workers cannot be deleted."})
+	}
+
+	_, err = s.deleteFromRepo(ctx, w.GetPublicId())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1012,6 +1024,8 @@ func validateStringForDb(str string) string {
 		return "must be non-empty."
 	case len(str) > 512:
 		return "must be within 512 characters."
+	case str == wl.ManagedWorkerTag:
+		return "cannot be the managed worker tag."
 	default:
 		return ""
 	}
diff --git a/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service_test.go b/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service_test.go
index 28bcd03ee4..77d68d54ce 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service_test.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/controller/handlers/workers/worker_service_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/globals"
+	wl "github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/common"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/controller/auth"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/controller/common"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/daemon/controller/handlers"
@@ -410,25 +411,33 @@ func TestDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	s, err := NewService(ctx, repoFn, iamRepoFn, workerAuthRepoFn, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "Error when getting new worker service.")
 
-	w := server.TestKmsWorker(t, conn, wrap)
+	wUnmanaged := server.TestKmsWorker(t, conn, wrap, server.WithWorkerTags(&server.Tag{
+		Key:   "foo",
+		Value: "bar",
+	}))
+	wManaged := server.TestKmsWorker(t, conn, wrap, server.WithWorkerTags(&server.Tag{
+		Key:   wl.ManagedWorkerTag,
+		Value: "bar",
+	}))
 
 	cases := []struct {
-		name    string
-		scopeId string
-		req     *pbs.DeleteWorkerRequest
-		res     *pbs.DeleteWorkerResponse
-		err     error
+		name        string
+		scopeId     string
+		req         *pbs.DeleteWorkerRequest
+		res         *pbs.DeleteWorkerResponse
+		err         error
+		errContains string
 	}{
 		{
 			name:    "Delete an Existing Worker",
-			scopeId: w.GetScopeId(),
+			scopeId: wUnmanaged.GetScopeId(),
 			req: &pbs.DeleteWorkerRequest{
-				Id: w.GetPublicId(),
+				Id: wUnmanaged.GetPublicId(),
 			},
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "Delete bad worker id",
-			scopeId: w.GetScopeId(),
+			scopeId: wUnmanaged.GetScopeId(),
 			req: &pbs.DeleteWorkerRequest{
 				Id: globals.WorkerPrefix + "_doesntexis",
 			},
@@ -436,12 +445,21 @@ func TestDelete(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "Bad Worker Id formatting",
-			scopeId: w.GetScopeId(),
+			scopeId: wUnmanaged.GetScopeId(),
 			req: &pbs.DeleteWorkerRequest{
 				Id: "bad_format",
 			},
 			err: handlers.ApiErrorWithCode(codes.InvalidArgument),
 		},
+		{
+			name:    "Cannot delete managed worker",
+			scopeId: wManaged.GetScopeId(),
+			req: &pbs.DeleteWorkerRequest{
+				Id: wManaged.GetPublicId(),
+			},
+			err:         handlers.ApiErrorWithCode(codes.InvalidArgument),
+			errContains: "Managed workers cannot be deleted",
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -451,6 +469,10 @@ func TestDelete(t *testing.T) {
 				require.Error(gErr)
 				assert.True(errors.Is(gErr, tc.err), "DeleteWorker(%+v) got error %v, wanted %v", tc.req, gErr, tc.err)
 			}
+			if tc.errContains != "" {
+				require.Error(gErr)
+				assert.Contains(gErr.Error(), tc.errContains)
+			}
 			assert.EqualValuesf(tc.res, got, "DeleteWorker(%+v) got response %q, wanted %q", tc.req, got, tc.res)
 		})
 	}
@@ -1927,6 +1949,18 @@ func TestService_AddWorkerTags(t *testing.T) {
 			}(),
 			wantErrContains: "Tag values must be strings.",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid-managed-tag-value",
+			req: func() *pbs.AddWorkerTagsRequest {
+				worker := server.TestKmsWorker(t, conn, wrapper)
+				return &pbs.AddWorkerTagsRequest{
+					Id:      worker.PublicId,
+					Version: worker.Version,
+					ApiTags: map[string]*structpb.ListValue{wl.ManagedWorkerTag: {Values: []*structpb.Value{structpb.NewStringValue("value2")}}},
+				}
+			}(),
+			wantErrContains: "Tag keys cannot be the managed worker tag.",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "mixed-invalid-tags",
 			req: func() *pbs.AddWorkerTagsRequest {
@@ -2078,6 +2112,18 @@ func TestService_SetWorkerTags(t *testing.T) {
 			}(),
 			wantErrContains: "Tag values must be strings.",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid-managed-tag-value",
+			req: func() *pbs.SetWorkerTagsRequest {
+				worker := server.TestKmsWorker(t, conn, wrapper)
+				return &pbs.SetWorkerTagsRequest{
+					Id:      worker.PublicId,
+					Version: worker.Version,
+					ApiTags: map[string]*structpb.ListValue{wl.ManagedWorkerTag: {Values: []*structpb.Value{structpb.NewStringValue("value2")}}},
+				}
+			}(),
+			wantErrContains: "Tag keys cannot be the managed worker tag.",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "mixed-invalid-tags",
 			req: func() *pbs.SetWorkerTagsRequest {