diff --git a/src/maggma/stores/aws.py b/src/maggma/stores/aws.py
index 680e3ca7e..c82558420 100644
--- a/src/maggma/stores/aws.py
+++ b/src/maggma/stores/aws.py
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ def remove_docs(self, criteria: Dict, remove_s3_object: bool = False):
             # Can remove up to 1000 items at a time via boto
             to_remove_chunks = list(grouper(to_remove, n=1000))
             for chunk_to_remove in to_remove_chunks:
-                objlist = [{"Key": self.sub_dir + obj} for obj in chunk_to_remove]
+                objlist = [{"Key": f"{self.sub_dir}{obj}"} for obj in chunk_to_remove]
                 self.s3_bucket.delete_objects(Delete={"Objects": objlist})
 
     @property
diff --git a/tests/stores/test_aws.py b/tests/stores/test_aws.py
index a3d5b0cce..58afbdfd4 100644
--- a/tests/stores/test_aws.py
+++ b/tests/stores/test_aws.py
@@ -191,16 +191,24 @@ def tests_msonable_read_write(s3store):
 
 
 def test_remove(s3store):
+    def objects_in_bucket(key):
+        objs = list(s3store.s3_bucket.objects.filter(Prefix=key))
+        return key in [o.key for o in objs]
+
     s3store.update([{"task_id": "mp-2", "data": "asd"}])
     s3store.update([{"task_id": "mp-4", "data": "asd"}])
     s3store.update({"task_id": "mp-5", "data": "aaa"})
     assert s3store.query_one({"task_id": "mp-2"}) is not None
     assert s3store.query_one({"task_id": "mp-4"}) is not None
+    assert objects_in_bucket("mp-2")
+    assert objects_in_bucket("mp-4")
 
     s3store.remove_docs({"task_id": "mp-2"})
+    s3store.remove_docs({"task_id": "mp-4"}, remove_s3_object=True)
+
+    assert objects_in_bucket("mp-2")
+    assert not objects_in_bucket("mp-4")
 
-    assert s3store.query_one({"task_id": "mp-2"}) is None
-    assert s3store.query_one({"task_id": "mp-4"}) is not None
     assert s3store.query_one({"task_id": "mp-5"}) is not None