diff --git a/src/Database/Model.php b/src/Database/Model.php
index 23b36ec6..f88bab6e 100644
--- a/src/Database/Model.php
+++ b/src/Database/Model.php
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ protected function performDeleteOnRelations()
                         continue;
                     }
                     // we want to remove the pivot record, not the actual relation record
-                    $relation()->detach();
+                    $this->{$name}()->detach();
                 } else {
                     if (!Arr::get($options, 'delete', false)) {
                         continue;
diff --git a/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php b/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php
index c655b27e..aedeec81 100644
--- a/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php
+++ b/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ protected function performSoftDeleteOnRelations()
                     // relations using pivot table
                     $value = $this->fromDateTime($this->freshTimestamp());
                     $this->updatePivotDeletedAtColumn($name, $options, $value);
+
                 } else {
                     if ($relation instanceof EloquentModel) {
                         $relation->delete();
@@ -187,12 +188,10 @@ public function restore()
      */
     protected function updatePivotDeletedAtColumn(string $relationName, array $options, string|null $value)
     {
-        $relation = $this->{$relationName};
-
         // get deletedAtColumn from the relation options, otherwise use default
         $deletedAtColumn = array_get($options, 'deletedAtColumn', 'deleted_at');
 
-        $query = $relation()->newPivotQuery()->update([
+        $this->{$relationName}()->newPivotQuery()->update([
             $deletedAtColumn => $value,
         ]);
     }
diff --git a/tests/Database/Traits/SoftDeleteTest.php b/tests/Database/Traits/SoftDeleteTest.php
index fba13d0c..258b8208 100644
--- a/tests/Database/Traits/SoftDeleteTest.php
+++ b/tests/Database/Traits/SoftDeleteTest.php
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ public function setUp(): void
         ];
 
         $this->createTables();
+        $this->seedTables();
     }
 
     protected function createTables()
@@ -39,8 +40,6 @@ protected function createTables()
             $table->unsignedInteger('category_id');
             $table->timestamp('deleted_at')->nullable();
         });
-
-        $this->seedTables();
     }
 
     protected function seedTables()
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ protected function seedTables()
 
     public function testDeleteAndRestore()
     {
-        $post = Post::where('title', 'First Post')->first();
+        $post = Post::first();
         $this->assertTrue($post->deleted_at === null);
         $this->assertTrue($post->categories()->where('deleted_at', null)->count() === 2);
 
@@ -102,9 +101,9 @@ class Post extends \Winter\Storm\Database\Model
     public $belongsToMany = [
         'categories' => [
             Category::class,
-            'table'     => 'categories_posts',
-            'key'       => 'post_id',
-            'otherKey'  => 'category_id',
+            'table'      => 'categories_posts',
+            'key'        => 'post_id',
+            'otherKey'   => 'category_id',
             'softDelete' => true,
         ],
     ];
@@ -124,9 +123,9 @@ class Category extends \Winter\Storm\Database\Model
     public $belongsToMany = [
         'posts' => [
             Post::class,
-            'table'      => 'categories_posts',
-            'key'        => 'category_id',
-            'otherKey'   => 'post_id',
+            'table'     => 'categories_posts',
+            'key'       => 'category_id',
+            'otherKey'  => 'post_id',
         ],
     ];
 }