diff --git a/src/plugins/muc-views/heading.js b/src/plugins/muc-views/heading.js
index f6b25e3d6..e4235cf07 100644
--- a/src/plugins/muc-views/heading.js
+++ b/src/plugins/muc-views/heading.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import tpl_muc_head from './templates/muc-head.js';
 import { Model } from '@converse/skeletor/src/model.js';
 import { __ } from 'i18n';
 import { _converse, api, converse } from "@converse/headless/core";
-import { showModeratorToolsModal } from './utils.js';
+import { destroyMUC, showModeratorToolsModal } from './utils.js';
 import {
     getHeadingDropdownItem,
     getHeadingStandaloneButton,
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ export default class MUCHeading extends ChatHeading {
         this.model.session.set('view', converse.MUC.VIEWS.CONFIG);
     }
 
-    destroy () {
-        _converse.chatboxviews.get(this.getAttribute('jid'))?.destroy();
+    destroy (ev) {
+        ev.preventDefault();
+        destroyMUC(this.model);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -187,7 +188,6 @@ export default class MUCHeading extends ChatHeading {
             })
         );
     }
-
 }
 
 api.elements.define('converse-muc-heading', MUCHeading);
diff --git a/src/plugins/muc-views/muc.js b/src/plugins/muc-views/muc.js
index 7225872be..16a3e2e55 100644
--- a/src/plugins/muc-views/muc.js
+++ b/src/plugins/muc-views/muc.js
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 import BaseChatView from 'shared/chat/baseview.js';
-import log from '@converse/headless/log';
 import tpl_muc from './templates/muc.js';
-import { __ } from 'i18n';
 import { _converse, api, converse } from '@converse/headless/core';
 
 
@@ -40,37 +38,6 @@ export default class MUCView extends BaseChatView {
         return tpl_muc({ 'model': this.model });
     }
 
-    async destroy () {
-        const messages = [__('Are you sure you want to destroy this groupchat?')];
-        let fields = [
-            {
-                'name': 'challenge',
-                'label': __('Please enter the XMPP address of this groupchat to confirm'),
-                'challenge': this.model.get('jid'),
-                'placeholder': __('name@example.org'),
-                'required': true
-            },
-            {
-                'name': 'reason',
-                'label': __('Optional reason for destroying this groupchat'),
-                'placeholder': __('Reason')
-            },
-            {
-                'name': 'newjid',
-                'label': __('Optional XMPP address for a new groupchat that replaces this one'),
-                'placeholder': __('replacement@example.org')
-            }
-        ];
-        try {
-            fields = await api.confirm(__('Confirm'), messages, fields);
-            const reason = fields.filter(f => f.name === 'reason').pop()?.value;
-            const newjid = fields.filter(f => f.name === 'newjid').pop()?.value;
-            return this.model.sendDestroyIQ(reason, newjid).then(() => this.close());
-        } catch (e) {
-            log.error(e);
-        }
-    }
-
     onConnectionStatusChanged () {
         const conn_status = this.model.session.get('connection_status');
         if (conn_status === converse.ROOMSTATUS.CONNECTING) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/muc-views/utils.js b/src/plugins/muc-views/utils.js
index 13dc27c78..bd444b876 100644
--- a/src/plugins/muc-views/utils.js
+++ b/src/plugins/muc-views/utils.js
@@ -31,6 +31,38 @@ export function clearHistory (jid) {
     }
 }
 
+export async function destroyMUC (model) {
+    const messages = [__('Are you sure you want to destroy this groupchat?')];
+    let fields = [
+        {
+            'name': 'challenge',
+            'label': __('Please enter the XMPP address of this groupchat to confirm'),
+            'challenge': model.get('jid'),
+            'placeholder': __('name@example.org'),
+            'required': true
+        },
+        {
+            'name': 'reason',
+            'label': __('Optional reason for destroying this groupchat'),
+            'placeholder': __('Reason')
+        },
+        {
+            'name': 'newjid',
+            'label': __('Optional XMPP address for a new groupchat that replaces this one'),
+            'placeholder': __('replacement@example.org')
+        }
+    ];
+    try {
+        fields = await api.confirm(__('Confirm'), messages, fields);
+        const reason = fields.filter(f => f.name === 'reason').pop()?.value;
+        const newjid = fields.filter(f => f.name === 'newjid').pop()?.value;
+        return model.sendDestroyIQ(reason, newjid).then(() => model.close());
+    } catch (e) {
+        log.error(e);
+    }
+}
+
+
 function setMUCDomain (domain, controlboxview) {
     controlboxview.querySelector('converse-rooms-list')
         .model.save('muc_domain', Strophe.getDomainFromJid(domain));
@@ -305,8 +337,7 @@ export function parseMessageForMUCCommands (muc, text) {
             if (!muc.verifyAffiliations(['owner'])) {
                 break;
             }
-            const chatview = _converse.chatboxviews.get(muc.get('jid'));
-            chatview.destroy().catch(e => muc.onCommandError(e));
+            destroyMUC(muc).catch(e => muc.onCommandError(e));
             break;
         }
         case 'help': {