diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete.go
index 237a99d81..1b93d0ddc 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package meta
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	objectSDK "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/object"
@@ -18,8 +17,6 @@ type DeletePrm struct {
 // DeleteRes groups resulting values of Delete operation.
 type DeleteRes struct{}
 
-var ErrVirtualObject = errors.New("do not remove virtual object directly")
-
 // WithAddresses is a Delete option to set the addresses of the objects to delete.
 //
 // Option is required.
@@ -37,7 +34,7 @@ func Delete(db *DB, addrs ...*objectSDK.Address) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-// DeleteObjects marks list of objects as deleted.
+// Delete removed object records from metabase indexes.
 func (db *DB) Delete(prm *DeletePrm) (*DeleteRes, error) {
 	return new(DeleteRes), db.boltDB.Update(func(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
 		for i := range prm.addrs {
@@ -52,15 +49,8 @@ func (db *DB) Delete(prm *DeletePrm) (*DeleteRes, error) {
 }
 
 func (db *DB) delete(tx *bbolt.Tx, addr *objectSDK.Address, isParent bool) error {
-	pl := parentLength(tx, addr) // parentLength of address, for virtual objects it is > 0
-
-	// do not remove virtual objects directly
-	if !isParent && pl > 0 {
-		return ErrVirtualObject
-	}
-
-	// unmarshal object
-	obj, err := db.get(tx, addr, false)
+	// unmarshal object, work only with physically stored (raw == true) objects
+	obj, err := db.get(tx, addr, false, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete_test.go
index fe83050c6..c9c3e1124 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/delete_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ func TestDB_Delete(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Len(t, l, 1)
 
+	// try to remove parent unsuccessfully
+	err = meta.Delete(db, parent.Object().Address())
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
 	// inhume parent and child so they will be on graveyard
 	ts := generateRawObjectWithCID(t, cid)
 
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/exists.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/exists.go
index 56259a954..d43545cd6 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/exists.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/exists.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/container"
 	objectSDK "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/object"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/pkg/core/object"
 	"go.etcd.io/bbolt"
@@ -74,16 +75,9 @@ func (db *DB) exists(tx *bbolt.Tx, addr *objectSDK.Address) (exists bool, err er
 
 	// if primary bucket is empty, then check if object exists in parent bucket
 	if inBucket(tx, parentBucketName(addr.ContainerID()), objKey) {
-		rawSplitInfo := getFromBucket(tx, rootBucketName(addr.ContainerID()), objKey)
-		if len(rawSplitInfo) == 0 {
-			return false, ErrLackSplitInfo
-		}
-
-		splitInfo := objectSDK.NewSplitInfo()
-
-		err := splitInfo.Unmarshal(rawSplitInfo)
+		splitInfo, err := getSplitInfo(tx, addr.ContainerID(), objKey)
 		if err != nil {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("can't unmarshal split info from root index: %w", err)
+			return false, err
 		}
 
 		return false, objectSDK.NewSplitInfoError(splitInfo)
@@ -122,3 +116,21 @@ func inBucket(tx *bbolt.Tx, name, key []byte) bool {
 
 	return len(val) != 0
 }
+
+// getSplitInfo returns SplitInfo structure from root index. Returns error
+// if there is no `key` record in root index.
+func getSplitInfo(tx *bbolt.Tx, cid *container.ID, key []byte) (*objectSDK.SplitInfo, error) {
+	rawSplitInfo := getFromBucket(tx, rootBucketName(cid), key)
+	if len(rawSplitInfo) == 0 {
+		return nil, ErrLackSplitInfo
+	}
+
+	splitInfo := objectSDK.NewSplitInfo()
+
+	err := splitInfo.Unmarshal(rawSplitInfo)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't unmarshal split info from root index: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return splitInfo, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get.go
index 1a6cd09be..10d5a8942 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 // GetPrm groups the parameters of Get operation.
 type GetPrm struct {
 	addr *objectSDK.Address
+	raw  bool
 }
 
 // GetRes groups resulting values of Get operation.
@@ -30,12 +31,23 @@ func (p *GetPrm) WithAddress(addr *objectSDK.Address) *GetPrm {
 	return p
 }
 
+// WithRaw is a Get option to set raw flag value. If flag is unset, then Get
+// returns header of virtual object, otherwise it returns SplitInfo of virtual
+// object.
+func (p *GetPrm) WithRaw(raw bool) *GetPrm {
+	if p != nil {
+		p.raw = raw
+	}
+
+	return p
+}
+
 // Header returns the requested object header.
 func (r *GetRes) Header() *object.Object {
 	return r.hdr
 }
 
-// Get read the object from DB.
+// Get reads the object from DB.
 func Get(db *DB, addr *objectSDK.Address) (*object.Object, error) {
 	r, err := db.Get(new(GetPrm).WithAddress(addr))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -45,12 +57,22 @@ func Get(db *DB, addr *objectSDK.Address) (*object.Object, error) {
 	return r.Header(), nil
 }
 
+// GetRaw reads physically stored object from DB.
+func GetRaw(db *DB, addr *objectSDK.Address, raw bool) (*object.Object, error) {
+	r, err := db.Get(new(GetPrm).WithAddress(addr).WithRaw(raw))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return r.Header(), nil
+}
+
 // Get returns object header for specified address.
 func (db *DB) Get(prm *GetPrm) (res *GetRes, err error) {
 	res = new(GetRes)
 
 	err = db.boltDB.View(func(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
-		res.hdr, err = db.get(tx, prm.addr, true)
+		res.hdr, err = db.get(tx, prm.addr, true, prm.raw)
 
 		return err
 	})
@@ -58,7 +80,7 @@ func (db *DB) Get(prm *GetPrm) (res *GetRes, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (db *DB) get(tx *bbolt.Tx, addr *objectSDK.Address, checkGraveyard bool) (*object.Object, error) {
+func (db *DB) get(tx *bbolt.Tx, addr *objectSDK.Address, checkGraveyard, raw bool) (*object.Object, error) {
 	obj := object.New()
 	key := objectKey(addr.ObjectID())
 	cid := addr.ContainerID()
@@ -86,7 +108,7 @@ func (db *DB) get(tx *bbolt.Tx, addr *objectSDK.Address, checkGraveyard bool) (*
 	}
 
 	// if not found then check if object is a virtual
-	return getVirtualObject(tx, cid, key)
+	return getVirtualObject(tx, cid, key, raw)
 }
 
 func getFromBucket(tx *bbolt.Tx, name, key []byte) []byte {
@@ -98,7 +120,11 @@ func getFromBucket(tx *bbolt.Tx, name, key []byte) []byte {
 	return bkt.Get(key)
 }
 
-func getVirtualObject(tx *bbolt.Tx, cid *container.ID, key []byte) (*object.Object, error) {
+func getVirtualObject(tx *bbolt.Tx, cid *container.ID, key []byte, raw bool) (*object.Object, error) {
+	if raw {
+		return nil, getSplitInfoError(tx, cid, key)
+	}
+
 	parentBucket := tx.Bucket(parentBucketName(cid))
 	if parentBucket == nil {
 		return nil, object.ErrNotFound
@@ -132,3 +158,12 @@ func getVirtualObject(tx *bbolt.Tx, cid *container.ID, key []byte) (*object.Obje
 
 	return child.GetParent(), nil
 }
+
+func getSplitInfoError(tx *bbolt.Tx, cid *container.ID, key []byte) error {
+	splitInfo, err := getSplitInfo(tx, cid, key)
+	if err == nil {
+		return objectSDK.NewSplitInfoError(splitInfo)
+	}
+
+	return object.ErrNotFound
+}
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get_test.go
index d380d0a85..e45e06f6b 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/get_test.go
@@ -60,21 +60,36 @@ func TestDB_Get(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("put virtual object", func(t *testing.T) {
 		cid := testCID()
+		splitID := objectSDK.NewSplitID()
+
 		parent := generateRawObjectWithCID(t, cid)
 		addAttribute(parent, "foo", "bar")
 
 		child := generateRawObjectWithCID(t, cid)
 		child.SetParent(parent.Object().SDK())
 		child.SetParentID(parent.ID())
+		child.SetSplitID(splitID)
 
 		err := putBig(db, child.Object())
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		newParent, err := meta.Get(db, parent.Object().Address())
+		t.Run("raw is true", func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err = meta.GetRaw(db, parent.Object().Address(), true)
+			require.Error(t, err)
+
+			siErr, ok := err.(*objectSDK.SplitInfoError)
+			require.True(t, ok)
+
+			require.Equal(t, splitID, siErr.SplitInfo().SplitID())
+			require.Equal(t, child.ID(), siErr.SplitInfo().LastPart())
+			require.Nil(t, siErr.SplitInfo().Link())
+		})
+
+		newParent, err := meta.GetRaw(db, parent.Object().Address(), false)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.True(t, binaryEqual(parent.Object(), newParent))
 
-		newChild, err := meta.Get(db, child.Object().Address())
+		newChild, err := meta.GetRaw(db, child.Object().Address(), true)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.True(t, binaryEqual(child.Object(), newChild))
 	})
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/select.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/select.go
index e5ed052bb..3f2afedce 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/select.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/metabase/select.go
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ func (db *DB) matchSlowFilters(tx *bbolt.Tx, addr *object.Address, f object.Sear
 		return true
 	}
 
-	obj, err := db.get(tx, addr, true)
+	obj, err := db.get(tx, addr, true, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false
 	}