diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php
index ee37c3ad0..039d5b174 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php
@@ -379,14 +379,24 @@ class AssetsController extends Controller
             $assets = $assets->withTrashed();
         }
 
-        $assets = $assets->get();
+        if (($assets = $assets->get()) && ($assets->count()) > 0) {
+
+            // If there is exactly one result and the deleted parameter is not passed, we should pull the first (and only)
+            // asset from the returned collection, since transformAsset() expects an Asset object, NOT a collection
+            if (($assets->count() == 1) && ($request->input('deleted') != 'true')) {
+                return (new AssetsTransformer)->transformAsset($assets->first());
+
+                // If there is more than one result OR if the endpoint is requesting deleted items (even if there is only one
+                // match, return the normal collection transformed.
+            } else {
+                return (new AssetsTransformer)->transformAssets($assets, $assets->count());
+            }
 
-        if (($assets) && ($assets->count() > 0)) {
-            return (new AssetsTransformer)->transformAssets($assets, $assets->count());
-        } else {
-            return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, trans('admin/hardware/message.does_not_exist')), 200);
         }
 
+        // If there are 0 results, return the "no such asset" response
+        return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, trans('admin/hardware/message.does_not_exist')), 200);
+
     }
 
     /**
@@ -409,11 +419,24 @@ class AssetsController extends Controller
 
         $assets = $assets->get();
 
-        if (($assets) && ($assets->count() > 0)) {
-            return (new AssetsTransformer)->transformAssets($assets, $assets->count());
-        } else {
-            return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, trans('admin/hardware/message.does_not_exist')), 200);
+        if (($assets = $assets->get()) && ($assets->count()) > 0) {
+
+            // If there is exactly one result and the deleted parameter is not passed, we should pull the first (and only)
+            // asset from the returned collection, since transformAsset() expects an Asset object, NOT a collection
+            if (($assets->count() == 1) && ($request->input('deleted') != 'true')) {
+                return (new AssetsTransformer)->transformAsset($assets->first());
+
+            // If there is more than one result OR if the endpoint is requesting deleted items (even if there is only one
+            // match, return the normal collection transformed.
+            } else {
+                return (new AssetsTransformer)->transformAssets($assets, $assets->count());
+            }
+
         }
+
+        // If there are 0 results, return the "no such asset" response
+        return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, trans('admin/hardware/message.does_not_exist')), 200);
+
     }
 
     /**