diff --git a/pkg/sql/drop_role.go b/pkg/sql/drop_role.go
index 2cedbda46537..2b446664c7ba 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/drop_role.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/drop_role.go
@@ -104,8 +104,18 @@ func (n *DropRoleNode) startExec(params runParams) error {
 		if name.IsReserved() {
 			return pgerror.Newf(pgcode.ReservedName, "role name %q is reserved", name.Normalized())
 		}
+
 		// Non-admin users cannot drop admins.
 		if !hasAdmin {
+			roleExists, err := RoleExists(params.ctx, params.p.InternalSQLTxn(), name)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if !roleExists {
+				// If the role does not exist, we can skip the check for targetIsAdmin.
+				continue
+			}
+
 			targetIsAdmin, err := params.p.UserHasAdminRole(params.ctx, name)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -114,6 +124,7 @@ func (n *DropRoleNode) startExec(params runParams) error {
 				return pgerror.New(pgcode.InsufficientPrivilege, "must be superuser to drop superusers")
 			}
 		}
+
 	}
 
 	privilegeObjectFormatter := tree.NewFmtCtx(tree.FmtSimple)
diff --git a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/drop_role_with_default_privileges b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/drop_role_with_default_privileges
index d6f1d959e918..e884c5b9f1dc 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/drop_role_with_default_privileges
+++ b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/drop_role_with_default_privileges
@@ -159,3 +159,27 @@ ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES FOR ALL ROLES IN SCHEMA public REVOKE ALL ON SEQUENCES
 
 statement ok
 DROP ROLE testuser4;
+
+subtest fix_for_regression_bug_134538
+
+statement ok
+CREATE USER not_admin WITH PASSWORD '123';
+GRANT SYSTEM CREATEROLE TO not_admin;
+SET ROLE not_admin;
+
+statement error pq: role/user "a_user_that_does_not_exist" does not exist
+DROP USER a_user_that_does_not_exist;
+
+statement ok
+DROP USER IF EXISTS a_user_that_does_not_exist;
+
+statement ok
+SET ROLE admin;
+
+statement error pq: role/user "a_user_that_does_not_exist" does not exist
+DROP USER a_user_that_does_not_exist;
+
+statement ok
+DROP USER IF EXISTS a_user_that_does_not_exist;
+
+subtest end