diff --git a/app/logical/user_deletion.rb b/app/logical/user_deletion.rb
index 5ae143379..8b6c555a8 100644
--- a/app/logical/user_deletion.rb
+++ b/app/logical/user_deletion.rb
@@ -87,15 +87,11 @@ class UserDeletion
   end
 
   def reset_password
-    user.update!(password: SecureRandom.hex(16))
+    user.update!(is_deleted: true, password: SecureRandom.hex(16))
   end
 
   def rename
-    name = "user_#{user.id}"
-    name += "~" while User.exists?(name: name)
-
-    request = UserNameChangeRequest.new(user: user, desired_name: name, original_name: user.name)
-    request.save!(validate: false) # XXX don't validate so that the 1 name change per week rule doesn't interfere
+    UserNameChangeRequest.create!(user: user, desired_name: "user_#{user.id}", original_name: user.name, is_deletion: true)
   end
 
   def validate_deletion
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 518171d21..57ce3c3ab 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   attribute :theme, default: :auto
   attribute :upload_points, default: Danbooru.config.initial_upload_points.to_i
   attribute :bit_prefs, default: 0
+  attribute :is_deleted, default: false
 
   has_bit_flags BOOLEAN_ATTRIBUTES, :field => "bit_prefs"
   enum theme: { auto: 0, light: 50, dark: 100 }, _suffix: true
diff --git a/app/models/user_name_change_request.rb b/app/models/user_name_change_request.rb
index 2c6f94e39..85dbd632f 100644
--- a/app/models/user_name_change_request.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_name_change_request.rb
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 class UserNameChangeRequest < ApplicationRecord
   belongs_to :user
 
-  attr_accessor :updater
+  attr_accessor :updater, :is_deletion
 
   validate :not_limited, on: :create
   validates :original_name, presence: true
-  validates :desired_name, user_name: true, presence: true, on: :create
+  validates :desired_name, presence: true, user_name: true, on: :create, unless: :is_deletion
 
   after_create :update_name!
   after_create :create_mod_action
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class UserNameChangeRequest < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def not_limited
+    return if is_deletion
     return if user.name_invalid?
     return if updater && updater != user
 
diff --git a/app/policies/user_policy.rb b/app/policies/user_policy.rb
index e8145fbf1..4f0a87e23 100644
--- a/app/policies/user_policy.rb
+++ b/app/policies/user_policy.rb
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class UserPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
   def api_attributes
     attributes = %i[
       id created_at name inviter_id level level_string
-      post_upload_count post_update_count note_update_count is_banned
+      post_upload_count post_update_count note_update_count is_banned is_deleted
     ]
 
     if record.id == user.id
diff --git a/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb b/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb
index c13ec67d5..424344452 100644
--- a/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         @deletion = UserDeletion.new(user: @user, password: "wrongpassword", request: @request)
         @deletion.delete!
         assert_includes(@deletion.errors[:base], "Password is incorrect")
+        assert_equal(false, @user.reload.is_deleted)
       end
     end
 
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         @deletion = UserDeletion.new(user: @user, password: "password", request: @request)
         @deletion.delete!
         assert_includes(@deletion.errors[:base], "Admins cannot delete their account")
+        assert_equal(false, @user.reload.is_deleted)
       end
     end
 
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         @deletion = UserDeletion.new(user: @user, password: "password", request: @request)
         @deletion.delete!
         assert_includes(@deletion.errors[:base], "You cannot delete your account if you are banned")
+        assert_equal(false, @user.reload.is_deleted)
       end
     end
   end
@@ -64,6 +67,11 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       assert_equal("user_#{@user.id}", @user.reload.name)
     end
 
+    should "mark the user as deleted" do
+      @deletion.delete!
+      assert_equal(true, @user.reload.is_deleted)
+    end
+
     should "generate a user name change request" do
       @deletion.delete!
       assert_equal(1, @user.user_name_change_requests.count)
@@ -78,6 +86,7 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     should "generate a modaction" do
       @deletion.delete!
+
       assert_match(/deleted user ##{@user.id}/, ModAction.last.description)
       assert_equal(@user, ModAction.last.subject)
       assert_equal("user_delete", ModAction.last.category)
@@ -148,9 +157,12 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
       @deletion.delete!
       assert_equal("user_#{@user.id}", @user.reload.name)
+      assert_equal(true, @user.is_deleted)
       assert_equal("deleted user ##{@user.id}", ModAction.last.description)
       assert_equal(@deletion.deleter, ModAction.last.creator)
       assert_equal(@user, ModAction.last.subject)
+      assert_equal(false, ModAction.user_name_change.exists?)
+      assert_equal(1, ModAction.count)
     end
 
     should "not work for other users" do
@@ -159,6 +171,7 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
       @deletion.delete!
       assert_not_equal("user_#{@user.id}", @user.reload.name)
+      assert_equal(false, @user.is_deleted)
       assert_equal(0, ModAction.count)
     end
   end