diff --git a/app/controllers/maintenance/user/deletions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/maintenance/user/deletions_controller.rb
index a74d16946..627a65a73 100644
--- a/app/controllers/maintenance/user/deletions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/maintenance/user/deletions_controller.rb
@@ -1,14 +1,23 @@
 module Maintenance
   module User
     class DeletionsController < ApplicationController
+      respond_to :html, :json, :xml
+
       def show
       end
 
       def destroy
         deletion = UserDeletion.new(CurrentUser.user, params.dig(:user, :password))
         deletion.delete!
-        session.delete(:user_id)
-        redirect_to(posts_path, :notice => "You are now logged out")
+
+        if deletion.errors.none?
+          session.delete(:user_id)
+          flash[:notice] = "Your account has been deactivated"
+          respond_with(deletion, location: posts_path)
+        else
+          flash[:notice] = deletion.errors.full_messages.join("; ")
+          redirect_to maintenance_user_deletion_path
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/logical/user_deletion.rb b/app/logical/user_deletion.rb
index 67bd6ee50..b87e6297f 100644
--- a/app/logical/user_deletion.rb
+++ b/app/logical/user_deletion.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 class UserDeletion
-  class ValidationError < StandardError; end
+  include ActiveModel::Validations
 
   attr_reader :user, :password
+  validate :validate_deletion
 
   def initialize(user, password)
     @user = user
@@ -9,13 +10,14 @@ class UserDeletion
   end
 
   def delete!
-    validate
+    return false if invalid?
     clear_user_settings
     remove_favorites
     clear_saved_searches
     rename
     reset_password
     create_mod_action
+    user
   end
 
   private
@@ -56,13 +58,13 @@ class UserDeletion
     request.save!(validate: false) # XXX don't validate so that the 1 name change per week rule doesn't interfere
   end
 
-  def validate
+  def validate_deletion
     if !user.authenticate_password(password)
-      raise ValidationError.new("Password is incorrect")
+      errors[:base] << "Password is incorrect"
     end
 
     if user.level >= User::Levels::ADMIN
-      raise ValidationError.new("Admins cannot delete their account")
+      errors[:base] << "Admins cannot delete their account"
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/functional/maintenance/user/deletions_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/maintenance/user/deletions_controller_test.rb
index 6f2adbbf1..bf4ce204e 100644
--- a/test/functional/maintenance/user/deletions_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/maintenance/user/deletions_controller_test.rb
@@ -16,9 +16,20 @@ module Maintenance
         end
 
         context "#destroy" do
-          should "render" do
-            delete_auth maintenance_user_deletion_path, @user, params: {:password => "password"}
-            assert_redirected_to(posts_path)
+          should "delete the user when given the correct password" do
+            delete_auth maintenance_user_deletion_path, @user, params: { user: { password: "password" }}
+            assert_redirected_to posts_path
+            assert_equal(true, @user.reload.is_deleted?)
+            assert_equal("Your account has been deactivated", flash[:notice])
+            assert_nil(session[:user_id])
+          end
+
+          should "not delete the user when given an incorrect password" do
+            delete_auth maintenance_user_deletion_path, @user, params: { user: { password: "hunter2" }}
+            assert_redirected_to maintenance_user_deletion_path
+            assert_equal(false, @user.reload.is_deleted?)
+            assert_equal("Password is incorrect", flash[:notice])
+            assert_equal(@user.id, session[:user_id])
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb b/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb
index 267eb2904..a1d8b15df 100644
--- a/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/user_deletion_test.rb
@@ -6,10 +6,8 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       should "fail" do
         @user = create(:user)
         @deletion = UserDeletion.new(@user, "wrongpassword")
-
-        assert_raise(UserDeletion::ValidationError) do
-          @deletion.delete!
-        end
+        @deletion.delete!
+        assert_includes(@deletion.errors[:base], "Password is incorrect")
       end
     end
 
@@ -17,10 +15,8 @@ class UserDeletionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       should "fail" do
         @user = create(:admin_user)
         @deletion = UserDeletion.new(@user, "password")
-
-        assert_raise(UserDeletion::ValidationError) do
-          @deletion.delete!
-        end
+        @deletion.delete!
+        assert_includes(@deletion.errors[:base], "Admins cannot delete their account")
       end
     end
   end