diff --git a/src/Model/APContact.php b/src/Model/APContact.php
index 37faf240ce..68e81072e6 100644
--- a/src/Model/APContact.php
+++ b/src/Model/APContact.php
@@ -147,14 +147,25 @@ class APContact
 			$url = $apcontact['url'];
 		}
 
-		$data = ActivityPub::fetchContent($url);
-		if (empty($data)) {
+		$curlResult = HTTPSignature::fetchRaw($url);
+		$failed = empty($curlResult) || empty($curlResult->getBody()) ||
+			(!$curlResult->isSuccess() && ($curlResult->getReturnCode() != 410));
+
+		if (!$failed) {
+			$data = json_decode($curlResult->getBody(), true);
+			$failed = empty($data) || !is_array($data);
+		}
+
+		if (!$failed && ($curlResult->getReturnCode() == 410)) {
+			$data = ['@context' => ActivityPub::CONTEXT, 'id' => $url, 'type' => 'Tombstone'];
+		}
+
+		if ($failed) {
 			self::markForArchival($fetched_contact ?: []);
 			return $fetched_contact;
 		}
 
 		$compacted = JsonLD::compact($data);
-
 		if (empty($compacted['@id'])) {
 			return $fetched_contact;
 		}
@@ -207,8 +218,11 @@ class APContact
 		}
 
 		// Quit if none of the basic values are set
-		if (empty($apcontact['url']) || empty($apcontact['inbox']) || empty($apcontact['type'])) {
+		if (empty($apcontact['url']) || empty($apcontact['type']) || (($apcontact['type'] != 'Tombstone') && empty($apcontact['inbox']))) {
 			return $fetched_contact;
+		} elseif ($apcontact['type'] == 'Tombstone') {
+			// The "inbox" field must have a content
+			$apcontact['inbox'] = '';
 		}
 
 		// Quit if this doesn't seem to be an account at all
diff --git a/src/Model/Contact.php b/src/Model/Contact.php
index df21796c18..2908385f58 100644
--- a/src/Model/Contact.php
+++ b/src/Model/Contact.php
@@ -724,7 +724,7 @@ class Contact
 	{
 		// We want just to make sure that we don't delete our "self" contact
 		$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', ['uid'], ['id' => $id, 'self' => false]);
-		if (!DBA::isResult($contact) || !intval($contact['uid'])) {
+		if (!DBA::isResult($contact)) {
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -1762,6 +1762,17 @@ class Contact
 		DBA::update('contact', $fields, ['id' => $cids]);
 	}
 
+	public static function deleteContactByUrl(string $url)
+	{
+		// Update contact data for all users
+		$condition = ['self' => false, 'nurl' => Strings::normaliseLink($url)];
+		$contacts = DBA::select('contact', ['id', 'uid'], $condition);
+		while ($contact = DBA::fetch($contacts)) {
+			Logger::info('Deleting contact', ['id' => $contact['id'], 'uid' => $contact['uid'], 'url' => $url]);
+			self::remove($contact['id']);
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Helper function for "updateFromProbe". Updates personal and public contact
 	 *
@@ -1914,6 +1925,15 @@ class Contact
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		if (!empty($ret['account-type']) && $ret['account-type'] == User::ACCOUNT_TYPE_DELETED) {
+			Logger::info('Deleted account', ['id' => $id, 'url' => $ret['url'], 'ret' => $ret]);
+			self::remove($id);
+
+			// Delete all contacts with the same URL
+			self::deleteContactByUrl($ret['url']);
+			return true;
+		}
+
 		$uid = $contact['uid'];
 		unset($contact['uid']);
 
diff --git a/src/Model/User.php b/src/Model/User.php
index bcd555a0ec..96a5bbfbcf 100644
--- a/src/Model/User.php
+++ b/src/Model/User.php
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ class User
 	const ACCOUNT_TYPE_NEWS =         2;
 	const ACCOUNT_TYPE_COMMUNITY =    3;
 	const ACCOUNT_TYPE_RELAY =        4;
+	const ACCOUNT_TYPE_DELETED =    127;
 	/**
 	 * @}
 	 */
diff --git a/src/Module/Proxy.php b/src/Module/Proxy.php
index e1231f0b13..f20b13bcef 100644
--- a/src/Module/Proxy.php
+++ b/src/Module/Proxy.php
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class Proxy extends BaseModule
 
 		// It shouldn't happen but it does - spaces in URL
 		$request['url'] = str_replace(' ', '+', $request['url']);
-		$fetchResult = HTTPSignature::fetchRaw($request['url'], local_user(), true, ['timeout' => 10]);
+		$fetchResult = HTTPSignature::fetchRaw($request['url'], local_user(), ['timeout' => 10]);
 		$img_str = $fetchResult->getBody();
 
 		// If there is an error then return a blank image
diff --git a/src/Protocol/ActivityPub.php b/src/Protocol/ActivityPub.php
index 19eb8c8bce..5cbaf92357 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/ActivityPub.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/ActivityPub.php
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class ActivityPub
 		'manuallyApprovesFollowers' => 'as:manuallyApprovesFollowers',
 		'sensitive' => 'as:sensitive', 'Hashtag' => 'as:Hashtag',
 		'directMessage' => 'litepub:directMessage']];
-	const ACCOUNT_TYPES = ['Person', 'Organization', 'Service', 'Group', 'Application'];
+	const ACCOUNT_TYPES = ['Person', 'Organization', 'Service', 'Group', 'Application', 'Tombstone'];
 	/**
 	 * Checks if the web request is done for the AP protocol
 	 *
@@ -113,7 +113,10 @@ class ActivityPub
 			case 'Application':
 				$accounttype = User::ACCOUNT_TYPE_RELAY;
 				break;
-		}
+			case 'Tombstone':
+				$accounttype = User::ACCOUNT_TYPE_DELETED;
+				break;
+			}
 
 		return $accounttype;
 	}
diff --git a/src/Util/HTTPSignature.php b/src/Util/HTTPSignature.php
index 5b7bb02a3e..1ede550885 100644
--- a/src/Util/HTTPSignature.php
+++ b/src/Util/HTTPSignature.php
@@ -376,8 +376,7 @@ class HTTPSignature
 	 */
 	public static function fetch($request, $uid)
 	{
-		$opts = ['accept_content' => 'application/activity+json, application/ld+json'];
-		$curlResult = self::fetchRaw($request, $uid, false, $opts);
+		$curlResult = self::fetchRaw($request, $uid);
 
 		if (empty($curlResult)) {
 			return false;
@@ -410,7 +409,7 @@ class HTTPSignature
 	 * @return object CurlResult
 	 * @throws \Friendica\Network\HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
 	 */
-	public static function fetchRaw($request, $uid = 0, $binary = false, $opts = [])
+	public static function fetchRaw($request, $uid = 0, $opts = ['accept_content' => 'application/activity+json, application/ld+json'])
 	{
 		$header = [];
 
diff --git a/src/Worker/RemoveContact.php b/src/Worker/RemoveContact.php
index 05771e2dc5..a84cb0d537 100644
--- a/src/Worker/RemoveContact.php
+++ b/src/Worker/RemoveContact.php
@@ -31,15 +31,21 @@ use Friendica\Model\Photo;
  */
 class RemoveContact {
 	public static function execute($id) {
-
 		// Only delete if the contact is to be deleted
 		$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', ['uid'], ['deleted' => true, 'id' => $id]);
 		if (!DBA::isResult($contact)) {
 			return;
 		}
 
+		Logger::info('Start deleting contact', ['id' => $id]);
 		// Now we delete the contact and all depending tables
-		$condition = ['uid' => $contact['uid'], 'contact-id' => $id];
+		if ($contact['uid'] == 0) {
+			DBA::delete('post-tag', ['cid' => $id]);
+			$condition = ["`author-id` = ? OR `owner-id` = ? OR `causer-id` = ? OR `contact-id` = ?",
+				$id, $id, $id, $id];
+		} else {
+			$condition = ['uid' => $contact['uid'], 'contact-id' => $id];
+		}
 		do {
 			$items = Item::select(['id', 'guid'], $condition, ['limit' => 100]);
 			while ($item = Item::fetch($items)) {
@@ -49,7 +55,8 @@ class RemoveContact {
 			DBA::close($items);
 		} while (Item::exists($condition));
 
-		Photo::delete(['uid' => $contact['uid'], 'contact-id' => $id]);
-		DBA::delete('contact', ['id' => $id]);
+		Photo::delete(['contact-id' => $id]);
+		$ret = DBA::delete('contact', ['id' => $id]);
+		Logger::info('Deleted contact', ['id' => $id, 'result' => $ret]);
 	}
 }