diff --git a/mod/photos.php b/mod/photos.php
index 52d749bb46..1374b85432 100644
--- a/mod/photos.php
+++ b/mod/photos.php
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ function photos_init(App $a) {
 
 	if (DI::args()->getArgc() > 1) {
 		$owner = User::getOwnerDataByNick(DI::args()->getArgv()[1]);
-		if (!$owner) {
+		if (empty($owner) || $owner['account_removed']) {
 			throw new HTTPException\NotFoundException(DI::l10n()->t('User not found.'));
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/Model/Profile.php b/src/Model/Profile.php
index 5fbfc4ba5a..46c5b54242 100644
--- a/src/Model/Profile.php
+++ b/src/Model/Profile.php
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class Profile
 	public static function load(App $a, string $nickname, bool $show_contacts = true)
 	{
 		$profile = User::getOwnerDataByNick($nickname);
-		if (empty($profile)) {
+		if (empty($profile) || $profile['account_removed']) {
 			Logger::info('profile error: ' . DI::args()->getQueryString());
 			return [];
 		}
diff --git a/src/Module/Profile/Profile.php b/src/Module/Profile/Profile.php
index 199b96e2c9..ccc3208b60 100644
--- a/src/Module/Profile/Profile.php
+++ b/src/Module/Profile/Profile.php
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Profile extends BaseProfile
 	protected function rawContent(array $request = [])
 	{
 		if (ActivityPub::isRequest()) {
-			$user = DBA::selectFirst('user', ['uid'], ['nickname' => $this->parameters['nickname']]);
+			$user = DBA::selectFirst('user', ['uid'], ['nickname' => $this->parameters['nickname'], 'account_removed' => false]);
 			if (DBA::isResult($user)) {
 				try {
 					$data = ActivityPub\Transmitter::getProfile($user['uid']);