diff --git a/src/routes/test/user-test.js b/src/routes/test/user-test.js
index 28a15e3fe..db8dab857 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/user-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/user-test.js
@@ -467,6 +467,16 @@ describe('User API', function () {
         });
     });
 
+    it('remove random user fails', function (done) {
+        superagent.del(SERVER_URL + '/api/v1/users/randomid')
+               .query({ access_token: token })
+               .send({ password: PASSWORD })
+               .end(function (err, res) {
+            expect(res.statusCode).to.equal(404);
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
     it('user removes himself is not allowed', function (done) {
         superagent.del(SERVER_URL + '/api/v1/users/' + user_0.id)
                .query({ access_token: token })
diff --git a/src/routes/user.js b/src/routes/user.js
index 9d6cbc9fe..ab6c7d79e 100644
--- a/src/routes/user.js
+++ b/src/routes/user.js
@@ -125,16 +125,11 @@ function remove(req, res, next) {
 
     if (req.user.id === req.params.userId) return next(new HttpError(403, 'Not allowed to remove yourself.'));
 
-    user.get(req.params.userId, function (error, userObject) {
+    user.remove(req.params.userId, auditSource(req), function (error) {
         if (error && error.reason === UserError.NOT_FOUND) return next(new HttpError(404, 'No such user'));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
-        user.remove(userObject, auditSource(req), function (error) {
-            if (error && error.reason === UserError.NOT_FOUND) return next(new HttpError(404, 'No such user'));
-            if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
-
-            next(new HttpSuccess(204));
-        });
+        next(new HttpSuccess(204));
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/user-test.js b/src/test/user-test.js
index dfae1b206..433e24cbe 100644
--- a/src/test/user-test.js
+++ b/src/test/user-test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-/* jslint node:true */
 /* global it:false */
 /* global describe:false */
 /* global before:false */
@@ -678,4 +677,23 @@ describe('User', function () {
             });
         });
     });
+
+    describe('remove', function () {
+        before(createOwner);
+        after(cleanupUsers);
+
+        it('fails for unkown user', function (done) {
+            user.remove('unknown', { }, function (error) {
+                expect(error.reason).to.be(UserError.NOT_FOUND);
+                done();
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('can remove valid user', function (done) {
+            user.remove(userObject.id, { }, function (error) {
+                expect(error).to.be(null);
+                done();
+            });
+        });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index e36af2b03..00b34264e 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -251,21 +251,25 @@ function verifyWithEmail(email, password, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-function removeUser(user, auditSource, callback) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof user, 'object');
+function removeUser(userId, auditSource, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof auditSource, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    userdb.del(user.id, function (error) {
-        if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UserError(UserError.NOT_FOUND));
-        if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+    getUser(userId, function (error, user) {
+        if (error) return callback(error);
 
-        eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_REMOVE, auditSource, { userId: user.id });
-        if (user.username) mailboxes.del(user.username, NOOP_CALLBACK);
+        userdb.del(userId, function (error) {
+            if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UserError(UserError.NOT_FOUND));
+            if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-        callback(null);
+            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_REMOVE, auditSource, { userId: userId });
+            if (user.username) mailboxes.del(user.username, NOOP_CALLBACK);
 
-        mailer.userRemoved(user);
+            callback(null);
+
+            mailer.userRemoved(user);
+        });
     });
 }