diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 55d4837b2..0651ac522 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     groups = require('./groups.js'),
     GroupError = groups.GroupError,
     hat = require('hat'),
+    mailboxdb = require('./mailboxdb.js'),
     mailer = require('./mailer.js'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     tokendb = require('./tokendb.js'),
@@ -261,15 +262,19 @@ function removeUser(userId, auditSource, callback) {
 
         if (config.isDemo() && user.username === constants.DEMO_USERNAME) return callback(new UserError(UserError.BAD_FIELD, 'Not allowed in demo mode'));
 
-        userdb.del(userId, function (error) {
-            if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UserError(UserError.NOT_FOUND));
+        mailboxdb.delByOwnerId(userId, function (error) {
             if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_REMOVE, auditSource, { userId: userId });
+            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();
+                eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_USER_REMOVE, auditSource, { userId: userId });
 
-            mailer.userRemoved(user);
+                callback();
+
+                mailer.userRemoved(user);
+            });
         });
     });
 }
diff --git a/src/userdb.js b/src/userdb.js
index 50137f92f..79a48ca79 100644
--- a/src/userdb.js
+++ b/src/userdb.js
@@ -157,7 +157,6 @@ function del(userId, callback) {
     var queries = [];
     queries.push({ query: 'DELETE FROM groupMembers WHERE userId = ?', args: [ userId ] });
     queries.push({ query: 'DELETE FROM users WHERE id = ?', args: [ userId ] });
-    queries.push({ query: 'DELETE FROM mailboxes WHERE ownerId=?', args: [ userId ] });
 
     database.transaction(queries, function (error, result) {
         if (error && error.code === 'ER_NO_REFERENCED_ROW_2') return callback(new DatabaseError(DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND, error));