diff --git a/packages/api/src/resolvers/user/index.ts b/packages/api/src/resolvers/user/index.ts
index 38b0111e2..c15000a66 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/resolvers/user/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/resolvers/user/index.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ import {
 import { userRepository } from '../../repository/user'
 import { createUser } from '../../services/create_user'
 import { sendVerificationEmail } from '../../services/send_emails'
-import { updateUser } from '../../services/user'
+import { softDeleteUser } from '../../services/user'
 import { authorized, userDataToUser } from '../../utils/helpers'
 import { validateUsername } from '../../utils/usernamePolicy'
 import { WithDataSourcesContext } from '../types'
@@ -320,10 +320,8 @@ export const deleteAccountResolver = authorized<
   DeleteAccountError,
   MutationDeleteAccountArgs
 >(async (_, { userID }, { log }) => {
-  // soft delete user
-  const result = await updateUser(userID, {
-    status: StatusType.Deleted,
-  })
+  // soft delete user and change email address for user to sign up again
+  const result = await softDeleteUser(userID)
   if (!result.affected) {
     log.error('Error deleting user account')
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/user.ts b/packages/api/src/services/user.ts
index d7f9fa0d3..1a4dc58d1 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/user.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/user.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { DeepPartial, FindOptionsWhere, In } from 'typeorm'
+import { Profile } from '../entity/profile'
 import { StatusType, User } from '../entity/user'
 import { authTrx, getRepository, queryBuilderToRawSql } from '../repository'
 import { userRepository } from '../repository/user'
@@ -22,6 +23,32 @@ export const updateUser = async (userId: string, update: Partial<User>) => {
   )
 }
 
+export const softDeleteUser = async (userId: string) => {
+  return authTrx(
+    async (t) => {
+      // change email address and username for user to sign up again
+      await t.getRepository(Profile).update(
+        {
+          user: {
+            id: userId,
+          },
+        },
+        {
+          username: `deleted_user_${userId}`,
+        }
+      )
+
+      return t.getRepository(User).update(userId, {
+        status: StatusType.Deleted,
+        email: `deleted_user_${userId}@omnivore.app`,
+        sourceUserId: `deleted_user_${userId}`,
+      })
+    },
+    undefined,
+    userId
+  )
+}
+
 export const findActiveUser = async (id: string): Promise<User | null> => {
   return userRepository.findOneBy({ id, status: StatusType.Active })
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/test/resolvers/user.test.ts b/packages/api/test/resolvers/user.test.ts
index d3ac7ea4f..5e19f714a 100644
--- a/packages/api/test/resolvers/user.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/test/resolvers/user.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai'
 import 'mocha'
-import { User } from '../../src/entity/user'
+import { StatusType, User } from '../../src/entity/user'
 import {
   UpdateUserErrorCode,
   UpdateUserProfileErrorCode,
 } from '../../src/generated/graphql'
+import { userRepository } from '../../src/repository/user'
 import { findProfile } from '../../src/services/profile'
 import { deleteUser, findActiveUser } from '../../src/services/user'
 import { hashPassword } from '../../src/utils/auth'
@@ -272,11 +273,15 @@ describe('User API', () => {
     })
 
     context('when user id is valid', () => {
-      it('deletes user and responds with 200', async () => {
+      it('deletes user and changes email address', async () => {
         const response = await graphqlRequest(query(userId), authToken).expect(
           200
         )
         expect(response.body.data.deleteAccount.userID).to.eql(userId)
+
+        const user = await userRepository.findOneBy({ id: userId })
+        expect(user?.status).to.eql(StatusType.Deleted)
+        expect(user?.email).to.eql(`deleted_user_${userId}@omnivore.app`)
       })
     })