diff --git a/app/Enumerations/UserStates.php b/app/Enumerations/UserStates.php
index a693dce9..e28d4662 100644
--- a/app/Enumerations/UserStates.php
+++ b/app/Enumerations/UserStates.php
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ class UserStates extends BaseEnumeration
     public static function init()
     {
         $items = [
-            User::STATE_DELETED => 'admin/userManagement.status_' . User::STATE_DELETED,
             User::STATE_BLOCKED => 'admin/userManagement.status_' . User::STATE_BLOCKED,
             User::STATE_ACTIVE  => 'admin/userManagement.status_' . User::STATE_ACTIVE
         ];
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/EditUser.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/EditUser.php
index 054df9e4..2b42b029 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/EditUser.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/EditUser.php
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ class EditUser extends Controller
         // @todo add some authorization (e.g. via can/cannot methods)
 
         // try to find given user
-        $user = User::where('status', '!=', User::STATE_DELETED)
-                    ->findOrFail($id);
+        $user = User::findOrFail($id);
 
         $states = UserStates::getWithTranslations();
         $roles = UserRoles::getWithTranslations();
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UsersOverview.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UsersOverview.php
index e26513cb..2b28d6fe 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UsersOverview.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UsersOverview.php
@@ -12,13 +12,11 @@ class UsersOverview extends Controller
 {
     public function getOverview($status = null, $perPage = 12)
     {
-        $users = User::where('status', '<>', User::STATE_DELETED)
-                     ->orderBy('id', 'desc');
+        $users = User::orderBy('id', 'desc');
 
         // get statuses
         $statuses = UserStates::getWithTranslations();
         $statuses[''] = trans('admin/userManagement.allStatuses');
-        unset($statuses[User::STATE_DELETED]);
 
         // filter using status
         if (!is_null($status) && isset($statuses[$status])) {
diff --git a/app/Models/User.php b/app/Models/User.php
index ef114c18..be576578 100644
--- a/app/Models/User.php
+++ b/app/Models/User.php
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use App\Helpers\Gravatar;
 use Illuminate\Auth\Authenticatable;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Auth\Authenticatable as AuthenticableInterface;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\SoftDeletes;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Auth\Access\Authorizable;
 
 /**
@@ -13,8 +14,8 @@ use Illuminate\Foundation\Auth\Access\Authorizable;
  */
 class User extends Model implements AuthenticableInterface
 {
-    use Authenticatable, Authorizable;
-    public $timestamps = false;
+    use SoftDeletes, Authenticatable, Authorizable;
+    public $timestamps = true;
     protected $fillable = [
         'email',
         'username',
diff --git a/database/migrations/2016_09_22_195825_AddSoftDeletesToUsers.php b/database/migrations/2016_09_22_195825_AddSoftDeletesToUsers.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd1b05e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2016_09_22_195825_AddSoftDeletesToUsers.php
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+
+class AddSoftDeletesToUsers extends Migration
+{
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        $platform = Schema::getConnection()
+                          ->getDoctrineSchemaManager()
+                          ->getDatabasePlatform();
+        $platform->registerDoctrineTypeMapping('enum', 'string');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function up()
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->timestamp('created_at')
+                  ->nullable()
+                  ->after('id');
+            $table->timestamp('updated_at')
+                  ->nullable()
+                  ->after('created_at');
+            $table->timestamp('deleted_at')
+                  ->nullable()
+                  ->after('updated_at');
+        });
+
+        DB::statement("
+          ALTER TABLE `users`
+          CHANGE `status` `status` enum('blocked','active') COLLATE 'utf8_unicode_ci' NOT NULL DEFAULT 'active'
+        ");
+
+        DB::statement('UPDATE users SET created_at=NOW(), updated_at=NOW()');
+        DB::statement('UPDATE users SET status="blocked", deleted_at=NOW() WHERE status=""');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function down()
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropTimestamps();
+            $table->dropSoftDeletes();
+        });
+
+        DB::statement("
+          ALTER TABLE `users`
+          CHANGE `status` `status` enum('blocked','active', 'deleted') COLLATE 'utf8_unicode_ci' NOT NULL DEFAULT 'active'
+        ");
+    }
+}