diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index fd7c7e7bc97..2b5c03b875c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ v 8.5.5
   - Fix pagination for filtered dashboard and explore pages
   - Fix "Show all" link behavior
   - Add #upcoming filter to Milestone filter (Tiago Botelho)
-  - User deletion is now done in the background so the request can not time out
 
 v 8.5.4
   - Do not cache requests for badges (including builds badge)
diff --git a/spec/services/delete_user_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/delete_user_service_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a65938fa03b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/services/delete_user_service_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe DeleteUserService, services: true do
+  describe "Deletes a user and all their personal projects" do
+    let!(:user)         { create(:user) }
+    let!(:current_user) { create(:user) }
+    let!(:namespace)    { create(:namespace, owner: user) }
+    let!(:project)      { create(:project, namespace: namespace) }
+
+    context 'no options are given' do
+      it 'deletes the user' do
+        DeleteUserService.new(current_user).execute(user)
+
+        expect { User.find(user.id)       }.to  raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
+      end
+
+      it 'will delete the project in the near future' do
+        expect_any_instance_of(Projects::DestroyService).to receive(:pending_delete!).once
+
+        DeleteUserService.new(current_user).execute(user)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "solo owned groups present" do
+      let(:solo_owned)  { create(:group) }
+      let(:member)      { create(:group_member) }
+      let(:user)        { member.user }
+
+      before do
+        solo_owned.group_members = [member]
+        DeleteUserService.new(current_user).execute(user)
+      end
+
+      it 'does not delete the user' do
+        expect(User.find(user.id)).to eq user
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "deletions with solo owned groups" do
+      let(:solo_owned)      { create(:group) }
+      let(:member)          { create(:group_member) }
+      let(:user)            { member.user }
+
+      before do
+        solo_owned.group_members = [member]
+        DeleteUserService.new(current_user).execute(user, delete_solo_owned_groups: true)
+      end
+
+      it 'deletes solo owned groups' do
+        expect { Project.find(solo_owned.id) }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
+      end
+
+      it 'deletes the user' do
+        expect { User.find(user.id) }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/workers/delete_user_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/delete_user_worker_spec.rb
index 975b0470cb5..14c56521280 100644
--- a/spec/workers/delete_user_worker_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/workers/delete_user_worker_spec.rb
@@ -1,58 +1,20 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe DeleteUserWorker do
-  describe "Deletes a user and all their personal projects" do
-    let!(:user)         { create(:user) }
-    let!(:current_user) { create(:user) }
-    let!(:namespace)    { create(:namespace, owner: user) }
-    let!(:project)      { create(:project, namespace: namespace) }
+  let!(:user)         { create(:user) }
+  let!(:current_user) { create(:user) }
 
-    context 'no force flag given' do
-      before do
-        DeleteUserWorker.new.perform(current_user.id, user.id)
-      end
+  it "calls the DeleteUserWorker with the params it was given" do
+    expect_any_instance_of(DeleteUserService).to receive(:execute).
+                                                      with(user, {})
 
-      it 'deletes all personal projects' do
-        expect { Project.find(project.id) }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
-      end
+    DeleteUserWorker.new.perform(current_user.id, user.id)
+  end
 
-      it 'deletes the user' do
-        expect { User.find(user.id) }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
-      end
-    end
+  it "uses symbolized keys" do
+    expect_any_instance_of(DeleteUserService).to receive(:execute).
+                                                      with(user, test: "test")
 
-    context "solo owned groups present" do
-      let(:solo_owned)  { create(:group) }
-      let(:member)      { create(:group_member) }
-      let(:user)        { member.user }
-
-      before do
-        solo_owned.group_members = [member]
-        DeleteUserWorker.new.perform(current_user.id, user.id)
-      end
-
-      it 'does not delete the user' do
-        expect(User.find(user.id)).to eq user
-      end
-    end
-
-    context "deletions with force" do
-      let(:solo_owned)      { create(:group) }
-      let(:member)          { create(:group_member) }
-      let(:user)            { member.user }
-
-      before do
-        solo_owned.group_members = [member]
-        DeleteUserWorker.new.perform(current_user.id, user.id, "delete_solo_owned_groups" => true)
-      end
-
-      it 'deletes solo owned groups' do
-        expect { Project.find(solo_owned.id) }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
-      end
-
-      it 'deletes the user' do
-        expect { User.find(user.id) }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
-      end
-    end
+    DeleteUserWorker.new.perform(current_user.id, user.id, "test" => "test")
   end
 end