diff --git a/app/models/abuse_report.rb b/app/models/abuse_report.rb
index 2340453831e..0d7c2d20029 100644
--- a/app/models/abuse_report.rb
+++ b/app/models/abuse_report.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class AbuseReport < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   def remove_user(deleted_by:)
     user.block
-    DeleteUserWorker.perform_async(deleted_by.id, user.id, delete_solo_owned_groups: true)
+    DeleteUserWorker.perform_async(deleted_by.id, user.id, delete_solo_owned_groups: true, hard_delete: true)
   end
 
   def notify
diff --git a/app/services/users/destroy_service.rb b/app/services/users/destroy_service.rb
index ba58b174cc0..9eb6a600f6b 100644
--- a/app/services/users/destroy_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/users/destroy_service.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ module Users
         ::Projects::DestroyService.new(project, current_user, skip_repo: true).execute
       end
 
-      MigrateToGhostUserService.new(user).execute
+      MigrateToGhostUserService.new(user).execute unless options[:hard_delete]
 
       # Destroy the namespace after destroying the user since certain methods may depend on the namespace existing
       namespace = user.namespace
diff --git a/spec/models/abuse_report_spec.rb b/spec/models/abuse_report_spec.rb
index 4e71597521d..ced93c8f762 100644
--- a/spec/models/abuse_report_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/abuse_report_spec.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ RSpec.describe AbuseReport, type: :model do
 
     it 'lets a worker delete the user' do
       expect(DeleteUserWorker).to receive(:perform_async).with(user.id, subject.user.id,
-                                                              delete_solo_owned_groups: true)
+                                                              delete_solo_owned_groups: true,
+                                                              hard_delete: true)
 
       subject.remove_user(deleted_by: user)
     end
diff --git a/spec/services/users/destroy_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/users/destroy_service_spec.rb
index 43c18992d1a..4bc30018ebd 100644
--- a/spec/services/users/destroy_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/users/destroy_service_spec.rb
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ describe Users::DestroyService, services: true do
 
         service.execute(user)
       end
+
+      it 'does not run `MigrateToGhostUser` if hard_delete option is given' do
+        expect_any_instance_of(Users::MigrateToGhostUserService).not_to receive(:execute)
+
+        service.execute(user, hard_delete: true)
+      end
     end
   end
 end