diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 9ef461b20..0956c28cc 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
 
   end
 
+  def destroy
+    current_user.destroy
+    sign_out current_user
+    flash[:notice] = t('user.destroy')
+    redirect_to root_path
+  end
+
   def public
     user = User.find_by_username(params[:username])
 
diff --git a/app/models/person.rb b/app/models/person.rb
index 62126c9a4..a1dca0089 100644
--- a/app/models/person.rb
+++ b/app/models/person.rb
@@ -146,6 +146,5 @@ class Person
   private
   def remove_all_traces
     Post.all(:person_id => id).each{|p| p.delete}
-    Album.all(:person_id => id).each{|p| p.delete}
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index d1ead85cf..270cb7a70 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ class User
 
   before_validation :downcase_username, :on => :create
 
+  before_destroy :unfriend_everyone, :remove_person
+
    def self.find_for_authentication(conditions={})
     if conditions[:username] =~ /^([\w\.%\+\-]+)@([\w\-]+\.)+([\w]{2,})$/i # email regex
       conditions[:email] = conditions.delete(:username)
@@ -293,5 +295,20 @@ class User
   def encryption_key
     OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new( serialized_private_key )
   end
+  
+  protected
 
+  def remove_person
+    self.person.destroy
+  end
+
+  def unfriend_everyone
+    friends.each{ |friend|
+      if friend.owner?
+        friend.owner.unfriended_by (self.person )
+      else 
+        self.unfriend( friend )
+      end
+    }
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/users/_account.haml b/app/views/users/_account.haml
index 8bd19d72d..ef416df29 100644
--- a/app/views/users/_account.haml
+++ b/app/views/users/_account.haml
@@ -27,3 +27,7 @@
 = link_to "download my xml", users_export_path, :class => "button"
 = link_to "download my photos", users_export_photos_path, :class => "button"
 
+%h3 Close Account
+= link_to "Close Account", current_user,
+            :confirm => "Are you sure?", :method => :delete,
+            :class => "button`"
diff --git a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
index 5a5cc7a43..554f8bcb8 100644
--- a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ en:
           you_dont_have_any_photos: "You don't have any photos!  Go to the"
           page_to_upload_some:  "page to upload some."
           or: "or"
+      destroy: "Account successfully closed."
   comments:
       comment:
           ago: "ago"
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 100b9ff39..dfb0f685c 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe User do
   let(:user)   { Factory(:user) }
+  let(:aspect) { user.aspect(:name => 'heroes') }
+  let(:user2)   { Factory(:user) }
+  let(:aspect2) { user2.aspect(:name => 'stuff') }
+  let(:user3)   { Factory(:user) }
+  let(:aspect3) { user3.aspect(:name => 'stuff') }
 
   describe "validations" do
     it "downcases the username" do
@@ -38,9 +43,6 @@ describe User do
   end
 
   context 'aspects' do
-    let(:aspect) { user.aspect(:name => 'heroes') }
-    let(:user2)   { Factory(:user) }
-    let(:aspect2) { user2.aspect(:name => 'stuff') }
 
     it 'should delete an empty aspect' do
       user.drop_aspect(aspect)
@@ -48,11 +50,63 @@ describe User do
     end
 
     it 'should not delete an aspect with friends' do
-      friend_users(user, Aspect.find_by_id(aspect.id), user2, Aspect.find_by_id(aspect2.id))
+      friend_users(user, aspect, user2, aspect2)
       aspect.reload
       proc{user.drop_aspect(aspect)}.should raise_error /Aspect not empty/
       user.aspects.include?(aspect).should == true
     end
   end
 
+  context 'account removal' do
+    before do
+      friend_users(user, aspect, user2, aspect2)
+      friend_users(user, aspect, user3, aspect3)
+    end
+    
+    it 'should unfriend everyone' do
+      user.should_receive(:unfriend_everyone)
+      user.destroy
+    end
+    
+    it 'should remove person' do
+      user.should_receive(:remove_person)
+      user.destroy
+    end
+   
+    describe '#remove_person' do
+      it 'should remove the person object' do
+        person = user.person
+        user.destroy
+        person.reload
+        person.should be nil
+      end
+
+      it 'should remove the posts' do
+        message = user.post(:status_message, :message => "hi", :to => aspect.id)
+        user.reload
+        user.destroy
+        proc{ message.reload }.should raise_error /does not exist/
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#unfriend_everyone' do
+
+      before do
+        user3.delete
+      end
+
+      it 'should send retractions to remote poeple' do
+        user.should_receive(:unfriend).once
+        user.destroy
+      end
+
+      it 'should unfriend local people' do 
+        user2.friends.count.should be 1
+        user.destroy
+        user2.reload
+        user2.friends.count.should be 0
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
 end