diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 9fef4edfb..35a68cd7d 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -124,7 +124,11 @@ class User
     Rails.logger.debug("Receiving object:\n#{object.inspect}")
 
     if object.is_a? Retraction
-      object.perform self.id 
+      if object.type == 'Person'
+        unfriend object.person_id
+      else
+        object.perform self.id
+      end
     elsif object.is_a? Request
       person = Diaspora::Parser.get_or_create_person_object_from_xml( xml )
       person.serialized_key ||= object.exported_key