diff --git a/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/search/jenasearch/JenaCustomQueries.java b/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/search/jenasearch/JenaCustomQueries.java
index e03b2aeb3..f1b23534c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/search/jenasearch/JenaCustomQueries.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/search/jenasearch/JenaCustomQueries.java
@@ -702,4 +702,9 @@ public static final String getItemsWithoutLicenseInCollectionAndSubCollections(U
         + "FILTER NOT EXISTS {?s <http://imeji.org/terms/license> ?license}}";
     return sparqlQuery;
   }
+
+
+  public static final String selectCreatorOrModifiedBy(String userUri) {
+    return "SELECT ?s WHERE { ?s <" + ImejiNamespaces.CREATOR + ">|<" + ImejiNamespaces.MODIFIED_BY + "> <" + userUri + ">}";
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/security/user/UserService.java b/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/security/user/UserService.java
index 4ead12e2e..8d7d2fcdf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/security/user/UserService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/mpg/imeji/logic/security/user/UserService.java
@@ -10,15 +10,12 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 
+import de.mpg.imeji.exceptions.*;
 import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
 import org.jose4j.lang.JoseException;
 
-import de.mpg.imeji.exceptions.ImejiException;
-import de.mpg.imeji.exceptions.NotFoundException;
-import de.mpg.imeji.exceptions.QuotaExceededException;
-import de.mpg.imeji.exceptions.UnprocessableError;
 import de.mpg.imeji.logic.config.Imeji;
 import de.mpg.imeji.logic.db.reader.ReaderFacade;
 import de.mpg.imeji.logic.model.CollectionImeji;
@@ -128,6 +125,13 @@ public User create(User u, USER_TYPE type) throws ImejiException {
    * @throws ImejiException
    */
   public void delete(User user) throws ImejiException {
+    final Search search = SearchFactory.create(); // default is JENA
+    final List<String> results = search.searchString(JenaCustomQueries.selectCreatorOrModifiedBy(user.getId().toString()), null, null,
+        Search.SEARCH_FROM_START_INDEX, Search.GET_ALL_RESULTS).getResults();
+    if (results != null && results.size() > 0) {
+      throw new WorkflowException("User cannot be deleted, as they own or modified collections",
+          "User cannot be deleted, as they own or modified collections");
+    }
     controller.delete(user);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/Users.xhtml b/src/main/webapp/Users.xhtml
index 60ca8bc88..83f00283a 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/Users.xhtml
+++ b/src/main/webapp/Users.xhtml
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@
 										confirmationText="#{msg.confirmation_delete_user}: #{user.person.completeName} (#{user.email})?"
 										submitLabel="#{lbl.user_admin_delete}"
 										dialogId="deleteUser#{row.index}" identifierName="email"
-										identifierValue="#{user.email}" />	
+										identifierValue="#{user.email}"
+									    reRender=":imj_pageMessageArea"/>
 								</div>
 							</ui:fragment>
 							<ui:fragment rendered="#{UsersBean.group != null}">