diff --git a/src/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepository.php b/src/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepository.php
index 5dad404d89..72f3c1cfe8 100644
--- a/src/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepository.php
+++ b/src/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepository.php
@@ -9,8 +9,13 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 
 namespace Friendica\Database\Repository;
 
+use Exception;
 use Friendica\Database\Database;
+use Friendica\Database\DatabaseException;
 
+/**
+ * Repository for deleted users
+ */
 final class UserDeletedRepository
 {
 	private Database $database;
@@ -20,6 +25,25 @@ final class UserDeletedRepository
 		$this->database = $database;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Insert a deleted user by username.
+	 *
+	 * @throws \Exception If the username could not be inserted
+	 */
+	public function insertByUsername(string $username): void
+	{
+		$result = $this->database->insert('userd', ['username' => $username]);
+
+		if ($result === false) {
+			throw new Exception(sprintf('Error while inserting username `%s` as deleted user.', $username));
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Check if a deleted username exists.
+	 *
+	 * @throws \Exception
+	 */
 	public function existsByUsername(string $username): bool
 	{
 		return $this->database->exists('userd', ['username' => $username]);
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepositoryTest.php b/tests/Unit/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepositoryTest.php
index e1b818d7d3..d4d1c793e9 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepositoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Database/Repository/UserDeletedRepositoryTest.php
@@ -9,12 +9,40 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 
 namespace Friendica\Test\Unit\Database\Repository;
 
+use Exception;
 use Friendica\Database\Database;
 use Friendica\Database\Repository\UserDeletedRepository;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
 
 class UserDeletedRepositoryTest extends TestCase
 {
+	public function testInsertByUsernameReturnsFalse(): void
+	{
+		$database = $this->createMock(Database::class);
+		$database->expects($this->once())->method('insert')->willReturnMap([
+			['userd', ['username' => 'test'], 0, true],
+		]);
+
+		$repo = new UserDeletedRepository($database);
+
+		$repo->insertByUsername('test');
+	}
+
+	public function testInsertByUsernameThrowsException(): void
+	{
+		$database = $this->createMock(Database::class);
+		$database->expects($this->once())->method('insert')->willReturnMap([
+			['userd', ['username' => 'test'], 0, false],
+		]);
+
+		$repo = new UserDeletedRepository($database);
+
+		$this->expectException(Exception::class);
+		$this->expectExceptionMessage('Error while inserting username `test` as deleted user.');
+
+		$repo->insertByUsername('test');
+	}
+
 	public function testExistsByUsernameReturnsTrue(): void
 	{
 		$database = $this->createStub(Database::class);