diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/User.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/User.java
index c30e3b9c..284aaf8e 100644
--- a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/User.java
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/User.java
@@ -115,6 +115,15 @@ public class User
                 this.password.equals(oldpasswd));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return true if this User has been "deleted".
+     */
+    public boolean isDeleted ()
+    {
+        // a deleted account has an "=" in the username
+        return (-1 != username.indexOf('='));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Called by the repository to find out which fields have been
      * modified since the object was loaded.