diff --git a/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_bo.inc.php b/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_bo.inc.php
index 2fef671243..997387566e 100755
--- a/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_bo.inc.php
+++ b/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_bo.inc.php
@@ -725,7 +725,10 @@ class addressbook_bo extends addressbook_so
 			if ($this->check_perms(EGW_ACL_DELETE,$c,$deny_account_delete))
 			{
 				if (!($old = $this->read($id))) return false;
-				if ($this->delete_history != '' && $old['tid'] != addressbook_so::DELETED_TYPE)
+				// check if we only mark contacts as deleted, or really delete them
+				// already marked as deleted item and accounts are always really deleted
+				// we cant mark accounts as deleted, as no such thing exists for accounts!
+				if ($old['owner'] && $this->delete_history != '' && $old['tid'] != addressbook_so::DELETED_TYPE)
 				{
 					$delete = $old;
 					$delete['tid'] = addressbook_so::DELETED_TYPE;
@@ -745,10 +748,11 @@ class addressbook_bo extends addressbook_so
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				return $ok;
+				break;
 			}
 		}
-		return true;
+		//error_log(__METHOD__.'('.array2string($contact).', deny_account_delete='.array2string($deny_account_delete).', check_etag='.array2string($check_etag).' returning '.array2string($ok));
+		return $ok;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_ui.inc.php b/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_ui.inc.php
index 71309a9b2e..937fa78c4b 100644
--- a/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_ui.inc.php
+++ b/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_ui.inc.php
@@ -691,9 +691,11 @@ class addressbook_ui extends addressbook_bo
 					$action_msg = lang('deleted');
 					if (($Ok = !!($contact = $this->read($id)) && $this->check_perms(EGW_ACL_DELETE,$contact)))
 					{
-						if ($contact['owner'])	// regular contact
+						if ($contact['owner'] ||	// regular contact or
+							// already deleted account (should no longer happen, but needed to allow for cleanup)
+							$contact['tid'] == addressbook_so::DELETED_TYPE)
 						{
-							$Ok = $this->delete($id);
+							$Ok = $this->delete($id, $contact['tid'] != addressbook_so::DELETED_TYPE);
 						}
 						// delete single account --> redirect to admin
 						elseif (count($checked) == 1 && $contact['account_id'])