diff --git a/crates/apub/src/fetcher/deletable_apub_object.rs b/crates/apub/src/fetcher/deletable_apub_object.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5df90dd18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/apub/src/fetcher/deletable_apub_object.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+use crate::fetcher::post_or_comment::PostOrComment;
+use lemmy_api_common::blocking;
+use lemmy_db_queries::source::{
+  comment::Comment_,
+  community::Community_,
+  person::Person_,
+  post::Post_,
+};
+use lemmy_db_schema::source::{comment::Comment, community::Community, person::Person, post::Post};
+use lemmy_utils::LemmyError;
+use lemmy_websocket::LemmyContext;
+
+// TODO: merge this trait with ApubObject (means that db_schema needs to depend on apub_lib)
+#[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
+pub trait DeletableApubObject {
+  // TODO: pass in tombstone with summary field, to decide between remove/delete
+  async fn delete(self, context: &LemmyContext) -> Result<(), LemmyError>;
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
+impl DeletableApubObject for Community {
+  async fn delete(self, context: &LemmyContext) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
+    let id = self.id;
+    blocking(context.pool(), move |conn| {
+      Community::update_deleted(conn, id, true)
+    })
+    .await??;
+    Ok(())
+  }
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
+impl DeletableApubObject for Person {
+  async fn delete(self, context: &LemmyContext) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
+    let id = self.id;
+    blocking(context.pool(), move |conn| Person::delete_account(conn, id)).await??;
+    Ok(())
+  }
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
+impl DeletableApubObject for Post {
+  async fn delete(self, context: &LemmyContext) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
+    let id = self.id;
+    blocking(context.pool(), move |conn| {
+      Post::update_deleted(conn, id, true)
+    })
+    .await??;
+    Ok(())
+  }
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
+impl DeletableApubObject for Comment {
+  async fn delete(self, context: &LemmyContext) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
+    let id = self.id;
+    blocking(context.pool(), move |conn| {
+      Comment::update_deleted(conn, id, true)
+    })
+    .await??;
+    Ok(())
+  }
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
+impl DeletableApubObject for PostOrComment {
+  async fn delete(self, context: &LemmyContext) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
+    match self {
+      PostOrComment::Comment(c) => {
+        blocking(context.pool(), move |conn| {
+          Comment::update_deleted(conn, c.id, true)
+        })
+        .await??;
+      }
+      PostOrComment::Post(p) => {
+        blocking(context.pool(), move |conn| {
+          Post::update_deleted(conn, p.id, true)
+        })
+        .await??;
+      }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+  }
+}
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/fetcher/mod.rs b/crates/apub/src/fetcher/mod.rs
index 3077c2e30..8929dfc80 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/fetcher/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/fetcher/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pub mod community;
+pub mod deletable_apub_object;
 mod fetch;
 pub mod object_id;
 pub mod post_or_comment;
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/fetcher/object_id.rs b/crates/apub/src/fetcher/object_id.rs
index 6290c718c..82f805bc8 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/fetcher/object_id.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/fetcher/object_id.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-use crate::{fetcher::should_refetch_actor, objects::FromApub, APUB_JSON_CONTENT_TYPE};
+use crate::{
+  fetcher::{deletable_apub_object::DeletableApubObject, should_refetch_actor},
+  objects::FromApub,
+  APUB_JSON_CONTENT_TYPE,
+};
 use anyhow::anyhow;
 use diesel::NotFound;
 use lemmy_api_common::blocking;
@@ -23,18 +27,18 @@ static REQUEST_LIMIT: i32 = 25;
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
 pub struct ObjectId<Kind>(Url, #[serde(skip)] PhantomData<Kind>)
 where
-  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + Send + 'static,
+  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + DeletableApubObject + Send + 'static,
   for<'de2> <Kind as FromApub>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de2>;
 
 impl<Kind> ObjectId<Kind>
 where
-  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + Send + 'static,
+  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + DeletableApubObject + Send + 'static,
   for<'de> <Kind as FromApub>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
 {
   pub fn new<K, T>(url: T) -> ObjectId<K>
   where
     T: Into<Url>,
-    K: FromApub + ApubObject + Send + 'static,
+    K: FromApub + ApubObject + DeletableApubObject + Send + 'static,
     for<'de> <K as FromApub>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
   {
     ObjectId(url.into(), PhantomData::<K>)
@@ -64,13 +68,17 @@ where
         // TODO: rename to should_refetch_object()
         if should_refetch_actor(last_refreshed_at) {
           debug!("Refetching remote object {}", self.0.as_str());
-          return self.dereference_remotely(context, request_counter).await;
+          return self
+            .dereference_remotely(context, request_counter, Some(object))
+            .await;
         }
       }
       Ok(object)
     } else {
       debug!("Fetching remote object {}", self.0.as_str());
-      self.dereference_remotely(context, request_counter).await
+      self
+        .dereference_remotely(context, request_counter, None)
+        .await
     }
   }
 
@@ -89,6 +97,7 @@ where
     &self,
     context: &LemmyContext,
     request_counter: &mut i32,
+    db_object: Option<Kind>,
   ) -> Result<Kind, LemmyError> {
     // dont fetch local objects this way
     debug_assert!(self.0.domain() != Some(&Settings::get().hostname));
@@ -109,31 +118,21 @@ where
     .await?;
 
     if res.status() == StatusCode::GONE {
-      self.mark_object_deleted(context).await?;
-      return Err(
-        anyhow!(
-          "Fetched remote object {} which was deleted",
-          self.0.as_str()
-        )
-        .into(),
-      );
+      if let Some(db_object) = db_object {
+        db_object.delete(context).await?;
+      }
+      return Err(anyhow!("Fetched remote object {} which was deleted", self).into());
     }
 
     let res2: Kind::ApubType = res.json().await?;
 
     Ok(Kind::from_apub(&res2, context, self.inner(), request_counter).await?)
   }
-
-  async fn mark_object_deleted(&self, _context: &LemmyContext) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
-    // TODO: need to move methods update_deleted, update_removed etc into a trait to use them here.
-    //       also, how do we know if the object was deleted vs removed?
-    todo!()
-  }
 }
 
 impl<Kind> Display for ObjectId<Kind>
 where
-  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + Send + 'static,
+  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + DeletableApubObject + Send + 'static,
   for<'de> <Kind as FromApub>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
 {
   fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ where
 
 impl<Kind> From<ObjectId<Kind>> for Url
 where
-  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + Send + 'static,
+  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + DeletableApubObject + Send + 'static,
   for<'de> <Kind as FromApub>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
 {
   fn from(id: ObjectId<Kind>) -> Self {
@@ -153,7 +152,7 @@ where
 
 impl<Kind> From<ObjectId<Kind>> for DbUrl
 where
-  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + Send + 'static,
+  Kind: FromApub + ApubObject + DeletableApubObject + Send + 'static,
   for<'de> <Kind as FromApub>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de>,
 {
   fn from(id: ObjectId<Kind>) -> Self {