diff --git a/src/Model/GContact.php b/src/Model/GContact.php
index 86b6bb94cd..ae1bd665e3 100644
--- a/src/Model/GContact.php
+++ b/src/Model/GContact.php
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ class GContact
 			$gcid = $gcontact['id'];
 			if (!empty($followers)) {
 				// Clear the follower list, since it will be recreated in the next step
-				DBA::delete('gfollower', ['gcid' => $gcid]);
+				DBA::update('gfollower', ['deleted' => true], ['gcid' => $gcid]);
 			}
 
 			$contacts = array_unique(array_merge($followers, $followings));
@@ -1317,12 +1317,16 @@ class GContact
 						$fields = ['gcid' => $gcontact['id'], 'follower-gcid' => $gcid];
 					}
 					Logger::info('Set relation between contacts', $fields);
-					DBA::update('gfollower', $fields, $fields, true);
+					DBA::update('gfollower', ['deleted' => false], $fields, true);
 					continue;
 				}
 				Logger::info('Discover new AP contact', ['url' => $contact]);
 				Worker::add(PRIORITY_LOW, 'UpdateGContact', $contact);
 			}
+			if (!empty($followers)) {
+				// Delete all followers that aren't undeleted
+				DBA::delete('gfollower', ['gcid' => $gcid, 'deleted' => true]);
+			}
 			Logger::info('AP contacts discovery finished', ['url' => $url]);
 			return;
 		}
diff --git a/static/dbstructure.config.php b/static/dbstructure.config.php
index 11695b5924..3c9bc50fb9 100755
--- a/static/dbstructure.config.php
+++ b/static/dbstructure.config.php
@@ -495,6 +495,7 @@ return [
 		"fields" => [
 			"gcid" => ["type" => "int unsigned", "not null" => "1", "default" => "0", "primary" => "1", "relation" => ["gcontact" => "id"], "comment" => "global contact"],
 			"follower-gcid" => ["type" => "int unsigned", "not null" => "1", "default" => "0", "primary" => "1", "relation" => ["gcontact" => "id"], "comment" => "global contact of the follower"],
+			"deleted" => ["type" => "boolean", "not null" => "1", "default" => "0", "comment" => "1 indicates that the connection has been deleted"],
 		],
 		"indexes" => [
 			"PRIMARY" => ["gcid", "follower-gcid"],