diff --git a/message/classes/api.php b/message/classes/api.php
index 415f2ae9f46..c42d69bc558 100644
--- a/message/classes/api.php
+++ b/message/classes/api.php
@@ -730,12 +730,11 @@ class api {
         // Now, create the final return structure.
         $arrconversations = [];
         foreach ($conversations as $conversation) {
-            // Do not include any individual conversation which:
-            // a) Contains a deleted member or
-            // b) Does not contain a recent message for the user (this happens if the user has deleted all messages).
+            // Do not include any individual conversations which do not contain a recent message for the user.
+            // This happens if the user has deleted all messages.
             // Group conversations with deleted users or no messages are always returned.
             if ($conversation->conversationtype == self::MESSAGE_CONVERSATION_TYPE_INDIVIDUAL
-                    && (isset($deletedmembers[$conversation->id]) || empty($conversation->messageid))) {
+                    && (empty($conversation->messageid))) {
                 continue;
             }
 
diff --git a/message/classes/helper.php b/message/classes/helper.php
index 2e9c99a0b6c..c51c619f31e 100644
--- a/message/classes/helper.php
+++ b/message/classes/helper.php
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ class helper {
                 $sender = new \stdClass();
                 $sender->id = $referenceuserid;
 
-                $data->canmessage = api::can_post_message($recipient, $sender);
+                $data->canmessage = !$data->isdeleted && api::can_post_message($recipient, $sender);
             }
 
             // Populate the contact requests, even if we don't need them.
diff --git a/message/tests/api_test.php b/message/tests/api_test.php
index 90167d35c5f..2ac4b32fd65 100644
--- a/message/tests/api_test.php
+++ b/message/tests/api_test.php
@@ -925,8 +925,8 @@ class core_message_api_testcase extends core_message_messagelib_testcase {
         // Retrieve the conversations.
         $conversations = \core_message\api::get_conversations($user1->id, 0, 20, null, true);
 
-        // We should only have one conversation because the other user was deleted.
-        $this->assertCount(1, $conversations);
+        // We should have both conversations, despite the other user being soft-deleted.
+        $this->assertCount(2, $conversations);
 
         // Confirm the conversation is from the non-deleted user.
         $conversation = reset($conversations);
@@ -1373,27 +1373,28 @@ class core_message_api_testcase extends core_message_messagelib_testcase {
             $gc1, $gc2, $gc3, $gc4, $gc5, $gc6) = $this->create_conversation_test_data();
 
         // Delete the second user and retrieve the conversations.
-        // We should have 5, as $ic1 drops off the list.
-        // Group conversations remain albeit with less members.
+        // We should have 6 still, as conversations with soft-deleted users are still returned.
+        // Group conversations are also present, albeit with less members.
         delete_user($user2);
         // This is to confirm an exception is not thrown when a user AND the user context is deleted.
         // We no longer delete the user context, but historically we did.
         context_helper::delete_instance(CONTEXT_USER, $user2->id);
         $conversations = \core_message\api::get_conversations($user1->id);
-        $this->assertCount(5, $conversations);
+        $this->assertCount(6, $conversations);
         $this->assertEquals($gc3->id, $conversations[0]->id);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[0]->members);
         $this->assertEquals($gc2->id, $conversations[1]->id);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[1]->members);
         $this->assertEquals($ic2->id, $conversations[2]->id);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[3]->id);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[4]->id);
+        $this->assertEquals($ic1->id, $conversations[3]->id);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[4]->id);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[5]->id);
 
         // Delete a user from a group conversation where that user had sent the most recent message.
         // This user will still be present in the members array, as will the message in the messages array.
         delete_user($user4);
         $conversations = \core_message\api::get_conversations($user1->id);
-        $this->assertCount(5, $conversations);
+        $this->assertCount(6, $conversations);
         $this->assertEquals($gc2->id, $conversations[1]->id);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[1]->members);
         $this->assertEquals($user4->id, $conversations[1]->members[$user4->id]->id);
@@ -1401,17 +1402,19 @@ class core_message_api_testcase extends core_message_messagelib_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals($user4->id, $conversations[1]->messages[0]->useridfrom);
 
         // Delete the third user and retrieve the conversations.
-        // We should have 4, as $ic1, $ic2 drop off the list.
-        // Group conversations remain albeit with less members.
+        // We should have 6 still, as conversations with soft-deleted users are still returned.
+        // Group conversations are also present, albeit with less members.
         delete_user($user3);
         $conversations = \core_message\api::get_conversations($user1->id);
-        $this->assertCount(4, $conversations);
+        $this->assertCount(6, $conversations);
         $this->assertEquals($gc3->id, $conversations[0]->id);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[0]->members);
         $this->assertEquals($gc2->id, $conversations[1]->id);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[1]->members);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[2]->id);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[3]->id);
+        $this->assertEquals($ic2->id, $conversations[2]->id);
+        $this->assertEquals($ic1->id, $conversations[3]->id);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[4]->id);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[5]->id);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/message/tests/externallib_test.php b/message/tests/externallib_test.php
index 01e10d11ba6..b5fc93379a8 100644
--- a/message/tests/externallib_test.php
+++ b/message/tests/externallib_test.php
@@ -5026,20 +5026,21 @@ class core_message_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $this->setUser($user1);
 
         // Delete the second user and retrieve the conversations.
-        // We should have 5, as $ic1 drops off the list.
-        // Group conversations remain albeit with less members.
+        // We should have 6 still, as conversations with soft-deleted users are still returned.
+        // Group conversations are also present, albeit with less members.
         delete_user($user2);
         $result = core_message_external::get_conversations($user1->id);
         $result = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_message_external::get_conversations_returns(), $result);
         $conversations = $result['conversations'];
-        $this->assertCount(5, $conversations);
+        $this->assertCount(6, $conversations);
         $this->assertEquals($gc3->id, $conversations[0]['id']);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[0]['members']);
         $this->assertEquals($gc2->id, $conversations[1]['id']);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[1]['members']);
         $this->assertEquals($ic2->id, $conversations[2]['id']);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[3]['id']);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[4]['id']);
+        $this->assertEquals($ic1->id, $conversations[3]['id']);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[4]['id']);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[5]['id']);
 
         // Delete a user from a group conversation where that user had sent the most recent message.
         // This user will still be present in the members array, as will the message in the messages array.
@@ -5047,7 +5048,7 @@ class core_message_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $result = core_message_external::get_conversations($user1->id);
         $result = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_message_external::get_conversations_returns(), $result);
         $conversations = $result['conversations'];
-        $this->assertCount(5, $conversations);
+        $this->assertCount(6, $conversations);
         $this->assertEquals($gc2->id, $conversations[1]['id']);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[1]['members']);
         $this->assertEquals($user4->id, $conversations[1]['members'][0]['id']);
@@ -5055,19 +5056,21 @@ class core_message_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals($user4->id, $conversations[1]['messages'][0]['useridfrom']);
 
         // Delete the third user and retrieve the conversations.
-        // We should have 4, as $ic1, $ic2 drop off the list.
-        // Group conversations remain albeit with less members.
+        // We should have 6 still, as conversations with soft-deleted users are still returned.
+        // Group conversations are also present, albeit with less members.
         delete_user($user3);
         $result = core_message_external::get_conversations($user1->id);
         $result = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_message_external::get_conversations_returns(), $result);
         $conversations = $result['conversations'];
-        $this->assertCount(4, $conversations);
+        $this->assertCount(6, $conversations);
         $this->assertEquals($gc3->id, $conversations[0]['id']);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[0]['members']);
         $this->assertEquals($gc2->id, $conversations[1]['id']);
         $this->assertcount(1, $conversations[1]['members']);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[2]['id']);
-        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[3]['id']);
+        $this->assertEquals($ic2->id, $conversations[2]['id']);
+        $this->assertEquals($ic1->id, $conversations[3]['id']);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc5->id, $conversations[4]['id']);
+        $this->assertEquals($gc4->id, $conversations[5]['id']);
     }
 
     /**