diff --git a/blocks/news_items/block_news_items.php b/blocks/news_items/block_news_items.php
index 482227cd332..a4c6ac17f96 100644
--- a/blocks/news_items/block_news_items.php
+++ b/blocks/news_items/block_news_items.php
@@ -119,10 +119,19 @@ class block_news_items extends block_base {
                 if (!empty($CFG->forum_enabletimedposts) && ($discussion->timestart > $posttime)) {
                     $posttime = $discussion->timestart;
                 }
+
+                // If the user who created the discussion post has been deleted, indicate so.
+                if ($discussion->userdeleted) {
+                    $userfullname = get_string('deleteduser', 'mod_forum');
+                } else {
+                    $userfullname = fullname($discussion, has_capability('moodle/site:viewfullnames', $context));
+                }
+
                 $text .= '<li class="post">'.
                          '<div class="head clearfix">'.
                          '<div class="date">'.userdate($posttime, $strftimerecent).'</div>'.
-                         '<div class="name">'.fullname($discussion).'</div></div>'.
+                         '<div class="name">'.$userfullname.'</div>'.
+                         '</div>'.
                          '<div class="info"><a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/mod/forum/discuss.php?d='.$discussion->discussion.'">'.$discussion->subject.'</a></div>'.
                          "</li>\n";
             }
diff --git a/mod/forum/lib.php b/mod/forum/lib.php
index fc6f4a9cc6e..aa2f40b3db5 100644
--- a/mod/forum/lib.php
+++ b/mod/forum/lib.php
@@ -1725,7 +1725,7 @@ function forum_get_discussions($cm, $forumsort="", $fullpost=true, $unused=-1, $
 
     $allnames = $userfieldsapi->get_sql('u', false, '', '', false)->selects;
     $sql = "SELECT $postdata, $discussionfields,
-                   $allnames, u.email, u.picture, u.imagealt $umfields
+                   $allnames, u.email, u.picture, u.imagealt, u.deleted AS userdeleted $umfields
               FROM {forum_discussions} d
                    JOIN {forum_posts} p ON p.discussion = d.id
                    JOIN {user} u ON p.userid = u.id