diff --git a/backend/internal/account/userlist.go b/backend/internal/account/userlist.go
index c9b7acd..4f3b6fc 100644
--- a/backend/internal/account/userlist.go
+++ b/backend/internal/account/userlist.go
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ type UserListItem struct {
 	PreferredLanguage string
 	IsGuest           bool
 	IsRobot           bool
+	// IsDeleted marks a tombstoned account (deleted_at set), shown as a badge — a search
+	// spans both lists, so a result can be either live or deleted.
+	IsDeleted bool
 	// FlaggedHighRateAt is the soft high-rate marker (zero when unflagged), shown
 	// as a badge in the console list.
 	FlaggedHighRateAt time.Time
@@ -55,27 +58,42 @@ func (s *Store) IsRobot(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID) (bool, error)
 	return ok, nil
 }
 
-// userListWhere builds the shared WHERE clause and its positional args (from $1).
+// userListWhere builds the shared WHERE clause and its positional args (from $1). On the
+// Robots tab it lists/searches robots only. Otherwise a search (any of the name /
+// external-id / email filters) spans live and deleted people alike — never robots — so the
+// operator finds a match from one query regardless of the People / Deleted tab; the search
+// also looks in the retention journal, so a deleted account is still found by the email /
+// external id it held (those rows moved from identities to retained_identities on deletion)
+// and by its retained real name. With no search, the People / Deleted tab scope applies.
 func userListWhere(f UserFilter) (string, []any) {
-	args := []any{f.Robots}
-	where := robotExists + ` = $1`
-	// The Deleted scope shows tombstoned accounts; every other scope hides them.
-	if f.Deleted {
-		where += ` AND a.deleted_at IS NOT NULL`
-	} else {
-		where += ` AND a.deleted_at IS NULL`
+	name := LikePattern(f.NameMask)
+	ext := LikePattern(f.ExternalIDMask)
+	email := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(f.EmailExact))
+	searching := name != "" || ext != "" || email != ""
+
+	var args []any
+	var where string
+	switch {
+	case f.Robots:
+		where = robotExists + ` = true`
+	case searching:
+		where = robotExists + ` = false`
+	case f.Deleted:
+		where = robotExists + ` = false AND a.deleted_at IS NOT NULL`
+	default:
+		where = robotExists + ` = false AND a.deleted_at IS NULL`
 	}
-	if name := LikePattern(f.NameMask); name != "" {
+	if name != "" {
 		args = append(args, name)
-		where += fmt.Sprintf(` AND a.display_name ILIKE $%d ESCAPE '\'`, len(args))
+		where += fmt.Sprintf(` AND (a.display_name ILIKE $%d ESCAPE '\' OR a.deleted_display_name ILIKE $%d ESCAPE '\')`, len(args), len(args))
 	}
-	if ext := LikePattern(f.ExternalIDMask); ext != "" {
+	if ext != "" {
 		args = append(args, ext)
-		where += fmt.Sprintf(` AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM backend.identities i WHERE i.account_id = a.account_id AND i.external_id ILIKE $%d ESCAPE '\')`, len(args))
+		where += fmt.Sprintf(` AND (EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM backend.identities i WHERE i.account_id = a.account_id AND i.external_id ILIKE $%d ESCAPE '\') OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM backend.retained_identities r WHERE r.account_id = a.account_id AND r.external_id ILIKE $%d ESCAPE '\'))`, len(args), len(args))
 	}
-	if email := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(f.EmailExact)); email != "" {
+	if email != "" {
 		args = append(args, email)
-		where += fmt.Sprintf(` AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM backend.identities i WHERE i.account_id = a.account_id AND i.kind = 'email' AND i.external_id = $%d)`, len(args))
+		where += fmt.Sprintf(` AND (EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM backend.identities i WHERE i.account_id = a.account_id AND i.kind = 'email' AND i.external_id = $%d) OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM backend.retained_identities r WHERE r.account_id = a.account_id AND r.kind = 'email' AND r.external_id = $%d))`, len(args), len(args))
 	}
 	return where, args
 }
@@ -83,7 +101,7 @@ func userListWhere(f UserFilter) (string, []any) {
 // ListUsers returns the filtered admin user list, newest first, paginated.
 func (s *Store) ListUsers(ctx context.Context, f UserFilter, limit, offset int) ([]UserListItem, error) {
 	where, args := userListWhere(f)
-	q := `SELECT a.account_id, a.display_name, a.preferred_language, a.is_guest, a.flagged_high_rate_at, a.created_at, ` + robotExists + ` AS is_robot
+	q := `SELECT a.account_id, a.display_name, a.preferred_language, a.is_guest, a.flagged_high_rate_at, a.created_at, ` + robotExists + ` AS is_robot, (a.deleted_at IS NOT NULL) AS is_deleted
 FROM backend.accounts a WHERE ` + where +
 		fmt.Sprintf(` ORDER BY a.created_at DESC LIMIT $%d OFFSET $%d`, len(args)+1, len(args)+2)
 	args = append(args, limit, offset)
@@ -96,7 +114,7 @@ FROM backend.accounts a WHERE ` + where +
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var it UserListItem
 		var flagged sql.NullTime
-		if err := rows.Scan(&it.ID, &it.DisplayName, &it.PreferredLanguage, &it.IsGuest, &flagged, &it.CreatedAt, &it.IsRobot); err != nil {
+		if err := rows.Scan(&it.ID, &it.DisplayName, &it.PreferredLanguage, &it.IsGuest, &flagged, &it.CreatedAt, &it.IsRobot, &it.IsDeleted); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("account: scan user: %w", err)
 		}
 		if flagged.Valid {
diff --git a/backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/users.gohtml b/backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/users.gohtml
index b99bee4..f6499ea 100644
--- a/backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/users.gohtml
+++ b/backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/users.gohtml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 {{range .Items}}
 <tr>
 <td><a href="/_gm/users/{{.ID}}">{{.ID}}</a></td>
-<td>{{.DisplayName}}{{if .Guest}} <span class="pill">guest</span>{{end}}{{if .FlaggedHighRate}} <span class="pill">high-rate</span>{{end}}</td>
+<td>{{.DisplayName}}{{if .Deleted}} <span class="pill">deleted</span>{{end}}{{if .Guest}} <span class="pill">guest</span>{{end}}{{if .FlaggedHighRate}} <span class="pill">high-rate</span>{{end}}</td>
 <td>{{.Kind}}</td>
 <td>{{.Language}}</td>
 <td>{{.CreatedAt}}</td>
diff --git a/backend/internal/adminconsole/views.go b/backend/internal/adminconsole/views.go
index 1825d48..deddfe2 100644
--- a/backend/internal/adminconsole/views.go
+++ b/backend/internal/adminconsole/views.go
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ type UserRow struct {
 	Kind            string
 	Language        string
 	Guest           bool
+	Deleted         bool
 	FlaggedHighRate bool
 	CreatedAt       string
 	HasMoveStats    bool
diff --git a/backend/internal/inttest/delete_test.go b/backend/internal/inttest/delete_test.go
index 94760f6..802e0e4 100644
--- a/backend/internal/inttest/delete_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/inttest/delete_test.go
@@ -155,10 +155,15 @@ func TestUserListDeletedFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision live: %v", err)
 	}
-	gone, _, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Gone", "")
+	goneTg := "tg-" + uuid.NewString()
+	gone, _, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, goneTg, "en", "", "Gone", "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision gone: %v", err)
 	}
+	goneEmail := "gone-" + uuid.NewString() + "@example.com"
+	if err := store.AttachIdentity(ctx, gone.ID, account.KindEmail, goneEmail, true); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("attach gone email: %v", err)
+	}
 	if err := deleter.AnonymizeAndTombstone(ctx, gone.ID); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("delete: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -183,6 +188,24 @@ func TestUserListDeletedFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	if listHasID(deleted, live.ID) {
 		t.Error("a live account must not appear in the Deleted list")
 	}
+
+	// A search spans both lists and reaches the retention journal: a deleted account is
+	// still found by the email and external id it held (both moved to retained_identities
+	// on deletion, out of the live identities table).
+	byEmail, err := store.ListUsers(ctx, account.UserFilter{EmailExact: goneEmail}, 5000, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("search by email: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !listHasID(byEmail, gone.ID) {
+		t.Error("a deleted account must be found by the email it held (retention journal)")
+	}
+	byExt, err := store.ListUsers(ctx, account.UserFilter{ExternalIDMask: goneTg}, 5000, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("search by external id: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !listHasID(byExt, gone.ID) {
+		t.Error("a deleted account must be found by the external id it held (retention journal)")
+	}
 }
 
 // TestConfirmCodeClearsGuest: confirming an email on a guest via ConfirmCode promotes it to
diff --git a/backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go b/backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go
index 6e72a08..48076fe 100644
--- a/backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go
+++ b/backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go
@@ -170,14 +170,17 @@ func (s *Server) consoleUsers(c *gin.Context) {
 	ids := make([]uuid.UUID, 0, len(items))
 	for _, it := range items {
 		kind := "registered"
-		if it.IsRobot {
+		switch {
+		case it.IsRobot:
 			kind = "robot"
-		} else if it.IsGuest {
+		case it.IsDeleted:
+			kind = "deleted"
+		case it.IsGuest:
 			kind = "guest"
 		}
 		view.Items = append(view.Items, adminconsole.UserRow{
 			ID: it.ID.String(), DisplayName: it.DisplayName, Kind: kind,
-			Language: it.PreferredLanguage, Guest: it.IsGuest,
+			Language: it.PreferredLanguage, Guest: it.IsGuest, Deleted: it.IsDeleted,
 			FlaggedHighRate: !it.FlaggedHighRateAt.IsZero(), CreatedAt: fmtTime(it.CreatedAt),
 		})
 		ids = append(ids, it.ID)