diff --git a/builder.go b/builder.go
index 5cb8f1bb..76a8b665 100644
--- a/builder.go
+++ b/builder.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package gluon
 
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"github.com/ProtonMail/gluon/internal/db"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"time"
@@ -86,6 +88,12 @@ func (builder *serverBuilder) build() (*Server, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// Defer delete all the previous databases from removed user accounts. This is required since we can't
+	// close ent databases on demand.
+	if err := db.DeleteDeferredDBFiles(builder.databaseDir); err != nil {
+		logrus.WithError(err).Error("Failed to remove old database files")
+	}
+
 	return &Server{
 		dataDir:              builder.dataDir,
 		databaseDir:          builder.databaseDir,
diff --git a/internal/db/db.go b/internal/db/db.go
index 2efa1d0f..8531224b 100644
--- a/internal/db/db.go
+++ b/internal/db/db.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/gluon/internal/utils"
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -109,6 +110,10 @@ func getDatabasePath(dir, userID string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%v.db", userID))
 }
 
+func getDeferredDeleteDBPath(dir string) string {
+	return filepath.Join(dir, "deferred_delete")
+}
+
 // NewDB creates a new database instance.
 // If the database does not exist, it will be created and the second return value will be true.
 func NewDB(dir, userID string) (*DB, bool, error) {
@@ -132,8 +137,42 @@ func NewDB(dir, userID string) (*DB, bool, error) {
 	return &DB{db: client}, !exists, nil
 }
 
+// DeleteDB will rename all the database files for the given user to a directory within the same folder to avoid
+// issues with ent not being able to close the database on demand. The database will be cleaned up on the next
+// run on the Gluon server.
 func DeleteDB(dir, userID string) error {
-	return os.Remove(getDatabasePath(dir, userID))
+	// Rather than deleting the files immediately move them to a directory to be cleaned up later.
+	deferredDeletePath := getDeferredDeleteDBPath(dir)
+
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(deferredDeletePath, 0o700); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create deferred delete dir: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	matchingFiles, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(dir, userID))
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to match db files:%w", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, file := range matchingFiles {
+		// Use new UUID to avoid conflict with existing files
+		if err := os.Rename(file, filepath.Join(deferredDeletePath, uuid.NewString())); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to move db file '%v' :%w", file, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// DeleteDeferredDBFiles deletes all data from previous databases that were scheduled for removal.
+func DeleteDeferredDBFiles(dir string) error {
+	deferredDeleteDir := getDeferredDeleteDBPath(dir)
+	if err := os.RemoveAll(deferredDeleteDir); err != nil {
+		if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 // pathExists returns whether the given file exists.