diff --git a/core/server/api/canary/users.js b/core/server/api/canary/users.js
index 955df58754..f9cb703c3e 100644
--- a/core/server/api/canary/users.js
+++ b/core/server/api/canary/users.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const Promise = require('bluebird');
 const common = require('../../lib/common');
+const backupDatabase = require('../../data/db/backup');
 const models = require('../../models');
 const permissionsService = require('../../services/permissions');
 const ALLOWED_INCLUDES = ['count.posts', 'permissions', 'roles', 'roles.permissions'];
@@ -106,7 +107,6 @@ module.exports = {
     },
 
     destroy: {
-        statusCode: 204,
         headers: {
             cacheInvalidate: true
         },
@@ -121,7 +121,9 @@ module.exports = {
             }
         },
         permissions: true,
-        query(frame) {
+        async query(frame) {
+            const filename = await backupDatabase();
+
             return models.Base.transaction((t) => {
                 frame.options.transacting = t;
 
@@ -129,7 +131,7 @@ module.exports = {
                     models.Post.destroyByAuthor(frame.options)
                 ]).then(() => {
                     return models.User.destroy(Object.assign({status: 'all'}, frame.options));
-                }).return(null);
+                }).return(filename);
             }).catch((err) => {
                 return Promise.reject(new common.errors.NoPermissionError({
                     err: err
diff --git a/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/output/users.js b/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/output/users.js
index 1a9257c4d9..79516dcf12 100644
--- a/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/output/users.js
+++ b/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/output/users.js
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ module.exports = {
         this.read(...arguments);
     },
 
+    destroy(filename, apiConfig, frame) {
+        debug('destroy');
+
+        frame.response = {
+            meta: {
+                filename: filename
+            }
+        };
+    },
+
     changePassword(models, apiConfig, frame) {
         debug('changePassword');
 
diff --git a/core/test/acceptance/admin/users_spec.js b/core/test/acceptance/admin/users_spec.js
index 55de36edee..ba719b319b 100644
--- a/core/test/acceptance/admin/users_spec.js
+++ b/core/test/acceptance/admin/users_spec.js
@@ -250,9 +250,11 @@ describe('User API', function () {
                 return request
                     .delete(localUtils.API.getApiQuery(`users/${userId}`))
                     .set('Origin', config.get('url'))
-                    .expect(204);
+                    .expect(200);
             })
-            .then(() => {
+            .then((res) => {
+                should.exist(res.body.meta.filename);
+
                 return request
                     .get(localUtils.API.getApiQuery(`users/${userId}/`))
                     .set('Origin', config.get('url'))