diff --git a/nexus-watcher/src/events/handlers/user.rs b/nexus-watcher/src/events/handlers/user.rs
index 3049b4fe2..747eb0831 100644
--- a/nexus-watcher/src/events/handlers/user.rs
+++ b/nexus-watcher/src/events/handlers/user.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 use crate::events::EventProcessorError;
 
 use nexus_common::db::queries::get::user_is_safe_to_delete;
-use nexus_common::db::{execute_graph_operation, OperationOutcome};
+use nexus_common::db::{
+    exec_single_row, execute_graph_operation, queries, OperationOutcome, RedisOps,
+};
 use nexus_common::models::{
     traits::Collection,
     user::{UserCounts, UserDetails, UserSearch, USER_DELETED_SENTINEL},
@@ -63,16 +65,25 @@ pub async fn del(user_id: PubkyId) -> Result<(), EventProcessorError> {
         .map_err(EventProcessorError::graph_query_failed)?
     {
         OperationOutcome::CreatedOrDeleted => {
-            // UserSearch::delete reads UserDetails from the index to find the username,
-            // so it must complete before UserDetails::delete runs.
+            // 1. UserSearch reads UserDetails — must run before UserDetails Redis is removed
             UserSearch::delete(&user_id).await?;
+
+            // 2. Redis cleanup (parallel, all idempotent DEL/ZREM)
+            let user_id_str = user_id.as_str();
+            let key_parts: &[&str] = &[user_id_str];
+            let key_parts_list = [key_parts];
             let indexing_results = nexus_common::traced_join!(
                 tracing::info_span!("index.delete");
-                UserDetails::delete(&user_id),
+                UserDetails::remove_from_index_multiple_json(&key_parts_list),
                 UserCounts::delete(&user_id)
             );
             indexing_results.0?;
             indexing_results.1?;
+
+            // 3. Graph deletion LAST
+            exec_single_row(queries::del::delete_user(&user_id))
+                .await
+                .map_err(EventProcessorError::graph_query_failed)?;
         }
         OperationOutcome::Updated => {
             let deleted_user = PubkyAppUser {
diff --git a/nexus-watcher/tests/event_processor/users/idempotent_del.rs b/nexus-watcher/tests/event_processor/users/idempotent_del.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2b1c843a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nexus-watcher/tests/event_processor/users/idempotent_del.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+use crate::event_processor::users::utils::find_user_details;
+use crate::event_processor::utils::watcher::WatcherTest;
+use anyhow::Result;
+use nexus_common::db::RedisOps;
+use nexus_common::models::event::EventProcessorError;
+use nexus_common::models::user::{UserCounts, UserDetails, UserSearch};
+use nexus_watcher::events::handlers::user;
+use pubky::Keypair;
+use pubky_app_specs::{PubkyAppUser, PubkyId};
+
+/// Test that calling del() after a successful deletion returns Ok
+/// and leaves no stale data behind.
+#[tokio_shared_rt::test(shared)]
+async fn test_user_del_idempotent() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut test = WatcherTest::setup().await?;
+
+    // Create a user with no relationships
+    let user_kp = Keypair::random();
+    let user = PubkyAppUser {
+        bio: Some("test_user_del_idempotent".to_string()),
+        image: None,
+        links: None,
+        name: "Watcher:IdempotentDel:User".to_string(),
+        status: None,
+    };
+    let user_id = test.create_user(&user_kp, &user).await?;
+
+    // Delete through event processor (normal flow — everything succeeds)
+    test.cleanup_user(&user_kp).await?;
+
+    // Verify clean state after deletion
+    let user_details_result = find_user_details(&user_id).await;
+    assert!(
+        user_details_result.is_err(),
+        "User details should not be found in graph after deletion"
+    );
+    let user_counts = UserCounts::get_by_id(&user_id).await?;
+    assert!(
+        user_counts.is_none(),
+        "User counts should not be found after deletion"
+    );
+
+    // Simulate retry: call del() directly — graph node is gone so expect SkipIndexing
+    let user_pubky = PubkyId::try_from(user_id.as_str()).map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!(e))?;
+    let result = user::del(user_pubky).await;
+    assert!(
+        matches!(result, Err(EventProcessorError::SkipIndexing)),
+        "Retry after full deletion should return SkipIndexing, got: {:?}",
+        result
+    );
+
+    // Verify state is still clean (no corruption from retry)
+    let user_details_result = find_user_details(&user_id).await;
+    assert!(
+        user_details_result.is_err(),
+        "User details should still not be found after retry"
+    );
+    let user_counts = UserCounts::get_by_id(&user_id).await?;
+    assert!(
+        user_counts.is_none(),
+        "User counts should still not be found after retry"
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Test graph-last recovery: simulates partial Redis cleanup failure where
+/// graph node is still present. On retry, the handler should re-enter
+/// CreatedOrDeleted, clean remaining stale Redis data, and delete graph last.
+#[tokio_shared_rt::test(shared)]
+async fn test_user_del_graph_last_recovery() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut test = WatcherTest::setup().await?;
+
+    // Create a user with no relationships
+    let user_kp = Keypair::random();
+    let username = "Watcher:GraphLastRecovery:User";
+    let user = PubkyAppUser {
+        bio: Some("test_user_del_graph_last_recovery".to_string()),
+        image: None,
+        links: None,
+        name: username.to_string(),
+        status: None,
+    };
+    let user_id = test.create_user(&user_kp, &user).await?;
+
+    // Sanity: verify everything is set up
+    let user_details = find_user_details(&user_id).await;
+    assert!(user_details.is_ok(), "User should exist in graph");
+    let user_counts = UserCounts::get_by_id(&user_id).await?;
+    assert!(user_counts.is_some(), "User counts should exist in Redis");
+
+    // Simulate partial failure of a previous del() attempt:
+    // Step 1 succeeded: UserSearch cleaned
+    UserSearch::delete(&user_id).await?;
+    // Step 2 partially succeeded: UserDetails Redis DEL completed
+    let user_id_str = user_id.as_str();
+    let key_parts: &[&str] = &[user_id_str];
+    UserDetails::remove_from_index_multiple_json(&[key_parts]).await?;
+    // Step 2 partially failed: UserCounts::delete did NOT run (left stale)
+    // Step 3 never ran: graph node still present (graph-last)
+
+    // Verify the partial state: graph exists, UserCounts stale, UserDetails gone
+    let user_details_graph = find_user_details(&user_id).await;
+    assert!(
+        user_details_graph.is_ok(),
+        "Graph node should still exist (graph-last)"
+    );
+    let user_counts = UserCounts::get_by_id(&user_id).await?;
+    assert!(
+        user_counts.is_some(),
+        "UserCounts should still be in Redis (simulated failure)"
+    );
+
+    // Retry: call del() directly — should recover and complete successfully
+    let user_pubky = PubkyId::try_from(user_id.as_str()).map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!(e))?;
+    user::del(user_pubky).await?;
+
+    // Verify full cleanup after recovery
+    let user_details_result = find_user_details(&user_id).await;
+    assert!(
+        user_details_result.is_err(),
+        "Graph node should be deleted after recovery"
+    );
+    let user_counts = UserCounts::get_by_id(&user_id).await?;
+    assert!(
+        user_counts.is_none(),
+        "UserCounts should be cleaned after recovery"
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/nexus-watcher/tests/event_processor/users/mod.rs b/nexus-watcher/tests/event_processor/users/mod.rs
index f09010f14..5e5751c95 100644
--- a/nexus-watcher/tests/event_processor/users/mod.rs
+++ b/nexus-watcher/tests/event_processor/users/mod.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 mod batch_retrieval;
 mod del_with_relations;
 mod del_without_relations;
+mod idempotent_del;
 mod moderated;
 mod raw;
 pub mod utils;