diff --git a/assertion-service/src/main/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionService.java b/assertion-service/src/main/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionService.java
index 5cf1e638..e16c2b02 100644
--- a/assertion-service/src/main/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionService.java
+++ b/assertion-service/src/main/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionService.java
@@ -277,7 +277,8 @@ public void deleteById(String id, AssertionServiceUser user) throws RegistryDele
         String salesforceId = user.getSalesforceId();
         checkAssertionAccess(assertion, salesforceId);
 
-        if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(assertion.getPutCode())) {
+        // don't bother trying to delete affiliations for deactivated / deprecated profiles in the registry
+        if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(assertion.getPutCode()) && !AssertionStatus.RECORD_DEACTIVATED_OR_DEPRECATED.name().equals(assertion.getStatus())) {
             LOG.info("Deleting assertion {} in ORCID registry", id);
             deleteAssertionFromOrcidRegistry(assertion);
         }
diff --git a/assertion-service/src/test/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionServiceTest.java b/assertion-service/src/test/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionServiceTest.java
index d6e0b234..1d336b12 100644
--- a/assertion-service/src/test/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionServiceTest.java
+++ b/assertion-service/src/test/java/org/orcid/memberportal/service/assertion/services/AssertionServiceTest.java
@@ -1046,6 +1046,28 @@ void testDeleteByIdAlreadyDeletedInTheRegistry() throws org.json.JSONException,
         Mockito.verify(orcidAPIClient, Mockito.times(1)).deleteAffiliation(Mockito.anyString(), Mockito.eq("exchange-token"), Mockito.any(Assertion.class));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testDeleteByIdDeprecatedOrDeactivated() throws org.json.JSONException, ClientProtocolException, IOException, RegistryDeleteFailureException, DeactivatedException, DeprecatedException {
+        Assertion assertion = getAssertionWithEmailAndPutCode("test@orcid.org", "1001");
+        assertion.setSalesforceId("salesforce-id");
+        assertion.setStatus(AssertionStatus.RECORD_DEACTIVATED_OR_DEPRECATED.name());
+
+        Mockito.when(assertionRepository.findById(Mockito.eq("id"))).thenReturn(Optional.of(assertion));
+        Mockito.when(assertionsUserService.getLoggedInUserSalesforceId()).thenReturn("salesforce-id");
+        Mockito.when(orcidRecordService.findOneByEmail(Mockito.eq("test@orcid.org"))).thenReturn(Optional.empty());
+        Mockito.when(assertionRepository.countByEmailAndSalesforceId(Mockito.eq("test@orcid.org"), Mockito.eq(DEFAULT_SALESFORCE_ID))).thenReturn(2l);
+        Mockito.when(orcidRecordService.generateLinkForEmail("test@orcid.org")).thenReturn("don't care");
+        Mockito.doNothing().when(assertionRepository).deleteById(Mockito.eq("id"));
+
+        assertionService.deleteById("id", getUser());
+
+        Mockito.verify(assertionRepository, Mockito.times(1)).deleteById(Mockito.eq("id"));
+        Mockito.verify(orcidRecordService, Mockito.never()).deleteOrcidRecord(Mockito.any());
+        Mockito.verify(assertionRepository, Mockito.times(1)).findById(Mockito.eq("id"));
+        Mockito.verify(orcidAPIClient, Mockito.never()).exchangeToken(Mockito.anyString(), Mockito.anyString());
+        Mockito.verify(orcidAPIClient, Mockito.never()).deleteAffiliation(Mockito.anyString(), Mockito.eq("exchange-token"), Mockito.any(Assertion.class));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testDeleteByIdWithRegistryDeleteFailure() throws org.json.JSONException, ClientProtocolException, IOException, RegistryDeleteFailureException, DeactivatedException, DeprecatedException {
         Assertion assertion = getAssertionWithEmailAndPutCode("test@orcid.org", "1001");