diff --git a/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/deactivate.rs b/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/deactivate.rs
index 1f3700cfd..49c478b29 100644
--- a/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/deactivate.rs
+++ b/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/deactivate.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ pub struct Request {
     erase: bool,
 }
 
+impl Default for Request {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self { erase: true }
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn doc(operation: TransformOperation) -> TransformOperation {
     operation
         .id("deactivateUser")
@@ -86,8 +92,9 @@ pub async fn handler(
     }: CallContext,
     NoApi(mut rng): NoApi<BoxRng>,
     id: UlidPathParam,
-    Json(params): Json<Request>,
+    body: Option<Json<Request>>,
 ) -> Result<Json<SingleResponse<User>>, RouteError> {
+    let Json(params) = body.unwrap_or_default();
     let id = *id;
     let mut user = repo
         .user()
@@ -125,8 +132,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     use crate::test_utils::{RequestBuilderExt, ResponseExt, TestState, setup};
 
-    #[sqlx::test(migrator = "mas_storage_pg::MIGRATOR")]
-    async fn test_deactivate_user(pool: PgPool) {
+    async fn test_deactivate_user_helper(pool: PgPool, erase: Option<bool>) {
         setup();
         let mut state = TestState::from_pool(pool.clone()).await.unwrap();
         let token = state.token_with_scope("urn:mas:admin").await;
@@ -140,8 +146,13 @@ mod tests {
         repo.save().await.unwrap();
 
         let request = Request::post(format!("/api/admin/v1/users/{}/deactivate", user.id))
-            .bearer(&token)
-            .empty();
+            .bearer(&token);
+        let request = match erase {
+            None => request.empty(),
+            Some(erase) => request.json(serde_json::json!({
+                "erase": erase,
+            })),
+        };
         let response = state.request(request).await;
         response.assert_status(StatusCode::OK);
         let body: serde_json::Value = response.json();
@@ -161,6 +172,52 @@ mod tests {
         .await
         .expect("Deactivation job to be scheduled");
         assert_eq!(job["user_id"], serde_json::json!(user.id));
+        assert_eq!(job["hs_erase"], serde_json::json!(erase.unwrap_or(true)));
+    }
+
+    #[sqlx::test(migrator = "mas_storage_pg::MIGRATOR")]
+    async fn test_deactivate_user(pool: PgPool) {
+        test_deactivate_user_helper(pool, Option::None).await;
+    }
+
+    #[sqlx::test(migrator = "mas_storage_pg::MIGRATOR")]
+    async fn test_deactivate_user_with_explicit_erase(pool: PgPool) {
+        test_deactivate_user_helper(pool, Option::Some(true)).await;
+    }
+
+    #[sqlx::test(migrator = "mas_storage_pg::MIGRATOR")]
+    async fn test_deactivate_user_without_erase(pool: PgPool) {
+        test_deactivate_user_helper(pool, Option::Some(false)).await;
+    }
+
+    #[sqlx::test(migrator = "mas_storage_pg::MIGRATOR")]
+    async fn test_deactivate_user_missing_erase(pool: PgPool) {
+        setup();
+        let mut state = TestState::from_pool(pool.clone()).await.unwrap();
+        let token = state.token_with_scope("urn:mas:admin").await;
+
+        let mut repo = state.repository().await.unwrap();
+        let user = repo
+            .user()
+            .add(&mut state.rng(), &state.clock, "alice".to_owned())
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        repo.save().await.unwrap();
+
+        let request = Request::post(format!("/api/admin/v1/users/{}/deactivate", user.id))
+            .bearer(&token)
+            .json(serde_json::json!({}));
+        let response = state.request(request).await;
+        response.assert_status(StatusCode::UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY);
+
+        // It should have not scheduled a deactivation job for the user
+        let count: i64 = sqlx::query_scalar(
+            "SELECT COUNT(1) FROM queue_jobs WHERE queue_name = 'deactivate-user'",
+        )
+        .fetch_one(&pool)
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(count, 0);
     }
 
     #[sqlx::test(migrator = "mas_storage_pg::MIGRATOR")]
diff --git a/docs/api/spec.json b/docs/api/spec.json
index c0e2ee510..cb597e144 100644
--- a/docs/api/spec.json
+++ b/docs/api/spec.json
@@ -1367,7 +1367,7 @@
               }
             }
           },
-          "required": true
+          "required": false
         },
         "responses": {
           "200": {