diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index 5e86e45289..b309e38e6c 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 from oasst_backend.models import message_tree_state
 from oasst_backend.prompt_repository import PromptRepository, UserRepository
 from oasst_backend.task_repository import TaskRepository, delete_expired_tasks
-from oasst_backend.tree_manager import TreeManager
+from oasst_backend.tree_manager import TreeManager, halt_prompts_of_disabled_users
 from oasst_backend.user_repository import User
 from oasst_backend.user_stats_repository import UserStatsRepository, UserStatsTimeFrame
 from oasst_backend.utils.database_utils import CommitMode, managed_tx_function
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ def update_user_streak(session: Session) -> None:
 @managed_tx_function(auto_commit=CommitMode.COMMIT)
 def cronjob_delete_expired_tasks(session: Session) -> None:
     delete_expired_tasks(session)
+    halt_prompts_of_disabled_users(session)
 
 
 @app.on_event("startup")
diff --git a/backend/oasst_backend/tree_manager.py b/backend/oasst_backend/tree_manager.py
index 7dea2782d3..19ad972772 100644
--- a/backend/oasst_backend/tree_manager.py
+++ b/backend/oasst_backend/tree_manager.py
@@ -120,6 +120,33 @@ class TreeManagerStats(pydantic.BaseModel):
     message_counts: list[TreeMessageCountStats]
 
 
+def halt_prompts_of_disabled_users(db: Session):
+    _sql_halt_prompts_of_disabled_users = """
+-- remove prompts of disabled & deleted users from prompt lottery
+WITH cte AS (
+SELECT mts.message_tree_id
+FROM message_tree_state mts
+JOIN message m ON mts.message_tree_id = m.id
+JOIN "user" u ON m.user_id = u.id
+WHERE state = :prompt_lottery_waiting_state AND (NOT u.enabled OR u.deleted)
+)
+UPDATE message_tree_state mts2
+SET active=false, state=:halted_by_moderator_state
+FROM cte
+WHERE mts2.message_tree_id = cte.message_tree_id;
+"""
+
+    r = db.execute(
+        text(_sql_halt_prompts_of_disabled_users),
+        {
+            "prompt_lottery_waiting_state": message_tree_state.State.PROMPT_LOTTERY_WAITING,
+            "halted_by_moderator_state": message_tree_state.State.HALTED_BY_MODERATOR,
+        },
+    )
+    if r.rowcount > 0:
+        logger.info(f"Halted {r.rowcount} prompts of disabled users.")
+
+
 class TreeManager:
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -240,16 +267,20 @@ def _prompt_lottery(self, lang: str, max_activate: int = 1) -> int:
 
             @managed_tx_function(CommitMode.COMMIT)
             def activate_one(db: Session) -> int:
+
                 # select among distinct users
                 authors_qry = (
                     db.query(Message.user_id)
                     .select_from(MessageTreeState)
                     .join(Message, MessageTreeState.message_tree_id == Message.id)
+                    .join(User, Message.user_id == User.id)
                     .filter(
                         MessageTreeState.state == message_tree_state.State.PROMPT_LOTTERY_WAITING,
                         Message.lang == lang,
                         not_(Message.deleted),
                         Message.review_result,
+                        User.enabled,
+                        not_(User.deleted),
                     )
                     .distinct(Message.user_id)
                 )
@@ -1309,6 +1340,8 @@ def ensure_tree_states(self) -> None:
                 logger.info(f"Inserting missing message tree state for message: {id} ({tree_size=}, {state=:s})")
             self._insert_default_state(id, state=state)
 
+        halt_prompts_of_disabled_users(self.db)
+
         # check tree state transitions (maybe variables haves changes): prompt review -> growing -> ranking -> scoring
         prompt_review_trees: list[MessageTreeState] = (
             self.db.query(MessageTreeState)