diff --git a/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py b/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py
index d898a42f7c..db48558694 100644
--- a/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py
+++ b/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_deleted.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
 from django.db import transaction
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.utils.dateparse import parse_datetime
-from django.utils.timezone import now
+from django.utils.timezone import now, is_aware, make_aware
 
 # AWX
 from awx.main.models import *
@@ -53,13 +53,19 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         if not active_field:
             self.logger.warning('skipping model %s, no active field', model)
             return
+        if name_field == 'username' and active_field == 'is_active':
+            name_prefix = '_d_'
+        else:
+            name_prefix = '_deleted_'
         qs = model.objects.filter(**{
             active_field: False,
-            '%s__startswith' % name_field: '_d',
+            '%s__startswith' % name_field: name_prefix,
         })
         self.logger.debug('cleaning up model %s', model)
         for instance in qs:
             dt = parse_datetime(getattr(instance, name_field).split('_')[2])
+            if not is_aware(dt):
+                dt = make_aware(dt, self.cutoff.tzinfo)
             if not dt:
                 self.logger.warning('unable to find deleted timestamp in %s '
                                     'field', name_field)
diff --git a/awx/main/models/__init__.py b/awx/main/models/__init__.py
index 866daa5a48..8ea35858c4 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/__init__.py
@@ -98,18 +98,7 @@ class PrimordialModel(models.Model):
 
         if self.active:
             if 'name' in self._meta.get_all_field_names():
-                #              0         1
-                #              01234567890123
-                has_description = False
-                if 'description' in self._meta.get_all_field_names():
-                    has_description = True
-                old_desc = ''
-                if has_description:
-                    old_desc = self.description
-                    self.description = "deleted: %s" % self.name
-                    if old_desc:
-                        self.description = "%s (%s)" % (self.description, old_desc)
-                self.name   = "_d_%s" % (now().isoformat())
+                self.name   = "_deleted_%s_%s" % (now().isoformat(), self.name)
             self.active = False
             if save:
                 self.save()
@@ -1247,7 +1236,10 @@ class JobEvent(models.Model):
 def user_mark_inactive(user, save=True):
     '''Use instead of delete to rename and mark users inactive.'''
     if user.is_active:
-        user.username   = "_deleted_%s_%s" % (now().isoformat(), user.username)
+        # Set timestamp to datetime.isoformat() but without the time zone
+        # offse to stay withint the 30 character username limit.
+        deleted_ts = now().strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%f')
+        user.username = '_d_%s' % deleted_ts
         user.is_active = False
         if save:
             user.save()
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/commands.py b/awx/main/tests/commands.py
index eae6c351fc..f731fc9fba 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/commands.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/commands.py
@@ -226,6 +226,8 @@ class CleanupDeletedTest(BaseCommandTest):
         # "Delete some users".
         for user in User.objects.all():
             user.mark_inactive()
+            self.assertTrue(len(user.username) <= 30,
+                            'len(%r) == %d' % (user.username, len(user.username)))
         # With days=1, no users will be deleted.
         counts_before = self.get_user_counts()
         self.assertTrue(counts_before[1])