diff --git a/auth.py b/auth.py
index 33f9b38d7..e593c26af 100644
--- a/auth.py
+++ b/auth.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import os
 import secrets
 import datetime
 from utils import is_system_account
+from utils import is_memorial_account
 from utils import has_users_path
 from utils import text_in_file
 from utils import remove_eol
@@ -138,6 +139,10 @@ def authorize_basic(base_dir: str, path: str, auth_header: str,
                   ') does not match the one in the Authorization header (' +
                   nickname + ')')
         return False
+    if is_memorial_account(base_dir, nickname):
+        print('basic auth - attempted login using memorial account ' +
+              nickname + ' in Auth header')
+        return False
     password_file = base_dir + '/accounts/passwords'
     if not os.path.isfile(password_file):
         if debug:
diff --git a/daemon.py b/daemon.py
index a22c6522a..1bae8700d 100644
--- a/daemon.py
+++ b/daemon.py
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ from languages import set_actor_languages
 from languages import get_understood_languages
 from like import update_likes_collection
 from reaction import update_reaction_collection
+from utils import is_memorial_account
 from utils import is_public_post_from_url
 from utils import license_link_from_name
 from utils import acct_handle_dir
@@ -8305,6 +8306,15 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                                       'unable to delete ' +
                                       git_projects_filename)
 
+                    # change memorial status
+                    if is_memorial_account(base_dir, nickname):
+                        if not actor_json.get('memorial'):
+                            actor_json['memorial'] = True
+                            actor_changed = True
+                    elif actor_json.get('memorial'):
+                        actor_json['memorial'] = False
+                        actor_changed = True
+
                     # save actor json file within accounts
                     if actor_changed:
                         add_name_emojis_to_tags(base_dir, http_prefix,
diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index eae416c19..3427421d6 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -741,6 +741,17 @@ def is_system_account(nickname: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+def is_memorial_account(base_dir: str, nickname: str) -> bool:
+    """Returns true if the given nickname is a memorial account
+    """
+    memorial_file = base_dir + '/accounts/memorial'
+    if not os.path.isfile(memorial_file):
+        return False
+    if text_in_file(nickname + '\n', memorial_file, True):
+        return True
+    return False
+
+
 def _create_config(base_dir: str) -> None:
     """Creates a configuration file
     """