diff --git a/src/templates/mapping.go b/src/templates/mapping.go
index 289f62f..78eaf9d 100644
--- a/src/templates/mapping.go
+++ b/src/templates/mapping.go
@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func PostToTemplate(p *models.Post, author *models.User, currentTheme string) Post {
-	var authorUser *User
-	if author != nil {
-		authorTmpl := UserToTemplate(author, currentTheme)
-		authorUser = &authorTmpl
-	}
-
 	return Post{
 		ID: p.ID,
 
@@ -26,7 +20,7 @@ func PostToTemplate(p *models.Post, author *models.User, currentTheme string) Po
 		Preview:  p.Preview,
 		ReadOnly: p.ReadOnly,
 
-		Author: authorUser,
+		Author: UserToTemplate(author, currentTheme),
 		// No content. A lot of the time we don't have this handy and don't need it. See AddContentVersion.
 		PostDate: p.PostDate,
 	}
@@ -131,7 +125,7 @@ func UserAvatarUrl(u *models.User, currentTheme string) string {
 		currentTheme = "light"
 	}
 	avatar := ""
-	if u.Avatar != nil && len(*u.Avatar) > 0 {
+	if u != nil && u.Avatar != nil && len(*u.Avatar) > 0 {
 		avatar = hmnurl.BuildUserFile(*u.Avatar)
 	} else {
 		avatar = hmnurl.BuildTheme("empty-avatar.svg", currentTheme, true)
@@ -148,7 +142,12 @@ func UserDisplayName(u *models.User) string {
 }
 
 func UserToTemplate(u *models.User, currentTheme string) User {
-	// TODO: Handle deleted users. Maybe not here, but if not, at call sites of this function.
+	if u == nil {
+		return User{
+			Name:      "Deleted user",
+			AvatarUrl: UserAvatarUrl(u, currentTheme),
+		}
+	}
 
 	email := ""
 	if u.ShowEmail {
diff --git a/src/templates/src/forum_thread.html b/src/templates/src/forum_thread.html
index 6364feb..d270e5c 100644
--- a/src/templates/src/forum_thread.html
+++ b/src/templates/src/forum_thread.html
@@ -9,53 +9,48 @@
     {{ range .Posts }}
         <div class="post background-even pa3">
             <div class="fl w-100 w-25-l pt3 pa3-l flex tc-l">
-                {{ if .Author }}
-                    <div class="fl w-20 mw3 dn-l w3">
-                        <!-- Mobile avatar -->
-                        <div class="aspect-ratio--1x1 contain bg-center" style="background-image:url('{{ .Author.AvatarUrl }}');"></div>
-                    </div>
-                    <div class="w-100-l pl3 pl0-l flex flex-column items-center-l">
-                        <div>
-                            <a class="username" href="{{ .Author.ProfileUrl }}" target="_blank">{{ .Author.Username }}</a> {{/* TODO: Text scale stuff? Seems unnecessary. */}}
-                            <!-- Mobile badges -->
-                            <div class="di dn-l ph1">
-                                {{ if .Author.IsStaff }}
-                                    <div class="badge staff"></div>
-                                {{ end }}
-                            </div>
-                        </div>
-                        {{ if and .Author.Name (ne .Author.Name .Author.Username) }}
-                            <div class="c--dim f7"> {{ .Author.Name }} </div>
-                        {{ end }}
-                        <!-- Large avatar -->
-                        <div class="dn db-l w-60 pv2">
-                            <div class="aspect-ratio--1x1 contain bg-center" style="background-image:url('{{ .Author.AvatarUrl }}');"></div>
-                        </div>
-                        {{/* TODO: Aggregate user data
-                        <div class="c--dim f7">
-                            {{ post.author.posts }} posts
-                            {% if post.author.public_projects.values|length > 0 %}
-                                / {{ post.author.public_projects.values|length }} project{%if post.author.public_projects.values|length > 1 %}s{% endif %}
-                            {% endif %}
-                        </div> */}}
-                        <!-- Large badges -->
-                        <div class="dn db-l pv2">
+                <div class="fl w-20 mw3 dn-l w3">
+                    <!-- Mobile avatar -->
+                    <div class="aspect-ratio--1x1 contain bg-center" style="background-image:url('{{ .Author.AvatarUrl }}');"></div>
+                </div>
+                <div class="w-100-l pl3 pl0-l flex flex-column items-center-l">
+                    <div>
+                        <a class="username" href="{{ .Author.ProfileUrl }}" target="_blank">{{ .Author.Username }}</a> {{/* TODO: Text scale stuff? Seems unnecessary. */}}
+                        <!-- Mobile badges -->
+                        <div class="di dn-l ph1">
                             {{ if .Author.IsStaff }}
                                 <div class="badge staff"></div>
                             {{ end }}
                         </div>
-                        <div class="i c--dim f7">
-                            {{ if .Author.Blurb }}
-                                {{ .Author.Blurb }} {{/* TODO: Linebreaks? */}}
-                            {{ else if .Author.Bio }}
-                                {{ .Author.Bio }}
-                            {{ end }}
-                        </div>
                     </div>
-                {{ else }}
-                    <div class="username">Deleted member</div>
-                    <div class="avatar" style="background-image:url('{{ .Author.AvatarUrl }}');"></div>
-                {{ end }}
+                    {{ if and .Author.Name (ne .Author.Name .Author.Username) }}
+                        <div class="c--dim f7"> {{ .Author.Name }} </div>
+                    {{ end }}
+                    <!-- Large avatar -->
+                    <div class="dn db-l w-60 pv2">
+                        <div class="aspect-ratio--1x1 contain bg-center" style="background-image:url('{{ .Author.AvatarUrl }}');"></div>
+                    </div>
+                    {{/* TODO: Aggregate user data
+                    <div class="c--dim f7">
+                        {{ post.author.posts }} posts
+                        {% if post.author.public_projects.values|length > 0 %}
+                            / {{ post.author.public_projects.values|length }} project{%if post.author.public_projects.values|length > 1 %}s{% endif %}
+                        {% endif %}
+                    </div> */}}
+                    <!-- Large badges -->
+                    <div class="dn db-l pv2">
+                        {{ if .Author.IsStaff }}
+                            <div class="badge staff"></div>
+                        {{ end }}
+                    </div>
+                    <div class="i c--dim f7">
+                        {{ if .Author.Blurb }}
+                            {{ .Author.Blurb }} {{/* TODO: Linebreaks? */}}
+                        {{ else if .Author.Bio }}
+                            {{ .Author.Bio }}
+                        {{ end }}
+                    </div>
+                </div>
             </div>
             <div class="fl w-100 w-75-l pv3 pa3-l">
                 <div class="w-100 flex-l flex-row-reverse-l">
diff --git a/src/templates/types.go b/src/templates/types.go
index 968c3ae..626b614 100644
--- a/src/templates/types.go
+++ b/src/templates/types.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ type Post struct {
 	Preview  string
 	ReadOnly bool
 
-	Author   *User
+	Author   User
 	Content  template.HTML
 	PostDate time.Time