diff --git a/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb b/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb
index e7ecb9b17..7fe92130b 100644
--- a/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb
+++ b/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb
@@ -106,8 +106,9 @@ class DomainMailer < ApplicationMailer
          name: @domain.name)} [#{@domain.name}]")
   end
 
-  def pending_deleted(domain_id, should_deliver)
+  def pending_deleted(domain_id, old_registrant_id, should_deliver)
     @domain = Domain.find_by(id: domain_id)
+    @old_registrant = Registrant.find(old_registrant_id)
     return unless @domain
     return if delivery_off?(@domain, should_deliver)
 
@@ -121,8 +122,6 @@ class DomainMailer < ApplicationMailer
       return
     end
 
-    @old_registrant = Registrant.find(@domain.registrant_id_was)
-
     confirm_path = "#{ENV['registrant_url']}/registrant/domain_delete_confirms"
     @verification_url = "#{confirm_path}/#{@domain.id}?token=#{@domain.registrant_verification_token}"
 
diff --git a/app/models/domain.rb b/app/models/domain.rb
index 6a8544b63..074934a1d 100644
--- a/app/models/domain.rb
+++ b/app/models/domain.rb
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ class Domain < ActiveRecord::Base
     pending_delete_confirmation!
     save(validate: false) # should check if this did succeed
 
-    DomainMailer.pending_deleted(id, deliver_emails).deliver
+    DomainMailer.pending_deleted(id, registrant_id_was, deliver_emails).deliver
   end
 
   def pricelist(operation, period_i = nil, unit = nil)
diff --git a/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb b/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb
index 050cc344a..3f645f7e0 100644
--- a/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ describe DomainMailer do
     before :all do
       @registrant = Fabricate(:registrant, email: 'test@example.com')
       @domain = Fabricate(:domain, registrant: @registrant)
-      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_deleted(@domain.id, deliver_emails)
+      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_deleted(@domain.id, @registrant.id, deliver_emails)
     end
 
     it 'should not render email subject' do
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ describe DomainMailer do
       @domain.deliver_emails = true
       @domain.registrant_verification_token = '123'
       @domain.registrant_verification_asked_at = Time.zone.now
-      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_deleted(@domain.id, deliver_emails)
+      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_deleted(@domain.id, @registrant.id, deliver_emails)
     end
 
     it 'should render email subject' do