diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 0608a7f4..21b4c976 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2009-03-15  Nicolas François  <nicolas.francois@centraliens.net>
+
+	* NEWS, src/userdel.c: Make sure the user exists in the shadow
+	database before calling spw_remove().
+	* NEWS, src/userdel.c: When the user's group is removed, make sure
+	the group is in the gshadow database before calling sgr_remove().
+	* src/userdel.c: Improve warning's wording.
+
 2009-03-15  Nicolas François  <nicolas.francois@centraliens.net>
 
 	* libmisc/cleanup.c: Fix del_cleanup. The arguments were not
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 5b4b535c..1aaf14e1 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ shadow-4.1.2.2 -> shadow-4.1.3						UNRELEASED
   * do not create users with UID set to (gid_t)-1.
 - userdel
   * audit logging improvements.
+  * Do not fail if the removed user is not in the shadow database.
+  * When the user's group shall be removed, do not fail if this group is
+    not in the gshadow file.
 - usermod
   * Allow adding LDAP users (or any user not present in the local passwd
     file) to local groups
diff --git a/src/userdel.c b/src/userdel.c
index 4f6a3f14..907a3cd5 100644
--- a/src/userdel.c
+++ b/src/userdel.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static void update_groups (void)
 				}
 				if (pwd->pw_gid == grp->gr_gid) {
 					fprintf (stderr,
-					         _("%s: Cannot remove group %s which is a primary group for another user.\n"),
+					         _("%s: group %s is the primary group of another user and is not removed.\n"),
 					         Prog, grp->gr_name);
 					break;
 				}
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ static void update_groups (void)
 			 user_name, nsgrp->sg_name));
 	}
 
-	if (deleted_user_group) {
-		/* FIXME: Test if the group is in gshadow first? */
+	if (   deleted_user_group
+	    && (sgr_locate (user_name) != NULL)) {
 		if (sgr_remove (user_name) == 0) {
 			fprintf (stderr,
 			         _("%s: cannot remove entry '%s' from %s\n"),
@@ -559,7 +559,9 @@ static void update_user (void)
 		         Prog, user_name, pw_dbname ());
 		fail_exit (E_PW_UPDATE);
 	}
-	if (is_shadow_pwd && (spw_remove (user_name) == 0)) {
+	if (   is_shadow_pwd
+	    && (spw_locate (user_name) != NULL)
+	    && (spw_remove (user_name) == 0)) {
 		fprintf (stderr,
 		         _("%s: cannot remove entry '%s' from %s\n"),
 		         Prog, user_name, spw_dbname ());