diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
index 20f78cc73..995c7f32b 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
@@ -2122,8 +2122,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
 
     @validatedForm(VFlairManager(),
                    VModhash(),
-                   user = VExistingUname("name", allow_deleted=True,
-                                         prefer_existing=True),
+                   user = VFlairAccount("name"),
                    text = VFlairText("text"),
                    css_class = VFlairCss("css_class"))
     @api_doc(api_section.flair)
@@ -2173,8 +2172,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
 
     @validatedForm(VFlairManager(),
                    VModhash(),
-                   user = VExistingUname("name", allow_deleted=True,
-                                         prefer_existing=True))
+                   user = VFlairAccount("name"))
     @api_doc(api_section.flair)
     def POST_deleteflair(self, form, jquery, user):
         # Check validation.
@@ -2216,8 +2214,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 line_result.error('row', 'improperly formatted row, ignoring')
                 continue
 
-            user = VExistingUname('name', allow_deleted=True,
-                                  prefer_existing=True).run(name)
+            user = VFlairAccount('name').run(name)
             if not user:
                 line_result.error('user',
                                   "unable to resolve user `%s', ignoring"
@@ -2296,8 +2293,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
 
     @paginated_listing(max_page_size=1000)
     @validate(VFlairManager(),
-              user = VOptionalExistingUname('name', allow_deleted=True,
-                                            prefer_existing=True))
+              user = VFlairAccount('name'))
     @api_doc(api_section.flair)
     def GET_flairlist(self, num, after, reverse, count, user):
         flair = FlairList(num, after, reverse, '', user)
@@ -2381,7 +2377,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                          details='flair_clear_template')
 
     @validate(VUser(),
-              user = VOptionalExistingUname('name'))
+              user = VFlairAccount('name'))
     def POST_flairselector(self, user):
         if user and not (c.user_is_admin or c.site.is_moderator(c.user)):
             # ignore user parameter if c.user is not mod/admin
@@ -2390,9 +2386,9 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
 
     @validatedForm(VUser(),
                    VModhash(),
-                   user = VOptionalExistingUname('name'),
+                   user = VFlairAccount('name'),
                    flair_template = VFlairTemplateByID('flair_template_id'),
-                   text = VFlairText("text"))
+                   text = VFlairText('text'))
     @api_doc(api_section.flair)
     def POST_selectflair(self, form, jquery, user, flair_template, text):
         if not flair_template:
diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/errors.py b/r2/r2/controllers/errors.py
index 4daaa864d..7fec8eb48 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/errors.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/errors.py
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ error_list = dict((
         ('TOO_OLD', _("that's a piece of history now; it's too late to reply to it")),
         ('BAD_CSS_NAME', _('invalid css name')),
         ('TOO_MUCH_FLAIR_CSS', _('too many flair css classes')),
+        ('BAD_FLAIR_TARGET', _('not a valid flair target')),
         ('OAUTH2_INVALID_CLIENT', _('invalid client id')),
         ('OAUTH2_ACCESS_DENIED', _('access denied by the user')),
         ('CONFIRM', _("please confirm the form")),
diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/validator/validator.py b/r2/r2/controllers/validator/validator.py
index 32b3b2618..c2f593c6e 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/validator/validator.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/validator/validator.py
@@ -1028,45 +1028,27 @@ class VUrl(VRequired):
             pass
         return params
 
-class VOptionalExistingUname(VRequired):
-    def __init__(self, item, allow_deleted=False, prefer_existing=False,
-                 *a, **kw):
-        self.allow_deleted = allow_deleted
-        self.prefer_existing = prefer_existing
+class VExistingUname(VRequired):
+    def __init__(self, item, *a, **kw):
         VRequired.__init__(self, item, errors.NO_USER, *a, **kw)
 
     def run(self, name):
-        if self.prefer_existing:
-            result = self._lookup(name, False)
-            if not result and self.allow_deleted:
-                result = self._lookup(name, True)
-        else:
-            result = self._lookup(name, self.allow_deleted)
-        return result or self.error(errors.USER_DOESNT_EXIST)
-
-    def _lookup(self, name, allow_deleted):
         if name and name.startswith('~') and c.user_is_admin:
             try:
                 user_id = int(name[1:])
                 return Account._byID(user_id, True)
             except (NotFound, ValueError):
-                return None
+                self.error(errors.USER_DOESNT_EXIST)
 
         # make sure the name satisfies our user name regexp before
         # bothering to look it up.
         name = chkuser(name)
         if name:
             try:
-                return Account._by_name(name, allow_deleted=allow_deleted)
+                return Account._by_name(name)
             except NotFound:
-                return None
-
-class VExistingUname(VOptionalExistingUname):
-    def run(self, name):
-        user = VOptionalExistingUname.run(self, name)
-        if not user:
-            self.error()
-        return user
+                self.error(errors.USER_DOESNT_EXIST)
+        self.error()
 
     def param_docs(self):
         return {
@@ -1667,6 +1649,22 @@ class VTarget(Validator):
         if name and self.target_re.match(name):
             return name
 
+class VFlairAccount(VRequired):
+    def __init__(self, item, *a, **kw):
+        VRequired.__init__(self, item, errors.BAD_FLAIR_TARGET, *a, **kw)
+
+    def _lookup(self, name, allow_deleted):
+        try:
+            return Account._by_name(name, allow_deleted=allow_deleted)
+        except NotFound:
+            return None
+
+    def run(self, name):
+        return (
+            self._lookup(name, False)
+            or self._lookup(name, True)
+            or self.error())
+
 class VFlairCss(VCssName):
     def __init__(self, param, max_css_classes=10, **kw):
         self.max_css_classes = max_css_classes
@@ -1688,7 +1686,6 @@ class VFlairCss(VCssName):
 
         return css
 
-
 class VFlairText(VLength):
     def __init__(self, param, max_length=64, **kw):
         VLength.__init__(self, param, max_length, **kw)