diff --git a/include/maxscale/adminusers.h.in b/include/maxscale/adminusers.h.in
index 94b137a94..1141d1dfc 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/adminusers.h.in
+++ b/include/maxscale/adminusers.h.in
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ bool admin_verify_inet_user(const char *uname, const char *password);
 bool admin_user_is_inet_admin(const char* username);
 bool admin_user_is_unix_admin(const char* username);
 bool admin_have_admin();
+bool admin_is_last_admin(const char* user);
 
 /**
  * @brief Convert all admin users to JSON
diff --git a/include/maxscale/users.h b/include/maxscale/users.h
index 5af73815b..0ca53f5d8 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/users.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/users.h
@@ -109,13 +109,13 @@ bool users_find(USERS* users, const char* user);
 bool users_is_admin(USERS* users, const char* user);
 
 /**
- * Check if at least one admin account exists
+ * Check how many admin account exists
  *
  * @param users Users to check
  *
- * @return True if at least one admin account exists
+ * @return Number of admin accounts
  */
-bool users_have_admin(USERS* users);
+int users_admin_count(USERS* users);
 
 /**
  * Dump users as JSON
diff --git a/server/core/adminusers.cc b/server/core/adminusers.cc
index 8d3143964..da7cf54fa 100644
--- a/server/core/adminusers.cc
+++ b/server/core/adminusers.cc
@@ -102,12 +102,6 @@ static const char *admin_add_user(USERS** pusers, const char* fname,
 
 static const char* admin_remove_user(USERS *users, const char* fname, const char *uname)
 {
-    if (strcmp(uname, DEFAULT_ADMIN_USER) == 0)
-    {
-        MXS_WARNING("Attempt to delete the default admin user '%s'.", uname);
-        return ADMIN_ERR_DELROOT;
-    }
-
     if (!users_delete(users, uname))
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Couldn't find user %s. Removing user failed.", uname);
@@ -369,7 +363,7 @@ bool admin_linux_account_enabled(const char *uname)
 {
     bool rv = false;
 
-    if (strcmp(uname, DEFAULT_ADMIN_USER) == 0)
+    if (!linux_users && strcmp(uname, DEFAULT_ADMIN_USER) == 0)
     {
         rv = true;
     }
@@ -511,8 +505,15 @@ bool admin_user_is_unix_admin(const char* username)
 
 bool admin_have_admin()
 {
-    return (inet_users && users_have_admin(inet_users)) ||
-           (linux_users && users_have_admin(linux_users));
+    return (inet_users && users_admin_count(inet_users) > 0) ||
+           (linux_users && users_admin_count(linux_users) > 0);
+}
+
+bool admin_is_last_admin(const char* user)
+{
+    return (admin_user_is_inet_admin(user) || admin_user_is_unix_admin(user)) &&
+           ((inet_users ? users_admin_count(inet_users) : 1) +
+            (linux_users ? users_admin_count(linux_users) : 1)) == 1;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/core/users.cc b/server/core/users.cc
index 188fd5a76..436d07b79 100644
--- a/server/core/users.cc
+++ b/server/core/users.cc
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ public:
         return rval;
     }
 
-    bool have_admin() const
+    int admin_count() const
     {
-        return std::find_if(m_data.begin(), m_data.end(), is_admin) != m_data.end();
+        return std::count_if(m_data.begin(), m_data.end(), is_admin);
     }
 
     bool check_permissions(std::string user, user_account_type perm) const
@@ -302,10 +302,10 @@ bool users_is_admin(USERS* users, const char* user)
     return u->check_permissions(user, USER_ACCOUNT_ADMIN);
 }
 
-bool users_have_admin(USERS* users)
+int users_admin_count(USERS* users)
 {
     Users* u = reinterpret_cast<Users*>(users);
-    return u->have_admin();
+    return u->admin_count();
 }
 
 void users_diagnostic(DCB* dcb, USERS* users)
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
index 50120129b..425cb59d8 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
@@ -2343,17 +2343,19 @@ static void telnetdRemoveUser(DCB *dcb, char *user)
 
     if (!admin_inet_user_exists(user))
     {
-        dcb_printf(dcb, "Account %s for remote (network) usage does not exist.\n", user);
-        return;
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Account '%s' for remote usage does not exist.\n", user);
     }
-
-    if ((err = admin_remove_inet_user(user)) == NULL)
+    else if (admin_is_last_admin(user))
     {
-        dcb_printf(dcb, "Account %s for remote (network) usage has been successfully removed.\n", user);
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Cannot remove the last admin account '%s'.\n", user);
+    }
+    else if ((err = admin_remove_inet_user(user)))
+    {
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Failed to remove remote account '%s': %s\n", user, err);
     }
     else
     {
-        dcb_printf(dcb, "Failed to remove remote account %s: %s\n", user, err);
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Account '%s' for remote usage has been successfully removed.\n", user);
     }
 }
 
@@ -2674,16 +2676,19 @@ disable_account(DCB *dcb, char *user)
 
     if (!admin_linux_account_enabled(user))
     {
-        dcb_printf(dcb, "The Linux user %s has not been enabled.\n", user);
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "The Linux user '%s' has not been enabled.\n", user);
         return;
     }
-
-    if ((err = admin_disable_linux_account(user)) == NULL)
+    else if (admin_is_last_admin(user))
     {
-        dcb_printf(dcb, "The Linux user %s has successfully been disabled.\n", user);
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Cannot remove the last admin account '%s'.\n", user);
+    }
+    else if ((err = admin_disable_linux_account(user)))
+    {
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Failed to disable the Linux user '%s': %s\n", user, err);
     }
     else
     {
-        dcb_printf(dcb, "Failed to disable the Linux user %s: %s\n", user, err);
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "The Linux user '%s' has successfully been disabled.\n", user);
     }
 }