diff --git a/components/gitpod-db/go/project.go b/components/gitpod-db/go/project.go
index d0f2854277be84..73ccc103d01ead 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-db/go/project.go
+++ b/components/gitpod-db/go/project.go
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@ type Project struct {
 	UserID sql.NullString `gorm:"column:userId;type:char;size:36;" json:"userId"`
 
 	MarkedDeleted bool `gorm:"column:markedDeleted;type:tinyint;default:0;" json:"markedDeleted"`
-
-	// deleted is reserved for use by periodic deleter
-	_ bool `gorm:"column:deleted;type:tinyint;default:0;" json:"deleted"`
 }
 
 // TableName sets the insert table name for this struct type
diff --git a/components/gitpod-db/go/project_test.go b/components/gitpod-db/go/project_test.go
index 608bc990b0c8ff..ea2679c19d02e0 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-db/go/project_test.go
+++ b/components/gitpod-db/go/project_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ var projectJSON = map[string]interface{}{
 	"teamId":            "0e433063-1358-4892-9ed2-68e273d17d07",
 	"appInstallationId": "20446411",
 	"creationTime":      "2021-11-01T19:36:07.532Z",
-	"deleted":           0,
 	"_lastModified":     "2021-11-02 10:49:12.473658",
 	"name":              "gptest1-repo1-private",
 	"markedDeleted":     1,
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ func TestProject_ReadExistingRecords(t *testing.T) {
 
 func insertRawProject(t *testing.T, conn *gorm.DB, obj map[string]interface{}) uuid.UUID {
 	columns := []string{
-		"id", "cloneUrl", "teamId", "appInstallationId", "creationTime", "deleted", "_lastModified", "name", "markedDeleted", "userId", "slug", "settings",
+		"id", "cloneUrl", "teamId", "appInstallationId", "creationTime", "_lastModified", "name", "markedDeleted", "userId", "slug", "settings",
 	}
 	statement := fmt.Sprintf(`INSERT INTO d_b_project (%s) VALUES ?;`, strings.Join(columns, ", "))
 	id := uuid.MustParse(obj["id"].(string))
diff --git a/components/gitpod-db/src/tables.ts b/components/gitpod-db/src/tables.ts
index 94fd0b12601dc0..4928c44b387eec 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-db/src/tables.ts
+++ b/components/gitpod-db/src/tables.ts
@@ -86,12 +86,6 @@ export class GitpodTableDescriptionProvider implements TableDescriptionProvider
             deletionColumn: "deleted",
             timeColumn: "_lastModified",
         },
-        {
-            name: "d_b_project_usage",
-            primaryKeys: ["projectId"],
-            deletionColumn: "deleted",
-            timeColumn: "_lastModified",
-        },
         {
             name: "d_b_user_ssh_public_key",
             primaryKeys: ["id"],
diff --git a/components/gitpod-db/src/typeorm/entity/db-project-usage.ts b/components/gitpod-db/src/typeorm/entity/db-project-usage.ts
index a8626dbba38169..3e099f5a0cd434 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-db/src/typeorm/entity/db-project-usage.ts
+++ b/components/gitpod-db/src/typeorm/entity/db-project-usage.ts
@@ -19,8 +19,4 @@ export class DBProjectUsage {
 
     @Column("varchar")
     lastWorkspaceStart: string;
-
-    // This column triggers the periodic deleter deletion mechanism. It's not intended for public consumption.
-    @Column()
-    deleted: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/components/gitpod-db/src/typeorm/migration/1695821957148-ProjectUsageDropDeleted.ts b/components/gitpod-db/src/typeorm/migration/1695821957148-ProjectUsageDropDeleted.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e183ddb62d30cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/gitpod-db/src/typeorm/migration/1695821957148-ProjectUsageDropDeleted.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2023 Gitpod GmbH. All rights reserved.
+ * Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL).
+ * See License.AGPL.txt in the project root for license information.
+ */
+
+import { MigrationInterface, QueryRunner } from "typeorm";
+import { columnExists } from "./helper/helper";
+
+const TABLE_NAME = "d_b_project_usage";
+const COLUMN_NAME = "deleted";
+
+export class ProjectUsageDropDeleted1695821957148 implements MigrationInterface {
+    public async up(queryRunner: QueryRunner): Promise<void> {
+        if (await columnExists(queryRunner, TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)) {
+            await queryRunner.query(`ALTER TABLE \`${TABLE_NAME}\` DROP COLUMN \`${COLUMN_NAME}\`, ALGORITHM=INSTANT`);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public async down(queryRunner: QueryRunner): Promise<void> {
+        if (!(await columnExists(queryRunner, TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME))) {
+            await queryRunner.query(
+                `ALTER TABLE \`${TABLE_NAME}\` ADD COLUMN \`${COLUMN_NAME}\` tinyint(4) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0', ALGORITHM=INSTANT`,
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}