diff --git a/docs/_plugins/rule_tag.rb b/docs/_plugins/rule_tag.rb
index 0e81e64bdd..36eeb12032 100644
--- a/docs/_plugins/rule_tag.rb
+++ b/docs/_plugins/rule_tag.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 class RuleTag < Liquid::Tag
   def initialize(tag_name, rule_ref, tokens)
     super
+    @was_removed = tag_name == "deleted_rule"
 
     if %r!(?:(?:(\w+)/)?(\w+)/)?(\w+)! =~ rule_ref
 
@@ -55,7 +56,12 @@ class RuleTag < Liquid::Tag
       url_prefix = "https://pmd.github.io/pmd-#{context["site.pmd.version"]}/"
     end
 
-    markup_link(@rule_name, url_prefix + relativelink(@lang_name, @category_name, @rule_name))
+    if @was_removed
+      # Link is broken
+      "#{@category_name}.xml/#{@rule_name}&nbsp;<span style='font-size: small;'>(deleted)</span>"
+    else
+      markup_link(@rule_name, url_prefix + relativelink(@lang_name, @category_name, @rule_name))
+    end
   end
 
   private
@@ -71,3 +77,4 @@ class RuleTag < Liquid::Tag
 end
 
 Liquid::Template.register_tag('rule', RuleTag)
+Liquid::Template.register_tag('deleted_rule', RuleTag)
diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index cfe5e03fc9..94a0b11074 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -27,22 +27,22 @@ This is a {{ site.pmd.release_type }} release.
     This rule is also part of the Quickstart Ruleset (`rulesets/java/quickstart.xml`) for Java.
 
 *   The new Java rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} replaces the rules
-    {% rule "java/bestpractices/UnusedImports" %}, {% rule "java/codestyle/DuplicateImports" %},
-    {% rule "java/errorprone/ImportFromSamePackage" %}, and {% rule "java/codestyle/DontImportJavaLang" %}.
+    {% deleted_rule "java/bestpractices/UnusedImports" %}, {% deleted_rule "java/codestyle/DuplicateImports" %},
+    {% deleted_rule "java/errorprone/ImportFromSamePackage" deleted %}, and {% deleted_rule "java/codestyle/DontImportJavaLang" %}.
 
     This rule is also part of the Quickstart Ruleset (`rulesets/java/quickstart.xml`) for Java.
 
 #### Deprecated rules
 
 *   java-bestpractices
-    *   {% rule java/bestpractices/UnusedImports %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
+    *   {% deleted_rule java/bestpractices/UnusedImports %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
 
 *   java-codestyle
-    *   {% rule java/codestyle/DuplicateImports %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
-    *   {% rule java/codestyle/DontImportJavaLang %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
+    *   {% deleted_rule java/codestyle/DuplicateImports %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
+    *   {% deleted_rule java/codestyle/DontImportJavaLang %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
 
 *   java-errorprone
-    *   {% rule java/errorprone/ImportFromSamePackage %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
+    *   {% deleted_rule java/errorprone/ImportFromSamePackage %}: use the rule {% rule "java/codestyle/UnnecessaryImport" %} instead
 
 
 ### Fixed Issues