diff --git a/label_studio/users/admin.py b/label_studio/users/admin.py
index 309f48455024..241ae6338cca 100644
--- a/label_studio/users/admin.py
+++ b/label_studio/users/admin.py
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ class UserAdminShort(UserAdmin):
 
     add_fieldsets = ((None, {'fields': ('email', 'password1', 'password2')}),)
 
+    def get_queryset(self, request):
+        # Use the with_deleted method to include soft-deleted users in the queryset
+        return User.with_deleted.all()
+
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(UserAdminShort, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/label_studio/users/migrations/0001_squashed_0009_auto_20210219_1237.py b/label_studio/users/migrations/0001_squashed_0009_auto_20210219_1237.py
index 51618d695a59..7281d075f036 100644
--- a/label_studio/users/migrations/0001_squashed_0009_auto_20210219_1237.py
+++ b/label_studio/users/migrations/0001_squashed_0009_auto_20210219_1237.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 def add_tokens(apps, schema_editor):
     User = apps.get_model('users', 'User')
-    all_users = User.objects.all()
+    all_users = User.with_deleted.all()
 
     for user_one in all_users:
         if not hasattr(user_one, 'auth_token'):
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
                 'verbose_name_plural': 'users',
                 'db_table': 'htx_user',
             },
+            managers=[
+                ('with_deleted', users.models.UserManagerWithDeleted()),
+            ],
         ),
         migrations.RunPython(add_tokens),
         # migrations.RunPython(add_users),  # TODO: flag:ent
diff --git a/label_studio/users/migrations/0008_alter_user_managers.py b/label_studio/users/migrations/0008_alter_user_managers.py
index 5a9dd03f1644..44bf404ed6b7 100644
--- a/label_studio/users/migrations/0008_alter_user_managers.py
+++ b/label_studio/users/migrations/0008_alter_user_managers.py
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
             name='user',
             managers=[
                 ('objects', django.db.models.manager.Manager()),
-                # Previously, this migration contained an addition of UserManagerWithDeleted, which has since been
-                # removed in order to avoid referencing a non-existent manager.
+                ('with_deleted', users.models.UserManagerWithDeleted()),
             ],
         ),
     ]
diff --git a/label_studio/users/migrations/0009_auto_20231201_0001.py b/label_studio/users/migrations/0009_auto_20231201_0001.py
deleted file mode 100644
index aef96bc56aae..000000000000
--- a/label_studio/users/migrations/0009_auto_20231201_0001.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-# Generated by Django 3.2.23 on 2023-12-01 00:01
-
-from django.db import migrations
-import users.models
-
-
-class Migration(migrations.Migration):
-
-    dependencies = [
-        ('users', '0008_alter_user_managers'),
-    ]
-
-    operations = [
-        migrations.AlterModelManagers(
-            name='user',
-            managers=[
-                ('objects', users.models.UserManager()),
-            ],
-        ),
-        migrations.RemoveField(
-            model_name='user',
-            name='is_deleted',
-        ),
-    ]
diff --git a/label_studio/users/models.py b/label_studio/users/models.py
index a8b9b9e2857b..ad13a1e194af 100644
--- a/label_studio/users/models.py
+++ b/label_studio/users/models.py
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 year = models.IntegerField(_('year'), choices=YEAR_CHOICES, default=datetime.datetime.now().year)
 
 
-class UserManager(BaseUserManager):
-    use_in_migrations = True
+class UserManagerWithDeleted(BaseUserManager):
+    use_in_migrations: bool = True
 
     def _create_user(self, email, password, **extra_fields):
         """
@@ -61,6 +61,15 @@ def create_superuser(self, email, password, **extra_fields):
         return self._create_user(email, password, **extra_fields)
 
 
+class UserManager(UserManagerWithDeleted):
+    use_in_migrations: bool = False
+
+    def get_queryset(self):
+        qs = super().get_queryset()
+        qs = qs.filter(is_deleted=False)
+        return qs
+
+
 class UserLastActivityMixin(models.Model):
     last_activity = models.DateTimeField(_('last activity'), default=timezone.now, editable=False)
 
@@ -100,6 +109,12 @@ class User(UserMixin, AbstractBaseUser, PermissionsMixin, UserLastActivityMixin)
         default=True,
         help_text=_('Designates whether to treat this user as active. Unselect this instead of deleting accounts.'),
     )
+    is_deleted = models.BooleanField(
+        _('deleted'),
+        default=False,
+        db_index=True,
+        help_text=_('Designates whether to treat this user as deleted. Select this instead of deleting accounts.'),
+    )
 
     date_joined = models.DateTimeField(_('date joined'), default=timezone.now)
 
@@ -114,6 +129,7 @@ class User(UserMixin, AbstractBaseUser, PermissionsMixin, UserLastActivityMixin)
     )
 
     objects = UserManager()
+    with_deleted = UserManagerWithDeleted()
 
     EMAIL_FIELD = 'email'
     USERNAME_FIELD = 'email'