diff --git a/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts b/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts
index d0b03019f6..f2da0df0e2 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/user/user-dal.ts
@@ -94,14 +94,6 @@ export const userDALFactory = (db: TDbClient) => {
     }
   };
 
-  const findMergeableUsers = async (email: string, tx?: Knex) => {
-    const users = await (tx || db)(TableName.Users).where((builder) => {
-      void builder.where({ email, isEmailVerified: true }).orWhere({ email, isAccepted: false });
-    });
-
-    return users;
-  };
-
   const updateUserEncryptionByUserId = async (userId: string, data: TUserEncryptionKeysUpdate, tx?: Knex) => {
     try {
       const [userEnc] = await (tx || db)(TableName.UserEncryptionKey)
@@ -162,7 +154,6 @@ export const userDALFactory = (db: TDbClient) => {
     findUsersByProjectMembershipIds,
     upsertUserEncryptionKey,
     createUserEncryption,
-    findMergeableUsers,
     findOneUserAction,
     createUserAction
   };
diff --git a/backend/src/services/user/user-service.ts b/backend/src/services/user/user-service.ts
index f04e0b35f5..693078fbdb 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/user/user-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/user/user-service.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ type TUserServiceFactoryDep = {
   userDAL: Pick<
     TUserDALFactory,
     | "find"
-    | "findMergeableUsers"
     | "findOne"
     | "findById"
     | "transaction"
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@ type TUserServiceFactoryDep = {
     | "findOneUserAction"
     | "createUserAction"
     | "findUserEncKeyByUserId"
+    | "delete"
   >;
   userAliasDAL: Pick<TUserAliasDALFactory, "find" | "insertMany">;
   orgMembershipDAL: Pick<TOrgMembershipDALFactory, "find" | "insertMany">;
@@ -86,8 +86,14 @@ export const userServiceFactory = ({
         tx
       );
 
-      // check if there are users with the same email.
-      const users = await userDAL.findMergeableUsers(email, tx);
+      // check if there are verified users with the same email.
+      const users = await userDAL.find(
+        {
+          email,
+          isEmailVerified: true
+        },
+        { tx }
+      );
 
       if (users.length > 1) {
         // merge users
@@ -129,6 +135,15 @@ export const userServiceFactory = ({
           );
         }
       } else {
+        await userDAL.delete(
+          {
+            email,
+            isAccepted: false,
+            isEmailVerified: false
+          },
+          tx
+        );
+
         // update current user's username to [email]
         await userDAL.updateById(
           user.id,