diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user.ex b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
index 2ae95ebdd..f002c077c 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
@@ -217,7 +217,8 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User do
       target_users_query = assoc(user, unquote(outgoing_relation_target))
 
       if restrict_deactivated? do
-        restrict_deactivated(target_users_query)
+        target_users_query
+        |> User.Query.build(%{deactivated: false})
       else
         target_users_query
       end
@@ -386,11 +387,6 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User do
   def ap_following(%User{following_address: fa}) when is_binary(fa), do: fa
   def ap_following(%User{} = user), do: "#{ap_id(user)}/following"
 
-  @spec restrict_deactivated(Ecto.Query.t()) :: Ecto.Query.t()
-  def restrict_deactivated(query) do
-    from(u in query, where: u.is_active == ^true)
-  end
-
   defp truncate_fields_param(params) do
     if Map.has_key?(params, :fields) do
       Map.put(params, :fields, Enum.map(params[:fields], &truncate_field/1))
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex b/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex
index c3551a0aa..e9cf5c0e7 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User.Query do
   defp compose_query({:external, _}, query), do: location_query(query, false)
 
   defp compose_query({:active, _}, query) do
-    User.restrict_deactivated(query)
+    where(query, [u], u.is_active == true)
     |> where([u], u.approval_pending == false)
   end
 
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User.Query do
   end
 
   defp compose_query({:deactivated, false}, query) do
-    User.restrict_deactivated(query)
+    where(query, [u], u.is_active == true)
   end
 
   defp compose_query({:deactivated, true}, query) do