diff --git a/internal/api/user_test.go b/internal/api/user_test.go
index ed6c585af..310979d80 100644
--- a/internal/api/user_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/user_test.go
@@ -205,6 +205,12 @@ func (ts *UserTestSuite) TestUserUpdatePhoneAutoconfirmEnabled() {
 	require.NoError(ts.T(), err)
 	require.NoError(ts.T(), ts.API.db.Create(existingUser))
 
+	idPhone, err := models.NewIdentity(existingUser, "phone", map[string]interface{}{
+		"sub": "+29382983298",
+	})
+	require.NoError(ts.T(), err)
+	require.NoError(ts.T(), ts.API.db.Create(idPhone))
+
 	cases := []struct {
 		desc         string
 		userData     map[string]string
diff --git a/internal/models/user.go b/internal/models/user.go
index 0b3df4589..5fb9a9171 100644
--- a/internal/models/user.go
+++ b/internal/models/user.go
@@ -762,21 +762,19 @@ func IsDuplicatedPhone(tx *storage.Connection, phone, aud string) (bool, error)
 // TODO: Simplify this, check if it is safe to do this in admin create user too
 // HasPhoneIdentity checks if the phone number already exists in the identities table
 func HasPhoneIdentity(tx *storage.Connection, phone, aud string) (bool, error) {
-	user, err := FindUserByPhoneAndAudience(tx, phone, aud)
+	query := `SELECT 1 FROM users
+        JOIN identities ON users.id = identities.user_id
+        WHERE users.phone = ? AND users.aud = ? AND identities.provider = ?
+        LIMIT 1`
+
+	var exists bool
+	q := tx.RawQuery(query, phone, aud, "phone")
+	exists, err := q.Exists(&exists)
 	if err != nil {
-		if IsNotFoundError(err) {
-			return false, nil
-		}
 		return false, err
 	}
-	_, err = FindIdentityByIdAndProvider(tx, user.ID.String(), "phone")
-	if err != nil {
-		if IsNotFoundError(err) {
-			return false, nil
-		}
-		return false, err
-	}
-	return true, nil
+
+	return exists, nil
 }
 
 // Ban a user for a given duration.