diff --git a/backend/src/typeorm/repository/User.ts b/backend/src/typeorm/repository/User.ts
index 59d6ff465..3ac2fbe93 100644
--- a/backend/src/typeorm/repository/User.ts
+++ b/backend/src/typeorm/repository/User.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { User } from '@entity/User'
 
 @EntityRepository(User)
 export class UserRepository extends Repository<User> {
+
   async findByPubkeyHex(pubkeyHex: string): Promise<User> {
     return this.createQueryBuilder('user')
       .where('hex(user.pubKey) = :pubkeyHex', { pubkeyHex })
@@ -14,10 +15,6 @@ export class UserRepository extends Repository<User> {
     return await this.findByPubkeyHex(pubKeyString)
   }
 
-  async findByEmail(email: string): Promise<User> {
-    return this.createQueryBuilder('user').where('user.email = :email', { email }).getOneOrFail()
-  }
-
   async getUsersIndiced(userIds: number[]): Promise<User[]> {
     if (!userIds.length) return []
     const users = await this.createQueryBuilder('user')
@@ -33,6 +30,7 @@ export class UserRepository extends Repository<User> {
 
   async findBySearchCriteria(searchCriteria: string): Promise<User[]> {
     return await this.createQueryBuilder('user')
+      .withDeleted()
       .where(
         'user.firstName like :name or user.lastName like :lastName or user.email like :email',
         {