diff --git a/zephyr/forms.py b/zephyr/forms.py
index 05a62c0f8e..803b9dd56b 100644
--- a/zephyr/forms.py
+++ b/zephyr/forms.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def is_unique(value):
 
 def is_inactive(value):
     try:
-        if get_user_profile_by_email(value).user.is_active:
+        if get_user_profile_by_email(value).is_active:
             raise ValidationError(u'%s is already active' % value)
     except UserProfile.DoesNotExist:
         pass
diff --git a/zephyr/lib/actions.py b/zephyr/lib/actions.py
index 4db5768cb2..90ba251649 100644
--- a/zephyr/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zephyr/lib/actions.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def do_create_user(email, password, realm, full_name, short_name,
                                          full_name=user_profile.full_name)),
                   users=[up.id for up in
                          UserProfile.objects.select_related().filter(realm=user_profile.realm,
-                                                                     user__is_active=True)])
+                                                                     is_active=True)])
     tornado_callbacks.send_notification(notice)
     return user_profile
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def do_deactivate(user_profile):
                                          full_name=user_profile.full_name)),
                   users=[up.id for up in
                          UserProfile.objects.select_related().filter(realm=user_profile.realm,
-                                                                     user__is_active=True)])
+                                                                     is_active=True)])
     tornado_callbacks.send_notification(notice)
 
 
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ def do_send_message(message, rendered_content=None, no_log=False,
         message.save()
         ums_to_create = [UserMessage(user_profile=user_profile, message=message)
                          for user_profile in recipients
-                         if user_profile.user.is_active]
+                         if user_profile.is_active]
         for um in ums_to_create:
             sent_by_human = message.sending_client.name.lower() in \
                                 ['website', 'iphone', 'android']
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ def do_events_register(user_profile, apply_markdown=True, event_types=None):
                                'full_name' : profile.full_name}
                               for profile in
                               UserProfile.objects.select_related().filter(realm=user_profile.realm,
-                                                                          user__is_active=True)]
+                                                                          is_active=True)]
     if event_types is None or "subscription" in event_types:
         ret['subscriptions'] = gather_subscriptions(user_profile)
 
diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/banish_broken.py b/zephyr/management/commands/banish_broken.py
index 096f0dbdaa..a7539a4b16 100644
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/banish_broken.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/banish_broken.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from zephyr.models import Realm, UserProfile
 # Helper to be used with manage.py shell to get rid of bad users on prod.
 def banish_busted_users(change=False):
     for u in UserProfile.objects.select_related().all():
-        if (u.user.is_active or u.realm.domain != "mit.edu"):
+        if (u.is_active or u.realm.domain != "mit.edu"):
             continue
         (banished_realm, _) = Realm.objects.get_or_create(domain="mit.deleted")
         if "|mit.edu@mit.edu" in u.email.lower():
diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py b/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
index cc9fbafa5a..6d30d8a954 100644
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ def restore_saved_messages():
             recipient_user_ids.add(message.sender_id)
 
         for user_profile_id in recipient_user_ids:
-            if users_by_id[user_profile_id].user.is_active:
+            if users_by_id[user_profile_id].is_active:
                 um = UserMessage(user_profile_id=user_profile_id,
                                  message=message)
                 user_messages_to_create.append(um)
diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/update_mit_fullnames.py b/zephyr/management/commands/update_mit_fullnames.py
index 1cc6fb834f..f83856d66a 100644
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/update_mit_fullnames.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/update_mit_fullnames.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from zephyr.lib.actions import compute_mit_user_fullname
 # Helper to be used with manage.py shell to fix bad names on prod.
 def update_mit_fullnames(change=False):
     for u in UserProfile.objects.select_related().all():
-        if (u.user.is_active or u.realm.domain != "mit.edu"):
+        if (u.is_active or u.realm.domain != "mit.edu"):
             # Don't change fullnames for non-MIT users or users who
             # actually have an account (is_active) and thus have
             # presumably set their fullname how they like it.
diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/user_stats.py b/zephyr/management/commands/user_stats.py
index faea669cf6..c55a7fdc15 100644
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/user_stats.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/user_stats.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
         for realm in realms:
             print realm.domain
-            user_profiles = UserProfile.objects.filter(realm=realm, user__is_active=True)
+            user_profiles = UserProfile.objects.filter(realm=realm, is_active=True)
             print "%d users" % (len(user_profiles),)
             print "%d streams" % (len(Stream.objects.filter(realm=realm)),)
 
diff --git a/zephyr/views.py b/zephyr/views.py
index 8d6af2dcc2..eddeeaac0e 100644
--- a/zephyr/views.py
+++ b/zephyr/views.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def send_signup_message(sender, signups_stream, user_profile, internal=False):
                 user_profile.email,
                 internal_blurb,
                 UserProfile.objects.filter(realm=user_profile.realm,
-                                           user__is_active=True).count(),
+                                           is_active=True).count(),
                 )
             )