diff --git a/ckanext/saml2auth/views/saml2auth.py b/ckanext/saml2auth/views/saml2auth.py
index 36a6c0f..126d9d6 100644
--- a/ckanext/saml2auth/views/saml2auth.py
+++ b/ckanext/saml2auth/views/saml2auth.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 from flask import Blueprint, session
 from saml2 import entity
 from saml2.authn_context import requested_authn_context
-
+from sqlalchemy.sql import func
 import ckan.plugins.toolkit as toolkit
 import ckan.model as model
 import ckan.plugins as plugins
@@ -76,13 +76,18 @@ def _get_user_by_saml_id(saml_id):
 
 def _get_user_by_email(email):
 
-    user = model.User.by_email(email)
-    if user and isinstance(user, list):
-        user = user[0]
+    users = model.Session.query(model.User).filter(
+        func.lower(model.User.email) == func.lower(email)
+    ).all()
 
-    h.activate_user_if_deleted(user)
+    if len(users) == 0:
+        return None
+    if len(users) > 1:
+        raise toolkit.ValidationError(f'Multiple users with the same email found {email}')
 
-    return _dictize_user(user) if user else None
+    user = users[0]
+    h.activate_user_if_deleted(user)
+    return _dictize_user(user)
 
 
 def _update_user(user_dict):