diff --git a/services/web/app/src/Features/User/UserUpdater.js b/services/web/app/src/Features/User/UserUpdater.js
index f3b7945925..322f4948cc 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/Features/User/UserUpdater.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/Features/User/UserUpdater.js
@@ -175,18 +175,16 @@ async function confirmEmail(userId, email) {
     _id: userId,
     'emails.email': email
   }
+
+  // only update confirmedAt if it was not previously set
   const update = {
     $set: {
       'emails.$.reconfirmedAt': confirmedAt
+    },
+    $min: {
+      'emails.$.confirmedAt': confirmedAt
     }
   }
-  const user = await UserGetter.promises.getUser(userId)
-  const emailUnconfirmed = user.emails.find(emailData => {
-    if (emailData.email === email && !emailData.confirmedAt) return true
-  })
-  if (emailUnconfirmed) {
-    update.$set['emails.$.confirmedAt'] = confirmedAt
-  }
 
   if (Features.hasFeature('affiliations')) {
     update.$unset = {
diff --git a/services/web/test/unit/src/User/UserUpdaterTests.js b/services/web/test/unit/src/User/UserUpdaterTests.js
index 481d068702..38b85a14cd 100644
--- a/services/web/test/unit/src/User/UserUpdaterTests.js
+++ b/services/web/test/unit/src/User/UserUpdaterTests.js
@@ -718,7 +718,6 @@ describe('UserUpdater', function() {
   describe('confirmEmail', function() {
     beforeEach(function() {
       this.UserUpdater.promises.updateUser = sinon.stub().resolves({ n: 1 })
-      this.UserGetter.promises.getUser.resolves(this.stubbedUser)
     })
 
     it('should update the email record', function(done) {
@@ -735,8 +734,10 @@ describe('UserUpdater', function() {
               },
               {
                 $set: {
-                  'emails.$.confirmedAt': new Date(),
                   'emails.$.reconfirmedAt': new Date()
+                },
+                $min: {
+                  'emails.$.confirmedAt': new Date()
                 }
               }
             )