diff --git a/app/import_functions.go b/app/import_functions.go
index 7db746e55d..69dca7aa8e 100644
--- a/app/import_functions.go
+++ b/app/import_functions.go
@@ -493,8 +493,8 @@ func (a *App) importUser(data *UserImportData, dryRun bool) *model.AppError {
 				return appErr
 			case errors.Is(err, users.AcceptedDomainError):
 				return model.NewAppError("importUser", "api.user.create_user.accepted_domain.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
-			case errors.Is(err, users.UserCountError):
-				return model.NewAppError("importUser", "app.user.get_total_users_count.app_error", nil, nErr.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			case errors.Is(err, users.UserStoreIsEmptyError):
+				return model.NewAppError("importUser", "app.user.store_is_empty.app_error", nil, nErr.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 			case errors.As(err, &invErr):
 				switch invErr.Field {
 				case "email":
diff --git a/app/user.go b/app/user.go
index b4c4dea0ee..6a5f6afb90 100644
--- a/app/user.go
+++ b/app/user.go
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ func (a *App) createUserOrGuest(c *request.Context, user *model.User, guest bool
 			return nil, model.NewAppError("createUserOrGuest", "api.user.create_user.accepted_domain.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
 		case errors.As(nErr, &nfErr):
 			return nil, model.NewAppError("createUserOrGuest", "api.user.check_user_password.invalid.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
-		case errors.Is(nErr, users.UserCountError):
-			return nil, model.NewAppError("createUserOrGuest", "app.user.get_total_users_count.app_error", nil, nErr.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		case errors.Is(nErr, users.UserStoreIsEmptyError):
+			return nil, model.NewAppError("createUserOrGuest", "app.user.store_is_empty.app_error", nil, nErr.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		case errors.As(nErr, &invErr):
 			switch invErr.Field {
 			case "email":
diff --git a/i18n/en.json b/i18n/en.json
index 1b0c1c96de..db9b06b409 100644
--- a/i18n/en.json
+++ b/i18n/en.json
@@ -6410,6 +6410,10 @@
     "id": "app.user.send_emails.app_error",
     "translation": "No emails were successfully sent"
   },
+  {
+    "id": "app.user.store_is_empty.app_error",
+    "translation": "Failed to check if user store is empty."
+  },
   {
     "id": "app.user.update.find.app_error",
     "translation": "Unable to find the existing account to update."
diff --git a/services/users/errors.go b/services/users/errors.go
index 0900db6474..db6f69bb7a 100644
--- a/services/users/errors.go
+++ b/services/users/errors.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var (
 	VerifyUserError           = errors.New("could not update verify email field")
 	UserCountError            = errors.New("could not get the total number of the users.")
 	UserCreationDisabledError = errors.New("user creation is not allowed")
+	UserStoreIsEmptyError     = errors.New("could not check if the user store is empty")
 
 	GetTokenError            = errors.New("could not get token")
 	GetSessionError          = errors.New("could not get session")
diff --git a/services/users/users.go b/services/users/users.go
index b55e6ddc8e..80a68c5faf 100644
--- a/services/users/users.go
+++ b/services/users/users.go
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/v6/shared/mfa"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/v6/shared/mlog"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/v6/store"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 type UserCreateOptions struct {
@@ -41,11 +43,9 @@ func (us *UserService) CreateUser(user *model.User, opts UserCreateOptions) (*mo
 
 	// Below is a special case where the first user in the entire
 	// system is granted the system_admin role
-	count, err := us.store.Count(model.UserCountOptions{IncludeDeleted: true})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, UserCountError
-	}
-	if count <= 0 {
+	if ok, err := us.store.IsEmpty(); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(UserStoreIsEmptyError, err.Error())
+	} else if ok {
 		user.Roles = model.SystemAdminRoleId + " " + model.SystemUserRoleId
 	}
 
diff --git a/store/opentracinglayer/opentracinglayer.go b/store/opentracinglayer/opentracinglayer.go
index c801a5ad71..feea4db4d1 100644
--- a/store/opentracinglayer/opentracinglayer.go
+++ b/store/opentracinglayer/opentracinglayer.go
@@ -10356,6 +10356,24 @@ func (s *OpenTracingLayerUserStore) InvalidateProfilesInChannelCacheByUser(userI
 
 }
 
+func (s *OpenTracingLayerUserStore) IsEmpty() (bool, error) {
+	origCtx := s.Root.Store.Context()
+	span, newCtx := tracing.StartSpanWithParentByContext(s.Root.Store.Context(), "UserStore.IsEmpty")
+	s.Root.Store.SetContext(newCtx)
+	defer func() {
+		s.Root.Store.SetContext(origCtx)
+	}()
+
+	defer span.Finish()
+	result, err := s.UserStore.IsEmpty()
+	if err != nil {
+		span.LogFields(spanlog.Error(err))
+		ext.Error.Set(span, true)
+	}
+
+	return result, err
+}
+
 func (s *OpenTracingLayerUserStore) PermanentDelete(userID string) error {
 	origCtx := s.Root.Store.Context()
 	span, newCtx := tracing.StartSpanWithParentByContext(s.Root.Store.Context(), "UserStore.PermanentDelete")
diff --git a/store/retrylayer/retrylayer.go b/store/retrylayer/retrylayer.go
index f708b9014a..f8dc6d12a9 100644
--- a/store/retrylayer/retrylayer.go
+++ b/store/retrylayer/retrylayer.go
@@ -11236,6 +11236,26 @@ func (s *RetryLayerUserStore) InvalidateProfilesInChannelCacheByUser(userID stri
 
 }
 
+func (s *RetryLayerUserStore) IsEmpty() (bool, error) {
+
+	tries := 0
+	for {
+		result, err := s.UserStore.IsEmpty()
+		if err == nil {
+			return result, nil
+		}
+		if !isRepeatableError(err) {
+			return result, err
+		}
+		tries++
+		if tries >= 3 {
+			err = errors.Wrap(err, "giving up after 3 consecutive repeatable transaction failures")
+			return result, err
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
 func (s *RetryLayerUserStore) PermanentDelete(userID string) error {
 
 	tries := 0
diff --git a/store/sqlstore/user_store.go b/store/sqlstore/user_store.go
index 943c2c5d07..e0135be991 100644
--- a/store/sqlstore/user_store.go
+++ b/store/sqlstore/user_store.go
@@ -2002,3 +2002,13 @@ func (us SqlUserStore) GetKnownUsers(userId string) ([]string, error) {
 
 	return userIds, nil
 }
+
+// IsEmpty returns whether or not the Users table is empty.
+func (us SqlUserStore) IsEmpty() (bool, error) {
+	var hasRows bool
+	err := us.GetReplica().SelectOne(&hasRows, `SELECT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM Users)`)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to check if table is empty")
+	}
+	return !hasRows, nil
+}
diff --git a/store/store.go b/store/store.go
index d0fedc5fdb..2d8a2275e4 100644
--- a/store/store.go
+++ b/store/store.go
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ type UserStore interface {
 	DeactivateGuests() ([]string, error)
 	AutocompleteUsersInChannel(teamID, channelID, term string, options *model.UserSearchOptions) (*model.UserAutocompleteInChannel, error)
 	GetKnownUsers(userID string) ([]string, error)
+	IsEmpty() (bool, error)
 }
 
 type BotStore interface {
diff --git a/store/storetest/mocks/UserStore.go b/store/storetest/mocks/UserStore.go
index adc7e38764..ea08c35a0b 100644
--- a/store/storetest/mocks/UserStore.go
+++ b/store/storetest/mocks/UserStore.go
@@ -1038,6 +1038,27 @@ func (_m *UserStore) InvalidateProfilesInChannelCacheByUser(userID string) {
 	_m.Called(userID)
 }
 
+// IsEmpty provides a mock function with given fields:
+func (_m *UserStore) IsEmpty() (bool, error) {
+	ret := _m.Called()
+
+	var r0 bool
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func() bool); ok {
+		r0 = rf()
+	} else {
+		r0 = ret.Get(0).(bool)
+	}
+
+	var r1 error
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(1).(func() error); ok {
+		r1 = rf()
+	} else {
+		r1 = ret.Error(1)
+	}
+
+	return r0, r1
+}
+
 // PermanentDelete provides a mock function with given fields: userID
 func (_m *UserStore) PermanentDelete(userID string) error {
 	ret := _m.Called(userID)
diff --git a/store/storetest/user_store.go b/store/storetest/user_store.go
index 6c0f7b1b4b..87185b4145 100644
--- a/store/storetest/user_store.go
+++ b/store/storetest/user_store.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ func TestUserStore(t *testing.T, ss store.Store, s SqlStore) {
 		require.NoError(t, err, "failed cleaning up test user %s", u.Username)
 	}
 
+	t.Run("IsEmpty", func(t *testing.T) { testIsEmpty(t, ss) })
 	t.Run("Count", func(t *testing.T) { testCount(t, ss) })
 	t.Run("AnalyticsActiveCount", func(t *testing.T) { testUserStoreAnalyticsActiveCount(t, ss, s) })
 	t.Run("AnalyticsActiveCountForPeriod", func(t *testing.T) { testUserStoreAnalyticsActiveCountForPeriod(t, ss, s) })
@@ -5711,3 +5712,28 @@ func testGetKnownUsers(t *testing.T, ss store.Store) {
 		assert.ElementsMatch(t, userIds, []string{u2.Id, u3.Id})
 	})
 }
+
+func testIsEmpty(t *testing.T, ss store.Store) {
+	ok, err := ss.User().IsEmpty()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+	u := model.User{
+		Email:    MakeEmail(),
+		Username: model.NewId(),
+	}
+
+	_, err = ss.User().Save(&u)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, err = ss.User().IsEmpty()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.False(t, ok)
+
+	err = ss.User().PermanentDelete(u.Id)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, err = ss.User().IsEmpty()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+}
diff --git a/store/timerlayer/timerlayer.go b/store/timerlayer/timerlayer.go
index 64cc0d178f..ca5711a604 100644
--- a/store/timerlayer/timerlayer.go
+++ b/store/timerlayer/timerlayer.go
@@ -9345,6 +9345,22 @@ func (s *TimerLayerUserStore) InvalidateProfilesInChannelCacheByUser(userID stri
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *TimerLayerUserStore) IsEmpty() (bool, error) {
+	start := timemodule.Now()
+
+	result, err := s.UserStore.IsEmpty()
+
+	elapsed := float64(timemodule.Since(start)) / float64(timemodule.Second)
+	if s.Root.Metrics != nil {
+		success := "false"
+		if err == nil {
+			success = "true"
+		}
+		s.Root.Metrics.ObserveStoreMethodDuration("UserStore.IsEmpty", success, elapsed)
+	}
+	return result, err
+}
+
 func (s *TimerLayerUserStore) PermanentDelete(userID string) error {
 	start := timemodule.Now()