diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index a0dcfd5aee4..1e111af4783 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -312,8 +312,6 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     params[:for_user_id] ? User.find(params[:for_user_id]) : current_user
   end
 
-  FROM_STAGED = "from_staged".freeze
-
   def create
     params.require(:email)
     params.permit(:user_fields)
@@ -334,14 +332,9 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
       return fail_with("login.reserved_username")
     end
 
-    if user = User.where(staged: true).with_email(params[:email].strip.downcase).first
-      user_params.each { |k, v| user.send("#{k}=", v) }
-      user.staged = false
-      user.active = false
-      user.custom_fields[FROM_STAGED] = true
-    else
-      user = User.new(user_params)
-    end
+    new_user_params = user_params
+    user = User.unstage(new_user_params)
+    user = User.new(new_user_params) if user.nil?
 
     # Handle API approval
     if user.approved
@@ -602,7 +595,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
       if user = User.where(id: session_user_id.to_i).first
         @account_created[:username] = user.username
         @account_created[:email] = user.email
-        @account_created[:show_controls] = !user.custom_fields[FROM_STAGED]
+        @account_created[:show_controls] = !user.from_staged?
       end
     end
 
@@ -656,11 +649,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
       @user = User.where(id: user_key.to_i).first
     end
 
-    if @user.blank? || @user.active? || current_user.present?
-      raise Discourse::InvalidAccess.new
-    end
-
-    if @user.custom_fields[FROM_STAGED]
+    if @user.blank? || @user.active? || current_user.present? || @user.from_staged?
       raise Discourse::InvalidAccess.new
     end
 
diff --git a/app/models/invite.rb b/app/models/invite.rb
index b9fcb44e247..5a57084a076 100644
--- a/app/models/invite.rb
+++ b/app/models/invite.rb
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class Invite < ActiveRecord::Base
   def user_doesnt_already_exist
     @email_already_exists = false
     return if email.blank?
-    user = User.find_by_email(email)
+    user = Invite.find_user_by_email(email)
 
     if user && user.id != self.user_id
       @email_already_exists = true
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class Invite < ActiveRecord::Base
     custom_message = opts[:custom_message]
     lower_email = Email.downcase(email)
 
-    if user = User.find_by_email(lower_email)
+    if user = find_user_by_email(lower_email)
       extend_permissions(topic, user, invited_by) if topic
       raise UserExists.new I18n.t("invite.user_exists", email: lower_email, username: user.username)
     end
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ class Invite < ActiveRecord::Base
     invite
   end
 
+  def self.find_user_by_email(email)
+    User.with_email(email).where(staged: false).first
+  end
+
   def self.get_group_ids(group_names)
     group_ids = []
     if group_names
diff --git a/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb b/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb
index 37a37a978c4..157e28b5ad1 100644
--- a/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb
+++ b/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,16 @@ InviteRedeemer = Struct.new(:invite, :username, :name, :password, :user_custom_f
     end
     available_name = name || available_username
 
-    user = User.new(email: invite.email, username: available_username, name: available_name, active: true, trust_level: SiteSetting.default_invitee_trust_level)
+    user_params = {
+      email: invite.email,
+      username: available_username,
+      name: available_name,
+      active: true,
+      trust_level: SiteSetting.default_invitee_trust_level
+    }
+
+    user = User.unstage(user_params)
+    user = User.new(user_params) if user.nil?
 
     if !SiteSetting.must_approve_users? || (SiteSetting.must_approve_users? && invite.invited_by.staff?)
       user.approved = true
@@ -91,7 +100,7 @@ InviteRedeemer = Struct.new(:invite, :username, :name, :password, :user_custom_f
   end
 
   def get_existing_user
-    User.where(admin: false).find_by_email(invite.email)
+    User.where(admin: false, staged: false).find_by_email(invite.email)
   end
 
   def add_to_private_topics_if_invited
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 28dc1e85522..39344eb28f9 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   EMAIL = %r{([^@]+)@([^\.]+)}
+  FROM_STAGED = "from_staged".freeze
 
   def self.new_from_params(params)
     user = User.new
@@ -228,6 +229,16 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
     user
   end
 
+  def self.unstage(params)
+    if user = User.where(staged: true).with_email(params[:email].strip.downcase).first
+      params.each { |k, v| user.send("#{k}=", v) }
+      user.staged = false
+      user.active = false
+      user.custom_fields[FROM_STAGED] = true
+    end
+    user
+  end
+
   def self.suggest_name(email)
     return "" if email.blank?
     email[/\A[^@]+/].tr(".", " ").titleize
@@ -987,6 +998,10 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
       self.user_stat&.time_read
   end
 
+  def from_staged?
+    custom_fields[User::FROM_STAGED]
+  end
+
   protected
 
   def badge_grant
diff --git a/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb b/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb
index 49b800daa22..f71f9de29b7 100644
--- a/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@ describe InviteRedeemer do
       expect(error).to be_present
       expect(error.record.errors[:password]).to be_present
     end
+
+    it "should unstage user" do
+      staged_user = Fabricate(:staged, email: 'staged@account.com', active: true, username: 'staged1', name: 'Stage Name')
+      user = InviteRedeemer.create_user_from_invite(Fabricate(:invite, email: 'staged@account.com'), 'walter', 'Walter White')
+
+      expect(user.id).to eq(staged_user.id)
+      expect(user.username).to eq('walter')
+      expect(user.name).to eq('Walter White')
+      expect(user.active).to eq(false)
+      expect(user.email).to eq('staged@account.com')
+      expect(user.approved).to eq(true)
+    end
   end
 
   describe "#redeem" do
diff --git a/spec/models/invite_spec.rb b/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
index 552a953194f..c72ef714ed2 100644
--- a/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
@@ -178,6 +178,16 @@ describe Invite do
 
   end
 
+  context 'a staged user' do
+    it 'creates an invite for a staged user' do
+      Fabricate(:staged, email: 'staged@account.com')
+      invite = Invite.invite_by_email('staged@account.com', Fabricate(:coding_horror))
+
+      expect(invite).to be_valid
+      expect(invite.email).to eq('staged@account.com')
+    end
+  end
+
   context '.redeem' do
 
     let(:invite) { Fabricate(:invite) }
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 621dd964249..a0bcda79d8f 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -1580,4 +1580,24 @@ describe User do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#unstage" do
+    it "correctyl unstages a user" do
+      staged_user = Fabricate(:staged, email: 'staged@account.com', active: true, username: 'staged1', name: 'Stage Name')
+      params = { email: 'staged@account.com', active: true, username: 'unstaged1', name: 'Foo Bar' }
+      user = User.unstage(params)
+
+      expect(user.id).to eq(staged_user.id)
+      expect(user.username).to eq('unstaged1')
+      expect(user.name).to eq('Foo Bar')
+      expect(user.active).to eq(false)
+      expect(user.email).to eq('staged@account.com')
+    end
+
+    it "returns nil when the user cannot be unstaged" do
+      Fabricate(:coding_horror)
+      expect(User.unstage(email: 'jeff@somewhere.com')).to be_nil
+      expect(User.unstage(email: 'no@account.com')).to be_nil
+    end
+  end
+
 end