diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/constants/db.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/constants/db.ts
index be49b9f261..34dab6c088 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/constants/db.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/constants/db.ts
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ export enum ViewName {
   USER_BY_APP = "by_app",
   USER_BY_EMAIL = "by_email2",
   BY_API_KEY = "by_api_key",
-  /** @deprecated - could be deleted */
-  USER_BY_BUILDERS = "by_builders",
   LINK = "by_link",
   ROUTING = "screen_routes",
   AUTOMATION_LOGS = "automation_logs",
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/views.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/views.ts
index fddb1ab34b..7f5ef29a0a 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/db/views.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/views.ts
@@ -105,16 +105,6 @@ export const createApiKeyView = async () => {
   await createView(db, viewJs, ViewName.BY_API_KEY)
 }
 
-export const createUserBuildersView = async () => {
-  const db = getGlobalDB()
-  const viewJs = `function(doc) {
-    if (doc.builder && doc.builder.global === true) {
-      emit(doc._id, doc._id)
-    }
-  }`
-  await createView(db, viewJs, ViewName.USER_BY_BUILDERS)
-}
-
 export interface QueryViewOptions {
   arrayResponse?: boolean
 }
@@ -223,7 +213,6 @@ export const queryPlatformView = async <T>(
 const CreateFuncByName: any = {
   [ViewName.USER_BY_EMAIL]: createNewUserEmailView,
   [ViewName.BY_API_KEY]: createApiKeyView,
-  [ViewName.USER_BY_BUILDERS]: createUserBuildersView,
   [ViewName.USER_BY_APP]: createUserAppView,
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/events/identification.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/events/identification.ts
index 5eb11d1354..52fcb2431f 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/events/identification.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/events/identification.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { processors } from "./processors"
 import { newid } from "../utils"
 import * as installation from "../installation"
 import * as configs from "../configs"
+import * as users from "../users"
 import { withCache, TTL, CacheKey } from "../cache/generic"
 
 /**
@@ -164,8 +165,8 @@ const identifyUser = async (
   const id = user._id as string
   const tenantId = await getEventTenantId(user.tenantId)
   const type = IdentityType.USER
-  let builder = user.builder?.global || false
-  let admin = user.admin?.global || false
+  let builder = users.hasBuilderPermissions(user)
+  let admin = users.hasAdminPermissions(user)
   let providerType
   if (isSSOUser(user)) {
     providerType = user.providerType
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOnly.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOnly.ts
index a00fd63a22..744321252e 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOnly.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOnly.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import { BBContext } from "@budibase/types"
+import { UserCtx } from "@budibase/types"
+import { isBuilder } from "../users"
+import { getAppId } from "../context"
 
-export default async (ctx: BBContext, next: any) => {
-  if (
-    !ctx.internal &&
-    (!ctx.user || !ctx.user.builder || !ctx.user.builder.global)
-  ) {
+export default async (ctx: UserCtx, next: any) => {
+  const appId = getAppId()
+  if (!ctx.internal && !isBuilder(ctx.user, appId)) {
     ctx.throw(403, "Builder user only endpoint.")
   }
   return next()
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOrAdmin.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOrAdmin.ts
index 26bb3a1bda..2ba5bfe1e2 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOrAdmin.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/middleware/builderOrAdmin.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
-import { BBContext } from "@budibase/types"
+import { UserCtx } from "@budibase/types"
+import { isBuilder, isAdmin } from "../users"
+import { getAppId } from "../context"
 
-export default async (ctx: BBContext, next: any) => {
-  if (
-    !ctx.internal &&
-    (!ctx.user || !ctx.user.builder || !ctx.user.builder.global) &&
-    (!ctx.user || !ctx.user.admin || !ctx.user.admin.global)
-  ) {
-    ctx.throw(403, "Builder user only endpoint.")
+export default async (ctx: UserCtx, next: any) => {
+  const appId = getAppId()
+  if (!ctx.internal && !isBuilder(ctx.user, appId) && !isAdmin(ctx.user)) {
+    ctx.throw(403, "Admin/Builder user only endpoint.")
   }
   return next()
 }
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/users.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/users.ts
index b49058f546..2e6ede3cf3 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/users.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/users.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ import {
   UNICODE_MAX,
   ViewName,
 } from "./db"
-import { BulkDocsResponse, SearchUsersRequest, User } from "@budibase/types"
+import {
+  BulkDocsResponse,
+  SearchUsersRequest,
+  User,
+  ContextUser,
+} from "@budibase/types"
 import { getGlobalDB } from "./context"
 import * as context from "./context"
 
@@ -178,7 +183,7 @@ export const getGlobalUserByAppPage = (appId: string, user: User) => {
  * Performs a starts with search on the global email view.
  */
 export const searchGlobalUsersByEmail = async (
-  email: string,
+  email: string | unknown,
   opts: any,
   getOpts?: GetOpts
 ) => {
@@ -248,3 +253,56 @@ export async function getUserCount() {
   })
   return response.total_rows
 }
+
+// checks if a user is specifically a builder, given an app ID
+export function isBuilder(user: User | ContextUser, appId?: string) {
+  if (user.builder?.global) {
+    return true
+  } else if (appId && user.builder?.apps?.includes(appId)) {
+    return true
+  }
+  return false
+}
+
+// alias for hasAdminPermission, currently do the same thing
+// in future whether someone has admin permissions and whether they are
+// an admin for a specific resource could be separated
+export function isAdmin(user: User | ContextUser) {
+  return hasAdminPermissions(user)
+}
+
+// checks if a user is capable of building any app
+export function hasBuilderPermissions(user?: User | ContextUser) {
+  if (!user) {
+    return false
+  }
+  return user.builder?.global || user.builder?.apps?.length !== 0
+}
+
+// checks if a user is capable of being an admin
+export function hasAdminPermissions(user?: User | ContextUser) {
+  if (!user) {
+    return false
+  }
+  return user.admin?.global
+}
+
+// used to remove the builder/admin permissions, for processing the
+// user as an app user (they may have some specific role/group
+export function removePortalUserPermissions(user: User | ContextUser) {
+  delete user.admin
+  delete user.builder
+  return user
+}
+
+export function cleanseUserObject(user: User | ContextUser, base?: User) {
+  delete user.admin
+  delete user.builder
+  delete user.roles
+  if (base) {
+    user.admin = base.admin
+    user.builder = base.builder
+    user.roles = base.roles
+  }
+  return user
+}
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
index 418ccf637e..6a0088d4dc 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import {
   objectStore,
   roles,
   tenancy,
+  users,
 } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import { USERS_TABLE_SCHEMA } from "../../constants"
 import {
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@ export async function fetchAppDefinition(ctx: UserCtx) {
 
 export async function fetchAppPackage(ctx: UserCtx) {
   const db = context.getAppDB()
+  const appId = context.getAppId()
   let application = await db.get<any>(DocumentType.APP_METADATA)
   const layouts = await getLayouts()
   let screens = await getScreens()
@@ -233,7 +235,7 @@ export async function fetchAppPackage(ctx: UserCtx) {
   )
 
   // Only filter screens if the user is not a builder
-  if (!(ctx.user.builder && ctx.user.builder.global)) {
+  if (!users.isBuilder(ctx.user, appId)) {
     const userRoleId = getUserRoleId(ctx)
     const accessController = new roles.AccessController()
     screens = await accessController.checkScreensAccess(screens, userRoleId)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.ts b/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.ts
index 6268163fb2..81e42604bc 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-import { roles, permissions, auth, context } from "@budibase/backend-core"
+import {
+  roles,
+  permissions,
+  auth,
+  context,
+  users,
+} from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import { Role } from "@budibase/types"
 import builderMiddleware from "./builder"
 import { isWebhookEndpoint } from "./utils"
@@ -21,8 +27,9 @@ const checkAuthorized = async (
   permType: any,
   permLevel: any
 ) => {
+  const appId = context.getAppId()
   // check if this is a builder api and the user is not a builder
-  const isBuilder = ctx.user && ctx.user.builder && ctx.user.builder.global
+  const isBuilder = users.isBuilder(ctx.user, appId)
   const isBuilderApi = permType === permissions.PermissionType.BUILDER
   if (isBuilderApi && !isBuilder) {
     return ctx.throw(403, "Not Authorized")
diff --git a/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts b/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts
index 6879a103bc..10ee13a67a 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@ import {
   roles,
   tenancy,
   context,
+  users,
 } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import { generateUserMetadataID, isDevAppID } from "../db/utils"
 import { getCachedSelf } from "../utilities/global"
 import env from "../environment"
 import { isWebhookEndpoint } from "./utils"
-import { UserCtx } from "@budibase/types"
+import { UserCtx, ContextUser } from "@budibase/types"
+import { removePortalUserPermissions } from "@budibase/backend-core/src/users"
 
 export default async (ctx: UserCtx, next: any) => {
   // try to get the appID from the request
@@ -42,8 +44,7 @@ export default async (ctx: UserCtx, next: any) => {
     roleId = globalUser.roleId || roleId
 
     // Allow builders to specify their role via a header
-    const isBuilder =
-      globalUser && globalUser.builder && globalUser.builder.global
+    const isBuilder = users.isBuilder(globalUser, appId)
     const isDevApp = appId && isDevAppID(appId)
     const roleHeader =
       ctx.request &&
@@ -56,8 +57,7 @@ export default async (ctx: UserCtx, next: any) => {
           roleId = roleHeader
 
           // Delete admin and builder flags so that the specified role is honoured
-          delete ctx.user.builder
-          delete ctx.user.admin
+          ctx.user = users.removePortalUserPermissions(ctx.user) as ContextUser
         }
       } catch (error) {
         // Swallow error and do nothing
@@ -81,9 +81,7 @@ export default async (ctx: UserCtx, next: any) => {
       !tenancy.isUserInAppTenant(requestAppId, ctx.user)
     ) {
       // don't error, simply remove the users rights (they are a public user)
-      delete ctx.user.builder
-      delete ctx.user.admin
-      delete ctx.user.roles
+      ctx.user = users.cleanseUserObject(ctx.user) as ContextUser
       ctx.isAuthenticated = false
       roleId = roles.BUILTIN_ROLE_IDS.PUBLIC
       skipCookie = true
diff --git a/packages/server/src/migrations/functions/backfill/global/users.ts b/packages/server/src/migrations/functions/backfill/global/users.ts
index 05c5f8f56e..9f536a97a5 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/migrations/functions/backfill/global/users.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/migrations/functions/backfill/global/users.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-import { events, db as dbUtils } from "@budibase/backend-core"
+import {
+  events,
+  db as dbUtils,
+  users as usersCore,
+} from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import { User, CloudAccount } from "@budibase/types"
 import { DEFAULT_TIMESTAMP } from ".."
 
@@ -30,11 +34,11 @@ export const backfill = async (
     await events.identification.identifyUser(user, account, timestamp)
     await events.user.created(user, timestamp)
 
-    if (user.admin?.global) {
+    if (usersCore.hasAdminPermissions(user)) {
       await events.user.permissionAdminAssigned(user, timestamp)
     }
 
-    if (user.builder?.global) {
+    if (usersCore.hasBuilderPermissions(user)) {
       await events.user.permissionBuilderAssigned(user, timestamp)
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/global.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/global.ts
index c9869b4920..63e33dafee 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/global.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/global.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   cache,
   tenancy,
   context,
+  users,
 } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import env from "../environment"
 import { groups } from "@budibase/pro"
@@ -22,8 +23,7 @@ export function updateAppRole(
   }
   // if in an multi-tenancy environment make sure roles are never updated
   if (env.MULTI_TENANCY && appId && !tenancy.isUserInAppTenant(appId, user)) {
-    delete user.builder
-    delete user.admin
+    user = users.removePortalUserPermissions(user)
     user.roleId = roles.BUILTIN_ROLE_IDS.PUBLIC
     return user
   }
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export function updateAppRole(
     user.roleId = user.roles[dbCore.getProdAppID(appId)]
   }
   // if a role wasn't found then either set as admin (builder) or public (everyone else)
-  if (!user.roleId && user.builder && user.builder.global) {
+  if (!user.roleId && users.isBuilder(user, appId)) {
     user.roleId = roles.BUILTIN_ROLE_IDS.ADMIN
   } else if (!user.roleId && !user?.userGroups?.length) {
     user.roleId = roles.BUILTIN_ROLE_IDS.PUBLIC
diff --git a/packages/types/src/documents/global/user.ts b/packages/types/src/documents/global/user.ts
index cae3c0e6e2..e9e3ccc662 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/documents/global/user.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/documents/global/user.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ export interface User extends Document {
   }
   admin?: {
     global: boolean
-    apps?: string[]
   }
   password?: string
   status?: UserStatus
diff --git a/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/events.ts b/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/events.ts
index 7d86182a3c..d8af13a82f 100644
--- a/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/events.ts
+++ b/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/events.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 import env from "../../environment"
-import { events, accounts, tenancy } from "@budibase/backend-core"
+import { events, accounts, tenancy, users } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import { User, UserRoles, CloudAccount } from "@budibase/types"
 
+const hasBuilderPerm = users.hasBuilderPermissions
+const hasAdminPerm = users.hasAdminPermissions
+
 export const handleDeleteEvents = async (user: any) => {
   await events.user.deleted(user)
 
-  if (isBuilder(user)) {
+  if (hasBuilderPerm(user)) {
     await events.user.permissionBuilderRemoved(user)
   }
 
-  if (isAdmin(user)) {
+  if (hasAdminPerm(user)) {
     await events.user.permissionAdminRemoved(user)
   }
 }
@@ -103,23 +106,20 @@ export const handleSaveEvents = async (
   await handleAppRoleEvents(user, existingUser)
 }
 
-const isBuilder = (user: any) => user.builder && user.builder.global
-const isAdmin = (user: any) => user.admin && user.admin.global
-
 export const isAddingBuilder = (user: any, existingUser: any) => {
-  return isAddingPermission(user, existingUser, isBuilder)
+  return isAddingPermission(user, existingUser, hasBuilderPerm)
 }
 
 export const isRemovingBuilder = (user: any, existingUser: any) => {
-  return isRemovingPermission(user, existingUser, isBuilder)
+  return isRemovingPermission(user, existingUser, hasBuilderPerm)
 }
 
 const isAddingAdmin = (user: any, existingUser: any) => {
-  return isAddingPermission(user, existingUser, isAdmin)
+  return isAddingPermission(user, existingUser, hasAdminPerm)
 }
 
 const isRemovingAdmin = (user: any, existingUser: any) => {
-  return isRemovingPermission(user, existingUser, isAdmin)
+  return isRemovingPermission(user, existingUser, hasAdminPerm)
 }
 
 const isOnboardingComplete = (user: any, existingUser: any) => {
diff --git a/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/users.ts b/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/users.ts
index c3cb8500cb..cfa68932d2 100644
--- a/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/users.ts
+++ b/packages/worker/src/sdk/users/users.ts
@@ -252,9 +252,7 @@ export const save = async (
     let builtUser = await buildUser(user, opts, tenantId, dbUser)
     // don't allow a user to update its own roles/perms
     if (opts.currentUserId && opts.currentUserId === dbUser?._id) {
-      builtUser.builder = dbUser.builder
-      builtUser.admin = dbUser.admin
-      builtUser.roles = dbUser.roles
+      builtUser = usersCore.cleanseUserObject(builtUser, dbUser) as User
     }
 
     if (!dbUser && roles?.length) {