diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/search.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/search.spec.ts
index 7a0e78eb1c..87d0aa72c7 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/search.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/search.spec.ts
@@ -262,11 +262,19 @@ describe.each([
         { name: "serverDate", appointment: serverTime.toISOString() },
         {
           name: "single user, session user",
-          single_user: JSON.stringify([currentUser]),
+          single_user: JSON.stringify(currentUser),
         },
         {
           name: "single user",
-          single_user: JSON.stringify([globalUsers[0]]),
+          single_user: JSON.stringify(globalUsers[0]),
+        },
+        {
+          name: "deprecated single user, session user",
+          deprecated_single_user: JSON.stringify([currentUser]),
+        },
+        {
+          name: "deprecated single user",
+          deprecated_single_user: JSON.stringify([globalUsers[0]]),
         },
         {
           name: "multi user",
@@ -276,6 +284,14 @@ describe.each([
           name: "multi user with session user",
           multi_user: JSON.stringify([...globalUsers, currentUser]),
         },
+        {
+          name: "deprecated multi user",
+          deprecated_multi_user: JSON.stringify(globalUsers),
+        },
+        {
+          name: "deprecated multi user with session user",
+          deprecated_multi_user: JSON.stringify([...globalUsers, currentUser]),
+        },
       ]
     }
 
@@ -301,13 +317,29 @@ describe.each([
         appointment: { name: "appointment", type: FieldType.DATETIME },
         single_user: {
           name: "single_user",
+          type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE,
+          subtype: BBReferenceFieldSubType.USER,
+        },
+        deprecated_single_user: {
+          name: "deprecated_single_user",
           type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE,
           subtype: BBReferenceFieldSubType.USER,
         },
         multi_user: {
           name: "multi_user",
           type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE,
+          subtype: BBReferenceFieldSubType.USER,
+          constraints: {
+            type: "array",
+          },
+        },
+        deprecated_multi_user: {
+          name: "deprecated_multi_user",
+          type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE,
           subtype: BBReferenceFieldSubType.USERS,
+          constraints: {
+            type: "array",
+          },
         },
       })
       await createRows(rows(config.getUser()))
@@ -398,7 +430,18 @@ describe.each([
       }).toContainExactly([
         {
           name: "single user, session user",
-          single_user: [{ _id: config.getUser()._id }],
+          single_user: { _id: config.getUser()._id },
+        },
+      ])
+    })
+
+    it("should match a deprecated single user row by the session user id", async () => {
+      await expectQuery({
+        equal: { deprecated_single_user: "{{ [user]._id }}" },
+      }).toContainExactly([
+        {
+          name: "deprecated single user, session user",
+          deprecated_single_user: [{ _id: config.getUser()._id }],
         },
       ])
     })
@@ -420,6 +463,23 @@ describe.each([
         ])
       })
 
+    // TODO(samwho): fix for SQS
+    !isSqs &&
+      it("should match the session user id in a deprecated multi user field", async () => {
+        const allUsers = [...globalUsers, config.getUser()].map((user: any) => {
+          return { _id: user._id }
+        })
+
+        await expectQuery({
+          contains: { deprecated_multi_user: ["{{ [user]._id }}"] },
+        }).toContainExactly([
+          {
+            name: "deprecated multi user with session user",
+            deprecated_multi_user: allUsers,
+          },
+        ])
+      })
+
     // TODO(samwho): fix for SQS
     !isSqs &&
       it("should not match the session user id in a multi user field", async () => {
@@ -436,6 +496,22 @@ describe.each([
         ])
       })
 
+    // TODO(samwho): fix for SQS
+    !isSqs &&
+      it("should not match the session user id in a deprecated multi user field", async () => {
+        await expectQuery({
+          notContains: { deprecated_multi_user: ["{{ [user]._id }}"] },
+          notEmpty: { deprecated_multi_user: true },
+        }).toContainExactly([
+          {
+            name: "deprecated multi user",
+            deprecated_multi_user: globalUsers.map((user: any) => {
+              return { _id: user._id }
+            }),
+          },
+        ])
+      })
+
     it("should match the session user id and a user table row id using helpers, user binding and a static user id.", async () => {
       await expectQuery({
         oneOf: {
@@ -447,11 +523,31 @@ describe.each([
       }).toContainExactly([
         {
           name: "single user, session user",
-          single_user: [{ _id: config.getUser()._id }],
+          single_user: { _id: config.getUser()._id },
         },
         {
           name: "single user",
-          single_user: [{ _id: globalUsers[0]._id }],
+          single_user: { _id: globalUsers[0]._id },
+        },
+      ])
+    })
+
+    it("should match the session user id and a user table row id using helpers, user binding and a static user id. (deprecated single user)", async () => {
+      await expectQuery({
+        oneOf: {
+          deprecated_single_user: [
+            "{{ default [user]._id '_empty_' }}",
+            globalUsers[0]._id,
+          ],
+        },
+      }).toContainExactly([
+        {
+          name: "deprecated single user, session user",
+          deprecated_single_user: [{ _id: config.getUser()._id }],
+        },
+        {
+          name: "deprecated single user",
+          deprecated_single_user: [{ _id: globalUsers[0]._id }],
         },
       ])
     })
@@ -467,7 +563,23 @@ describe.each([
       }).toContainExactly([
         {
           name: "single user",
-          single_user: [{ _id: globalUsers[0]._id }],
+          single_user: { _id: globalUsers[0]._id },
+        },
+      ])
+    })
+
+    it("should resolve 'default' helper to '_empty_' when binding resolves to nothing (deprecated single user)", async () => {
+      await expectQuery({
+        oneOf: {
+          deprecated_single_user: [
+            "{{ default [user]._idx '_empty_' }}",
+            globalUsers[0]._id,
+          ],
+        },
+      }).toContainExactly([
+        {
+          name: "deprecated single user",
+          deprecated_single_user: [{ _id: globalUsers[0]._id }],
         },
       ])
     })
diff --git a/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sql.ts b/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sql.ts
index 7a2b819007..85db642e47 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sql.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sql.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   INTERNAL_TABLE_SOURCE_ID,
 } from "@budibase/types"
 import environment from "../../environment"
+import { helpers } from "@budibase/shared-core"
 
 type QueryFunction = (query: SqlQuery | SqlQuery[], operation: Operation) => any
 
@@ -786,8 +787,7 @@ class SqlQueryBuilder extends SqlTableQueryBuilder {
     return (
       field.type === FieldType.JSON ||
       (field.type === FieldType.BB_REFERENCE &&
-        // Handling old single user type
-        field.constraints?.type === "array")
+        !helpers.schema.isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn(field))
     )
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sqlTable.ts b/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sqlTable.ts
index 2af3fb096e..a82a9fcea8 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sqlTable.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/integrations/base/sqlTable.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   TableSourceType,
 } from "@budibase/types"
 import { breakExternalTableId, getNativeSql, SqlClient } from "../utils"
-import { utils } from "@budibase/shared-core"
+import { helpers, utils } from "@budibase/shared-core"
 import SchemaBuilder = Knex.SchemaBuilder
 import CreateTableBuilder = Knex.CreateTableBuilder
 
@@ -85,7 +85,12 @@ function generateSchema(
         break
       case FieldType.ARRAY:
       case FieldType.BB_REFERENCE:
-        schema.json(key)
+        if (helpers.schema.isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn(column)) {
+          // This is still required for unit testing, in order to create "deprecated" schemas
+          schema.text(key)
+        } else {
+          schema.json(key)
+        }
         break
       case FieldType.LINK:
         // this side of the relationship doesn't need any SQL work
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts
index e347a8657d..2d194ab196 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ export async function search(
   }
 
   const table = await sdk.tables.getTable(options.tableId)
-  options = searchInputMapping(table, options)
+  options = searchInputMapping(table, options, {
+    isSql: !!table.sql || !!env.SQS_SEARCH_ENABLE,
+  })
 
   if (isExternalTable) {
     return external.search(options, table)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/utils.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/utils.ts
index 75f5d4e0ae..62f5af2b70 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/utils.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   RowSearchParams,
 } from "@budibase/types"
 import { db as dbCore, context } from "@budibase/backend-core"
-import { utils } from "@budibase/shared-core"
+import { helpers, utils } from "@budibase/shared-core"
 
 export async function paginatedSearch(
   query: SearchFilters,
@@ -49,13 +49,19 @@ function findColumnInQueries(
   }
 }
 
-function userColumnMapping(column: string, options: RowSearchParams) {
+function userColumnMapping(
+  column: string,
+  options: RowSearchParams,
+  isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn: boolean = false,
+  isSql: boolean = false
+) {
   findColumnInQueries(column, options, (filterValue: any): any => {
     const isArray = Array.isArray(filterValue),
       isString = typeof filterValue === "string"
     if (!isString && !isArray) {
       return filterValue
     }
+
     const processString = (input: string) => {
       const rowPrefix = DocumentType.ROW + SEPARATOR
       if (input.startsWith(rowPrefix)) {
@@ -64,23 +70,34 @@ function userColumnMapping(column: string, options: RowSearchParams) {
         return input
       }
     }
+
+    let wrapper = (s: string) => s
+    if (isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn && filterValue && isSql) {
+      // Decreated single users are stored as stringified arrays of a single value
+      wrapper = (s: string) => JSON.stringify([s])
+    }
+
     if (isArray) {
       return filterValue.map(el => {
         if (typeof el === "string") {
-          return processString(el)
+          return wrapper(processString(el))
         } else {
           return el
         }
       })
     } else {
-      return processString(filterValue)
+      return wrapper(processString(filterValue))
     }
   })
 }
 
 // maps through the search parameters to check if any of the inputs are invalid
 // based on the table schema, converts them to something that is valid.
-export function searchInputMapping(table: Table, options: RowSearchParams) {
+export function searchInputMapping(
+  table: Table,
+  options: RowSearchParams,
+  datasourceOptions: { isSql?: boolean } = {}
+) {
   if (!table?.schema) {
     return options
   }
@@ -99,7 +116,12 @@ export function searchInputMapping(table: Table, options: RowSearchParams) {
         break
       }
       case FieldType.BB_REFERENCE: {
-        userColumnMapping(key, options)
+        userColumnMapping(
+          key,
+          options,
+          helpers.schema.isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn(column),
+          datasourceOptions.isSql
+        )
         break
       }
     }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
index 2dff1acb5c..4f0feb3c93 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
@@ -139,8 +139,10 @@ export function parse(rows: Rows, schema: TableSchema): Rows {
           ? new Date(columnData).toISOString()
           : columnData
       } else if (columnType === FieldType.BB_REFERENCE) {
-        const parsedValues =
-          (!!columnData && parseCsvExport<{ _id: string }[]>(columnData)) || []
+        let parsedValues: { _id: string }[] = columnData || []
+        if (columnData) {
+          parsedValues = parseCsvExport<{ _id: string }[]>(columnData)
+        }
 
         parsedRow[columnName] = parsedValues?.map(u => u._id)
       } else if (columnType === FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE) {
diff --git a/packages/shared-core/src/filters.ts b/packages/shared-core/src/filters.ts
index 2438e7f840..1401b75e93 100644
--- a/packages/shared-core/src/filters.ts
+++ b/packages/shared-core/src/filters.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ import {
   SearchFilterOperator,
   SortDirection,
   SortType,
+  FieldConstraints,
 } from "@budibase/types"
 import dayjs from "dayjs"
 import { OperatorOptions, SqlNumberTypeRangeMap } from "./constants"
-import { deepGet } from "./helpers"
+import { deepGet, schema } from "./helpers"
 
 const HBS_REGEX = /{{([^{].*?)}}/g
 
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ export const getValidOperatorsForType = (
     type: FieldType
     subtype?: BBReferenceFieldSubType
     formulaType?: FormulaType
+    constraints?: FieldConstraints
   },
   field?: string,
   datasource?: Datasource & { tableId: any }
@@ -68,7 +70,10 @@ export const getValidOperatorsForType = (
     ops = numOps
   } else if (type === FieldType.FORMULA && formulaType === FormulaType.STATIC) {
     ops = stringOps.concat([Op.MoreThan, Op.LessThan])
-  } else if (type === FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE) {
+  } else if (
+    type === FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE ||
+    schema.isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn(fieldType)
+  ) {
     ops = [Op.Equals, Op.NotEquals, Op.Empty, Op.NotEmpty, Op.In]
   } else if (type === FieldType.BB_REFERENCE) {
     ops = [Op.Contains, Op.NotContains, Op.ContainsAny, Op.Empty, Op.NotEmpty]
diff --git a/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/schema.ts b/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/schema.ts
index 548a5c9766..985e068be0 100644
--- a/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/schema.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ import {
   FieldType,
 } from "@budibase/types"
 
-export function isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn(schema: FieldSchema) {
+export function isDeprecatedSingleUserColumn(
+  schema: Pick<FieldSchema, "type" | "subtype" | "constraints">
+) {
   const result =
     schema.type === FieldType.BB_REFERENCE &&
     schema.subtype === BBReferenceFieldSubType.USER &&