diff --git a/awx/main/models/__init__.py b/awx/main/models/__init__.py
index b962456e48..d8b206e18a 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/__init__.py
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ User.add_to_class('auditor_of_organizations', user_get_auditor_of_organizations)
 @property
 def user_is_system_auditor(user):
     if not hasattr(user, '_is_system_auditor'):
-        user._is_system_auditor = Role.objects.filter(role_field='system_auditor', id=user.id).exists()
+        user._is_system_auditor = user.roles.filter(
+            singleton_name='system_auditor', role_field='system_auditor').exists()
     return user._is_system_auditor
 
 
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/conftest.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/conftest.py
index 05f1941fab..165dfed0d6 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/conftest.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/conftest.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ from awx.main.models.organization import (
     Permission,
     Team,
 )
-
+from awx.main.models.rbac import Role
 from awx.main.models.notifications import (
     NotificationTemplate,
     Notification
@@ -262,6 +262,13 @@ def admin(user):
     return user('admin', True)
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def system_auditor(user):
+    u = user(False)
+    Role.singleton('system_auditor').members.add(u)
+    return u
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def alice(user):
     return user('alice', False)
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py
index 0b43ce2f1c..c7eaa8c0e9 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from awx.main.models import Role, User, Organization, Inventory
 
 
 @pytest.mark.django_db
-class TestSysAuditor(TransactionTestCase):
+class TestSysAuditorTransactional(TransactionTestCase):
     def rando(self):
         return User.objects.create(username='rando', password='rando', email='rando@com.com')
 
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ class TestSysAuditor(TransactionTestCase):
         assert not rando.is_system_auditor
 
 
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_system_auditor_is_system_auditor(system_auditor):
+    assert system_auditor.is_system_auditor
+
 
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_user_admin(user_project, project, user):