diff --git a/awx/main/signals.py b/awx/main/signals.py
index 34d0003ab9..0a29fa9d6c 100644
--- a/awx/main/signals.py
+++ b/awx/main/signals.py
@@ -123,10 +123,23 @@ def sync_superuser_status_to_rbac(instance, **kwargs):
 
 def sync_rbac_to_superuser_status(instance, sender, **kwargs):
     'When the is_superuser flag is false but a user has the System Admin role, update the database to reflect that'
-    if kwargs['action'] in ['post_add', 'post_remove']:
-        if instance.singleton_name == ROLE_SINGLETON_SYSTEM_ADMINISTRATOR:
-            new_status_value = bool(kwargs['action'] == 'post_add')
-            kwargs['model'].objects.filter(pk__in=kwargs['pk_set']).update(is_superuser=new_status_value)
+    if kwargs['action'] in ['post_add', 'post_remove', 'post_clear']:
+        new_status_value = bool(kwargs['action'] == 'post_add')
+        if hasattr(instance, 'singleton_name'):  # duck typing, role.members.add() vs user.roles.add()
+            role = instance
+            if role.singleton_name == ROLE_SINGLETON_SYSTEM_ADMINISTRATOR:
+                if kwargs['pk_set']:
+                    kwargs['model'].objects.filter(pk__in=kwargs['pk_set']).update(is_superuser=new_status_value)
+                elif kwargs['action'] == 'post_clear':
+                    kwargs['model'].objects.all().update(is_superuser=False)
+        else:
+            user = instance
+            if kwargs['action'] == 'post_clear':
+                user.is_superuser = False
+                user.save(update_fields=['is_superuser'])
+            elif kwargs['model'].objects.filter(pk__in=kwargs['pk_set'], singleton_name=ROLE_SINGLETON_SYSTEM_ADMINISTRATOR).exists():
+                user.is_superuser = new_status_value
+                user.save(update_fields=['is_superuser'])
 
 
 def rbac_activity_stream(instance, sender, **kwargs):
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py
index ca3d268b18..b62a0db25f 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/test_rbac_user.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from unittest import mock
 from django.test import TransactionTestCase
 
 from awx.main.access import UserAccess, RoleAccess, TeamAccess
-from awx.main.models import User, Organization, Inventory
+from awx.main.models import User, Organization, Inventory, Role
 
 
 class TestSysAuditorTransactional(TransactionTestCase):
@@ -170,4 +170,34 @@ def test_org_admin_cannot_delete_member_attached_to_other_group(org_admin, org_m
     access = UserAccess(org_admin)
     other_org.member_role.members.add(org_member)
     assert not access.can_delete(org_member)
-    
\ No newline at end of file
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('reverse', (True, False))
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_consistency_of_is_superuser_flag(reverse):
+    users = [User.objects.create(username='rando_{}'.format(i)) for i in range(2)]
+    for u in users:
+        assert u.is_superuser is False
+
+    system_admin = Role.singleton('system_administrator')
+    if reverse:
+        for u in users:
+            u.roles.add(system_admin)
+    else:
+        system_admin.members.add(*[u.id for u in users])  # like .add(42, 54)
+
+    for u in users:
+        u.refresh_from_db()
+        assert u.is_superuser is True
+
+    users[0].roles.clear()
+    for u in users:
+        u.refresh_from_db()
+    assert users[0].is_superuser is False
+    assert users[1].is_superuser is True
+
+    system_admin.members.clear()
+
+    for u in users:
+        u.refresh_from_db()
+        assert u.is_superuser is False