diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js
index 8b4a461d2c..1e32c24c12 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const {
   InternalTables,
   generateUserMetadataID,
 } = require("../../db/utils")
-const usersController = require("./user")
+const userController = require("./user")
 const {
   inputProcessing,
   outputProcessing,
@@ -37,18 +37,14 @@ validateJs.extend(validateJs.validators.datetime, {
   },
 })
 
-async function findRow(db, appId, tableId, rowId) {
+async function findRow(ctx, db, tableId, rowId) {
   let row
+  // TODO remove special user case in future
   if (tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
-    let ctx = {
-      params: {
-        userId: rowId,
-      },
-      user: {
-        appId,
-      },
+    ctx.params = {
+      userId: rowId,
     }
-    await usersController.findMetadata(ctx)
+    await userController.findMetadata(ctx)
     row = ctx.body
   } else {
     row = await db.get(rowId)
@@ -96,14 +92,14 @@ exports.patch = async function(ctx) {
     table,
   })
 
-  // Creation of a new user goes to the user controller
+  // TODO remove special user case in future
   if (row.tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
     // the row has been updated, need to put it into the ctx
     ctx.request.body = {
       ...row,
       password: ctx.request.body.password,
     }
-    await usersController.updateMetadata(ctx)
+    await userController.updateMetadata(ctx)
     return
   }
 
@@ -142,6 +138,7 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
   }
 
   if (!inputs._rev && !inputs._id) {
+    // TODO remove special user case in future
     if (inputs.tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
       inputs._id = generateUserMetadataID(inputs.email)
     } else {
@@ -175,11 +172,11 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
     table,
   })
 
-  // Creation of a new user goes to the user controller
+  // TODO remove special user case in future
   if (row.tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
     // the row has been updated, need to put it into the ctx
     ctx.request.body = row
-    await usersController.createMetadata(ctx)
+    await userController.createMetadata(ctx)
     return
   }
 
@@ -287,14 +284,6 @@ exports.search = async function(ctx) {
   }
 
   const response = await search(searchString)
-
-  // delete passwords from users
-  if (tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
-    for (let row of response.rows) {
-      delete row.password
-    }
-  }
-
   const table = await db.get(tableId)
   ctx.body = {
     rows: await outputProcessing(appId, table, response.rows),
@@ -306,11 +295,11 @@ exports.fetchTableRows = async function(ctx) {
   const appId = ctx.appId
   const db = new CouchDB(appId)
 
-  // special case for users, fetch through the user controller
+  // TODO remove special user case in future
   let rows,
     table = await db.get(ctx.params.tableId)
   if (ctx.params.tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
-    await usersController.fetchMetadata(ctx)
+    await userController.fetchMetadata(ctx)
     rows = ctx.body
   } else {
     const response = await db.allDocs(
@@ -328,7 +317,7 @@ exports.find = async function(ctx) {
   const db = new CouchDB(appId)
   try {
     const table = await db.get(ctx.params.tableId)
-    const row = await findRow(db, appId, ctx.params.tableId, ctx.params.rowId)
+    const row = await findRow(ctx, db, ctx.params.tableId, ctx.params.rowId)
     ctx.body = await outputProcessing(appId, table, row)
   } catch (err) {
     ctx.throw(400, err)
@@ -348,8 +337,15 @@ exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
     row,
     tableId: row.tableId,
   })
-  ctx.body = await db.remove(ctx.params.rowId, ctx.params.revId)
-  ctx.status = 200
+  // TODO remove special user case in future
+  if (ctx.params.tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
+    ctx.params = {
+      userId: ctx.params.rowId,
+    }
+    await userController.destroyMetadata(ctx)
+  } else {
+    ctx.body = await db.remove(ctx.params.rowId, ctx.params.revId)
+  }
 
   // for automations include the row that was deleted
   ctx.row = row
@@ -395,7 +391,7 @@ exports.fetchEnrichedRow = async function(ctx) {
   // need table to work out where links go in row
   let [table, row] = await Promise.all([
     db.get(tableId),
-    findRow(db, appId, tableId, rowId),
+    findRow(ctx, db, tableId, rowId),
   ])
   // get the link docs
   const linkVals = await linkRows.getLinkDocuments({
@@ -437,7 +433,7 @@ async function bulkDelete(ctx) {
   const { rows } = ctx.request.body
   const db = new CouchDB(appId)
 
-  const linkUpdates = rows.map(row =>
+  let updates = rows.map(row =>
     linkRows.updateLinks({
       appId,
       eventType: linkRows.EventType.ROW_DELETE,
@@ -445,9 +441,20 @@ async function bulkDelete(ctx) {
       tableId: row.tableId,
     })
   )
-
-  await db.bulkDocs(rows.map(row => ({ ...row, _deleted: true })))
-  await Promise.all(linkUpdates)
+  // TODO remove special user case in future
+  if (ctx.params.tableId === InternalTables.USER_METADATA) {
+    updates = updates.concat(
+      rows.map(row => {
+        ctx.params = {
+          userId: row._id,
+        }
+        return userController.destroyMetadata(ctx)
+      })
+    )
+  } else {
+    await db.bulkDocs(rows.map(row => ({ ...row, _deleted: true })))
+  }
+  await Promise.all(updates)
 
   rows.forEach(row => {
     ctx.eventEmitter && ctx.eventEmitter.emitRow(`row:delete`, appId, row)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/user.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/user.js
index c526050cde..93e6dec1d6 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/user.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/user.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ exports.fetchMetadata = async function(ctx) {
     users.push({
       ...user,
       ...info,
+      // make sure the ID is always a local ID, not a global one
+      _id: generateUserMetadataID(user.email),
     })
   }
   ctx.body = users
@@ -75,9 +77,15 @@ exports.updateMetadata = async function(ctx) {
 
 exports.destroyMetadata = async function(ctx) {
   const db = new CouchDB(ctx.appId)
-  const email = ctx.params.email
+  const email =
+    ctx.params.email || getEmailFromUserMetadataID(ctx.params.userId)
   await deleteGlobalUser(ctx, email)
-  await db.destroy(generateUserMetadataID(email))
+  try {
+    const dbUser = await db.get(generateUserMetadataID(email))
+    await db.remove(dbUser._id, dbUser._rev)
+  } catch (err) {
+    // error just means the global user has no config in this app
+  }
   ctx.body = {
     message: `User ${ctx.params.email} deleted.`,
   }
@@ -92,5 +100,7 @@ exports.findMetadata = async function(ctx) {
   ctx.body = {
     ...global,
     ...user,
+    // make sure the ID is always a local ID, not a global one
+    _id: generateUserMetadataID(email),
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/admin/index.js b/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/admin/index.js
index 305686a3b0..ff0d2997e7 100644
--- a/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/admin/index.js
+++ b/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/admin/index.js
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ exports.userSave = async ctx => {
 
 exports.userDelete = async ctx => {
   const db = new CouchDB(USER_DB)
-  await db.destroy(generateUserID(ctx.params.email))
+  const dbUser = await db.get(generateUserID(ctx.params.email))
+  await db.remove(dbUser._id, dbUser._rev)
   ctx.body = {
     message: `User ${ctx.params.email} deleted.`,
   }
diff --git a/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/app.js b/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/app.js
index eac0c47c18..bed3b55942 100644
--- a/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/app.js
+++ b/packages/worker/src/api/controllers/app.js
@@ -15,9 +15,14 @@ exports.getApps = async ctx => {
   }
   const appDbNames = allDbs.filter(dbName => dbName.startsWith(APP_PREFIX))
   const appPromises = appDbNames.map(db => new CouchDB(db).get(db))
-  const apps = await Promise.all(appPromises)
+
+  const apps = await Promise.allSettled(appPromises)
   const body = {}
   for (let app of apps) {
+    if (app.status !== "fulfilled") {
+      continue
+    }
+    app = app.value
     let url = app.url || encodeURI(`${app.name}`)
     url = `/${url.replace(URL_REGEX_SLASH, "")}`
     body[url] = {