diff --git a/bot/bot.go b/bot/bot.go
index e8b1d01..9365e5e 100644
--- a/bot/bot.go
+++ b/bot/bot.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func New(
 	log *logger.Logger,
 	prefix string,
 	domain string,
-	users []string,
+	envUsers []string,
 	admins []string,
 ) (*Bot, error) {
 	b := &Bot{
@@ -50,15 +50,22 @@ func New(
 		lp:     lp,
 		mu:     map[id.RoomID]*sync.Mutex{},
 	}
-	err := b.initBotUsers(users)
+	users, err := b.initBotUsers(envUsers)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	allowedUsers, uerr := parseMXIDpatterns(users, "")
+	if uerr != nil {
+		return nil, uerr
+	}
+	b.allowedUsers = allowedUsers
+
 	allowedAdmins, aerr := parseMXIDpatterns(admins, "")
 	if aerr != nil {
 		return nil, aerr
 	}
 	b.allowedAdmins = allowedAdmins
+
 	b.commands = b.buildCommandList()
 
 	return b, nil
diff --git a/bot/settings_bot.go b/bot/settings_bot.go
index 2a7dbbd..5710081 100644
--- a/bot/settings_bot.go
+++ b/bot/settings_bot.go
@@ -35,33 +35,26 @@ func (s botSettings) Users() []string {
 	return []string{value}
 }
 
-func (b *Bot) initBotUsers(users []string) error {
-	_, homeserver, err := b.lp.GetClient().UserID.Parse()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+func (b *Bot) initBotUsers(envUsers []string) ([]string, error) {
 	config := b.getBotSettings()
-	oldUsers := config.Get(botOptionUsers)
-	// TODO: remove after migration
-	if len(users) > 0 && oldUsers == "" {
-		_, err := parseMXIDpatterns(users, "@*:"+homeserver)
+	cfgUsers := config.Users()
+	if len(cfgUsers) > 0 {
+		// already migrated
+		return cfgUsers, nil
+	}
+	if len(envUsers) == 0 {
+		_, homeserver, err := b.lp.GetClient().UserID.Parse()
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
-		config.Set(botOptionUsers, strings.Join(users, " "))
+		config.Set(botOptionUsers, "@*:"+homeserver)
+	} else {
+		// Initialize from environment variable
+		// TODO: remove this migration later and always initialize to `"@*:"+homeserver`
+		config.Set(botOptionUsers, strings.Join(envUsers, " "))
 	}
 
-	allowedUsers, uerr := parseMXIDpatterns(config.Users(), "@*:"+homeserver)
-	if uerr != nil {
-		return uerr
-	}
-	b.allowedUsers = allowedUsers
-
-	if oldUsers != config.Get(botOptionUsers) {
-		return b.setBotSettings(config)
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	return config.Users(), b.setBotSettings(config)
 }
 
 func (b *Bot) getBotSettings() botSettings {