diff --git a/synapse/api/auth.py b/synapse/api/auth.py
index b41e34e658..65ee1452ce 100644
--- a/synapse/api/auth.py
+++ b/synapse/api/auth.py
@@ -392,8 +392,7 @@ class Auth(object):
         Args:
             token (str): The access token to get the user by.
         Returns:
-            dict : dict that includes the user and whether the
-                user is a server admin.
+            dict : dict that includes the user and the ID of their access token.
         Raises:
             AuthError if no user by that token exists or the token is invalid.
         """
@@ -404,7 +403,6 @@ class Auth(object):
                 errcode=Codes.UNKNOWN_TOKEN
             )
         user_info = {
-            "admin": bool(ret.get("admin", False)),
             "user": UserID.from_string(ret.get("name")),
             "token_id": ret.get("token_id", None),
         }
diff --git a/synapse/storage/registration.py b/synapse/storage/registration.py
index 240d14c4d0..a2d0f7c4b1 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/registration.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/registration.py
@@ -163,8 +163,7 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
         Args:
             token (str): The access token of a user.
         Returns:
-            dict: Including the name (user_id) and whether they are
-                an admin.
+            dict: Including the name (user_id) and the ID of their access token.
         Raises:
             StoreError if no user was found.
         """
@@ -228,7 +227,7 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
 
     def _query_for_auth(self, txn, token):
         sql = (
-            "SELECT users.name, users.admin, access_tokens.id as token_id"
+            "SELECT users.name, access_tokens.id as token_id"
             " FROM users"
             " INNER JOIN access_tokens on users.name = access_tokens.user_id"
             " WHERE token = ?"
diff --git a/tests/api/test_auth.py b/tests/api/test_auth.py
index 777eb0395e..22fc804331 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_auth.py
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ class AuthTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         user_info = {
             "name": self.test_user,
             "token_id": "ditto",
-            "admin": False
         }
         self.store.get_user_by_access_token = Mock(return_value=user_info)
 
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@ class AuthTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         user_info = {
             "name": self.test_user,
             "token_id": "ditto",
-            "admin": False
         }
         self.store.get_user_by_access_token = Mock(return_value=user_info)
 
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_presence.py b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_presence.py
index 4039a86d85..91547bdd06 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_presence.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_presence.py
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ class PresenceStateTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(myid),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
 
@@ -161,7 +160,6 @@ class PresenceListTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(myid),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
 
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py
index dd1e67e0f9..34ab47d02e 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class RoomPermissionsTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
         hs.get_v1auth().get_user_by_access_token = _get_user_by_access_token
@@ -443,7 +442,6 @@ class RoomsMemberListTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
         hs.get_v1auth().get_user_by_access_token = _get_user_by_access_token
@@ -522,7 +520,6 @@ class RoomsCreateTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
         hs.get_v1auth().get_user_by_access_token = _get_user_by_access_token
@@ -614,7 +611,6 @@ class RoomTopicTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
 
@@ -720,7 +716,6 @@ class RoomMemberStateTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
         hs.get_v1auth().get_user_by_access_token = _get_user_by_access_token
@@ -846,7 +841,6 @@ class RoomMessagesTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
         hs.get_v1auth().get_user_by_access_token = _get_user_by_access_token
@@ -942,7 +936,6 @@ class RoomInitialSyncTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
         hs.get_v1auth().get_user_by_access_token = _get_user_by_access_token
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_typing.py b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_typing.py
index 0f70ce81dc..1c4519406d 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_typing.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_typing.py
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ class RoomTypingTestCase(RestTestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.auth_user_id),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
 
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py b/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py
index badb59f080..ef972a53aa 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ class V2AlphaRestTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         def _get_user_by_access_token(token=None):
             return {
                 "user": UserID.from_string(self.USER_ID),
-                "admin": False,
                 "token_id": 1,
             }
         hs.get_auth().get_user_by_access_token = _get_user_by_access_token
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_registration.py b/tests/storage/test_registration.py
index 54fe10d58f..0cce6c37df 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_registration.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_registration.py
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ class RegistrationStoreTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertDictContainsSubset(
             {
-                "admin": 0,
-                 "name": self.user_id,
+                "name": self.user_id,
             },
             result
         )
@@ -70,8 +69,7 @@ class RegistrationStoreTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertDictContainsSubset(
             {
-                "admin": 0,
-                 "name": self.user_id,
+                "name": self.user_id,
             },
             result
         )
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index ff560ef342..3766a994f2 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -281,7 +281,6 @@ class MemoryDataStore(object):
         try:
             return {
                 "name": self.tokens_to_users[token],
-                "admin": 0,
             }
         except:
             raise StoreError(400, "User does not exist.")