diff --git a/synapse/storage/schema/full_schemas/54/stream_positions.sql b/synapse/storage/schema/full_schemas/54/stream_positions.sql
index 575ab6b354..c265fd20e2 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/schema/full_schemas/54/stream_positions.sql
+++ b/synapse/storage/schema/full_schemas/54/stream_positions.sql
@@ -2,24 +2,6 @@
 INSERT INTO appservice_stream_position (stream_ordering) SELECT COALESCE(MAX(stream_ordering), 0) FROM events;
 INSERT INTO federation_stream_position (type, stream_id) VALUES ('federation', -1);
 INSERT INTO federation_stream_position (type, stream_id) SELECT 'events', coalesce(max(stream_ordering), -1) FROM events;
-INSERT INTO user_directory_stream_pos (stream_id) VALUES (null);
-INSERT INTO stats_stream_pos (stream_id) VALUES (null);
+INSERT INTO user_directory_stream_pos (stream_id) VALUES (0);
+INSERT INTO stats_stream_pos (stream_id) VALUES (0);
 INSERT INTO event_push_summary_stream_ordering (stream_ordering) VALUES (0);
-
---- User dir population
-
--- Set up staging tables
-INSERT INTO background_updates (update_name, progress_json) VALUES
-    ('populate_user_directory_createtables', '{}');
-
--- Run through each room and update the user directory according to who is in it
-INSERT INTO background_updates (update_name, progress_json, depends_on) VALUES
-    ('populate_user_directory_process_rooms', '{}', 'populate_user_directory_createtables');
-
--- Insert all users, if search_all_users is on
-INSERT INTO background_updates (update_name, progress_json, depends_on) VALUES
-    ('populate_user_directory_process_users', '{}', 'populate_user_directory_process_rooms');
-
--- Clean up staging tables
-INSERT INTO background_updates (update_name, progress_json, depends_on) VALUES
-    ('populate_user_directory_cleanup', '{}', 'populate_user_directory_process_users');