diff --git a/server/routes/user/index.ts b/server/routes/user/index.ts
index 6546d666f5..a0dab71c83 100644
--- a/server/routes/user/index.ts
+++ b/server/routes/user/index.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,18 @@ router.post(
       const body = req.body;
       const userRepository = getRepository(User);
 
+      const existingUser = await userRepository.findOne({
+        where: { email: body.email },
+      });
+
+      if (existingUser) {
+        return next({
+          status: 409,
+          message: 'User already exists with submitted email.',
+          errors: ['USER_EXISTS'],
+        });
+      }
+
       const passedExplicitPassword = body.password && body.password.length > 0;
       const avatar = gravatarUrl(body.email, { default: 'mm', size: 200 });
 
diff --git a/src/components/UserList/index.tsx b/src/components/UserList/index.tsx
index 63f5bf5fd9..95516d488c 100644
--- a/src/components/UserList/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/UserList/index.tsx
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ const messages = defineMessages({
   validationpasswordminchars:
     'Password is too short; should be a minimum of 8 characters',
   usercreatedfailed: 'Something went wrong while creating the user.',
+  usercreatedfailedexisting:
+    'Provided email is already in use by another user.',
   usercreatedsuccess: 'User created successfully!',
   email: 'Email Address',
   password: 'Password',
@@ -305,10 +307,17 @@ const UserList: React.FC = () => {
               });
               setCreateModal({ isOpen: false });
             } catch (e) {
-              addToast(intl.formatMessage(messages.usercreatedfailed), {
-                appearance: 'error',
-                autoDismiss: true,
-              });
+              addToast(
+                intl.formatMessage(
+                  e.response.data.errors?.includes('USER_EXISTS')
+                    ? messages.usercreatedfailedexisting
+                    : messages.usercreatedfailed
+                ),
+                {
+                  appearance: 'error',
+                  autoDismiss: true,
+                }
+              );
             } finally {
               revalidate();
             }