diff --git a/user/echo_test.go b/user/echo_test.go
index 6954f0d..4e125a5 100644
--- a/user/echo_test.go
+++ b/user/echo_test.go
@@ -110,3 +110,22 @@ func TestRequestVerifyEcho(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Logf("result: %+v", result)
 	require.Equal(t, user.StatusOK, result.Status)
 }
+
+func testEchoSigchain(t *testing.T, sk *keys.EdX25519Key, name string, clock tsutil.Clock) *keys.Sigchain {
+	usr, err := user.NewForSigning(sk.ID(), "echo", name)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	msg, err := usr.Sign(sk)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	err = user.Verify(msg, usr)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	urs := "test://echo/" + name + "/" + sk.ID().String() + "/" + url.QueryEscape(strings.ReplaceAll(msg, "\n", " "))
+	sc := keys.NewSigchain(sk.ID())
+	stu, err := user.New(sk.ID(), "echo", "alice", urs, sc.LastSeq()+1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	st, err := user.NewSigchainStatement(sc, stu, sk, clock.Now())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	err = sc.Add(st)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return sc
+}
diff --git a/user/users.go b/user/users.go
index 33cc49a..989a1d5 100644
--- a/user/users.go
+++ b/user/users.go
@@ -398,17 +398,14 @@ func (u *Users) CheckForExisting(ctx context.Context, sc *keys.Sigchain) (keys.I
 	}
 	if usr != nil {
 		logger.Debugf("Checking for existing user %s...", usr.ID())
-		q := usr.ID()
-		results, err := u.Search(ctx, &SearchRequest{Query: q})
+		res, err := u.User(ctx, usr.ID())
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
-		if len(results) > 0 {
-			for _, res := range results {
-				logger.Debugf("Found user %s with %s", usr.ID(), res.KID)
-				if res.KID != sc.KID() {
-					return res.KID, nil
-				}
+		if res != nil {
+			logger.Debugf("Found user %s with %s", usr.ID(), res.User.KID)
+			if res.User.KID != sc.KID() {
+				return res.User.KID, nil
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/user/users_test.go b/user/users_test.go
index ad985e0..ab3224d 100644
--- a/user/users_test.go
+++ b/user/users_test.go
@@ -148,3 +148,30 @@ func TestSigchainRevokeUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotNil(t, result)
 	require.Equal(t, user.StatusOK, result.Status)
 }
+
+func TestCheckForExisting(t *testing.T) {
+	var err error
+
+	clock := tsutil.NewTestClock()
+	req := request.NewMockRequestor()
+	ds := docs.NewMem()
+	scs := keys.NewSigchains(ds)
+	users := user.NewUsers(ds, scs, user.Requestor(req), user.Clock(clock))
+
+	sk1 := keys.NewEdX25519KeyFromSeed(testSeed(0x01))
+	sc1 := testEchoSigchain(t, sk1, "alice", clock)
+	kid, err := users.CheckForExisting(context.TODO(), sc1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Empty(t, kid)
+	err = scs.Save(sc1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = users.Update(context.TODO(), sk1.ID())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	sk2 := keys.NewEdX25519KeyFromSeed(testSeed(0x02))
+	sc2 := testEchoSigchain(t, sk2, "alice", clock)
+	kid, err = users.CheckForExisting(context.TODO(), sc2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, kid, sk1.ID())
+
+}