diff --git a/api/src/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.java b/api/src/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.java
index 9abd49319..18df8e6f4 100644
--- a/api/src/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.java
+++ b/api/src/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.java
@@ -165,10 +165,6 @@ public final class Task extends RemoteModel {
     @Deprecated public static final StringProperty USER = new StringProperty(
             TABLE, USER_JSON_PROPERTY_NAME);
 
-    /** User email (for assigning by email) */
-    public static final StringProperty USER_EMAIL = new StringProperty(
-            TABLE, "userEmail");
-
     /** Creator user id */
     public static final StringProperty CREATOR_ID = new StringProperty(
             TABLE, "creatorId", Property.PROP_FLAG_USER_ID);
@@ -218,6 +214,12 @@ public final class Task extends RemoteModel {
                 Task.USER_ID_IGNORE.equals(userId));
     }
 
+    public static boolean userIdIsEmail(String userId) {
+        if (userId == null)
+            return false;
+        return userId.indexOf('@') >= 0;
+    }
+
     // --- notification flags
 
     /** whether to send a reminder at deadline */
@@ -301,7 +303,7 @@ public final class Task extends RemoteModel {
         defaultValues.put(USER_ID.name, "0");
         defaultValues.put(CREATOR_ID.name, 0);
         defaultValues.put(USER.name, "");
-        defaultValues.put(USER_EMAIL.name, "");
+//        defaultValues.put(USER_EMAIL.name, "");
         defaultValues.put(PUSHED_AT.name, 0L);
     }
 
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java
index 2ad4ae531..e175d03df 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ public class EditPeopleControlSet extends PopupControlSet {
     private int findAssignedIndex(Task t, ArrayList<AssignedToUser>... userLists) {
         String assignedStr = t.getValue(Task.USER);
         long assignedId = -2;
-        String assignedEmail = t.getValue(Task.USER_EMAIL);
+        String assignedEmail = t.getValue(Task.USER_ID);
         try {
             JSONObject assigned = new JSONObject(assignedStr);
             assignedId = assigned.optLong("id", -2);
@@ -668,21 +668,20 @@ public class EditPeopleControlSet extends PopupControlSet {
                 } catch (JSONException e) {
                     // sad times
                     taskUserId = task.getValue(Task.USER_ID);
-                    if (Task.USER_ID_EMAIL.equals(taskUserId))
-                        taskUserEmail = task.getValue(Task.USER_EMAIL);
+                    if (Task.userIdIsEmail(taskUserId))
+                        taskUserEmail = taskUserId;
                 }
                 String userId = Long.toString(userJson.optLong("id", -2));
                 String userEmail = userJson.optString("email");
 
-                boolean match = (userId.equals(taskUserId) && !Task.USER_ID_EMAIL.equals(userId));
+                boolean match = userId.equals(taskUserId);
                 match = match || (userEmail.equals(taskUserEmail) && !TextUtils.isEmpty(userEmail));
 
                 dirty = match ? dirty : true;
-                task.setValue(Task.USER_ID, Long.toString(userJson.optLong("id", -2)));
+                String willAssignToId = Long.toString(userJson.optLong("id", -2));
+                task.setValue(Task.USER_ID, willAssignToId);
                 if (Task.USER_ID_EMAIL.equals(task.getValue(Task.USER_ID)))
-                    task.setValue(Task.USER_EMAIL, userEmail);
-                else
-                    task.setValue(Task.USER_EMAIL, "");
+                    task.setValue(Task.USER_ID, userEmail);
                 task.setValue(Task.USER, "");
             }
 
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/TagViewFragment.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/TagViewFragment.java
index e45be0921..4f3889416 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/TagViewFragment.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/TagViewFragment.java
@@ -507,8 +507,8 @@ public class TagViewFragment extends TaskListFragment {
                     Criterion assignedCriterion;
                     if (ActFmPreferenceService.userId().equals(currentId))
                         assignedCriterion = Criterion.or(Task.USER_ID.eq(0), Task.USER_ID.eq(id));
-                    else if (Task.USER_ID_EMAIL.equals(currentId) && !TextUtils.isEmpty(email))
-                        assignedCriterion = Criterion.or(Task.USER_EMAIL.eq(email), Task.USER.like("%" + email + "%")); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$ // Deprecated field OK for backwards compatibility
+                    else if (Task.userIdIsEmail(currentId) && !TextUtils.isEmpty(email))
+                        assignedCriterion = Criterion.or(Task.USER_ID.eq(email), Task.USER.like("%" + email + "%")); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$ // Deprecated field OK for backwards compatibility
                     else
                         assignedCriterion = Task.USER_ID.eq(id);
                     Criterion assigned = Criterion.and(TaskCriteria.activeAndVisible(), assignedCriterion);
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditFragment.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditFragment.java
index f9d282163..c0cc8a9a0 100755
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditFragment.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditFragment.java
@@ -927,8 +927,8 @@ ViewPager.OnPageChangeListener, EditNoteActivity.UpdatesChangedListener {
             String assignedTo = peopleControlSet.getAssignedToString();
             String assignedEmail = ""; //$NON-NLS-1$
             String assignedId = Task.USER_ID_IGNORE;
-            if (Task.USER_ID_EMAIL.equals(model.getValue(Task.USER_ID))) {
-                assignedEmail = model.getValue(Task.USER_EMAIL);
+            if (Task.userIdIsEmail(model.getValue(Task.USER_ID))) {
+                assignedEmail = model.getValue(Task.USER_ID);
             }
 
             if (taskEditActivity) {
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/TaskService.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/TaskService.java
index 6326783b8..404a1f313 100644
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/TaskService.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/TaskService.java
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ import com.todoroo.astrid.gcal.GCalHelper;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.gtasks.GtasksMetadata;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.opencrx.OpencrxCoreUtils;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.producteev.sync.ProducteevTask;
-import com.todoroo.astrid.tags.TaskToTagMetadata;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.tags.TagService;
+import com.todoroo.astrid.tags.TaskToTagMetadata;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.utility.TitleParser;
 
 
@@ -216,7 +216,6 @@ public class TaskService {
         newTask.clearValue(Task.ID);
         newTask.clearValue(Task.UUID);
         newTask.clearValue(Task.USER);
-        newTask.clearValue(Task.USER_EMAIL);
         newTask.clearValue(Task.USER_ID);
 
         taskDao.save(newTask);
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/ui/QuickAddBar.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/ui/QuickAddBar.java
index 0ea2de0f9..a29a5187d 100644
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/ui/QuickAddBar.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/ui/QuickAddBar.java
@@ -326,8 +326,8 @@ public class QuickAddBar extends LinearLayout {
             String assignedTo = peopleControl.getAssignedToString();
             String assignedEmail = "";
             String assignedId = task.getValue(Task.USER_ID);
-            if (Task.USER_ID_EMAIL.equals(task.getValue(Task.USER_ID))) {
-                assignedEmail = task.getValue(Task.USER_EMAIL);
+            if (Task.userIdIsEmail(task.getValue(Task.USER_ID))) {
+                assignedEmail = task.getValue(Task.USER_ID);
             }
 
             resetControlSets();