diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index b23d5de133..4fc8fd9409 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -4092,16 +4092,7 @@ def email_not_system_bot(email: Text) -> None:
         raise ValidationError('%s is an email address reserved for system bots' % (email,))
 
 def validate_email_for_realm(target_realm: Realm, email: Text) -> None:
-    try:
-        # Registering with a system bot's email is not allowed...
-        email_not_system_bot(email)
-    except ValidationError:
-        # ... unless this is the first user with that email.  This
-        # should be impossible in production, because these users are
-        # created by initialize_voyager_db, but it happens in a test's
-        # setup.  (This would be a good wrinkle to clean up.)
-        if UserProfile.objects.filter(email__iexact=email).exists():
-            raise
+    email_not_system_bot(email)
 
     try:
         existing_user_profile = get_user(email, target_realm)
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_messages.py b/zerver/tests/test_messages.py
index 8fff47f9b1..bfb4cf7814 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_messages.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_messages.py
@@ -266,7 +266,11 @@ class TestCrossRealmPMs(ZulipTestCase):
         user2 = self.create_user(user2_email)
         self.create_user(user3_email)
         feedback_bot = get_system_bot(feedback_email)
-        support_bot = self.create_user(support_email)
+        with self.settings(CROSS_REALM_BOT_EMAILS=['feedback@zulip.com', 'welcome-bot@zulip.com']):
+            # HACK: We should probably be creating this "bot" user another
+            # way, but since you can't register a user with a
+            # cross-realm email, we need to hide this for now.
+            support_bot = self.create_user(support_email)
 
         # Users can PM themselves
         self.send_personal_message(user1_email, user1_email, sender_realm="1.example.com")