diff --git a/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/add.rs b/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/add.rs
index 976ae818f..48b357043 100644
--- a/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/add.rs
+++ b/crates/handlers/src/admin/v1/users/add.rs
@@ -125,13 +125,9 @@ pub fn doc(operation: TransformOperation) -> TransformOperation {
             let response = ErrorResponse::from_error(&RouteError::UsernameNotValid);
             t.description("Username is not valid").example(response)
         })
-        .response_with::<409, RouteError, _>(|t| {
-            let response = ErrorResponse::from_error(&RouteError::UserAlreadyExists);
-            t.description("User already exists").example(response)
-        })
         .response_with::<409, RouteError, _>(|t| {
             let response = ErrorResponse::from_error(&RouteError::UsernameReserved);
-            t.description("Username is reserved by the homeserver")
+            t.description("User already exists or the username is reserved by the homeserver")
                 .example(response)
         })
 }
diff --git a/docs/api/spec.json b/docs/api/spec.json
index 72c4bf0e2..8f4cbbce4 100644
--- a/docs/api/spec.json
+++ b/docs/api/spec.json
@@ -2310,7 +2310,7 @@
             }
           },
           "409": {
-            "description": "Username is reserved by the homeserver",
+            "description": "User already exists or the username is reserved by the homeserver",
             "content": {
               "application/json": {
                 "schema": {