diff --git a/lib/mv/accounts/user/validations/email_not_used_by_other_member.ex b/lib/mv/accounts/user/validations/email_not_used_by_other_member.ex
index cf3c624..d3cb776 100644
--- a/lib/mv/accounts/user/validations/email_not_used_by_other_member.ex
+++ b/lib/mv/accounts/user/validations/email_not_used_by_other_member.ex
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 defmodule Mv.Accounts.User.Validations.EmailNotUsedByOtherMember do
   @moduledoc """
-  Validates that the user's email is not already used by another member
-  (unless that member is linked to this user).
-
-  This prevents email conflicts when syncing between users and members.
+  Validates that the user's email is not already used by another member.
+  Allows syncing with linked member (excludes member_id from check).
   """
   use Ash.Resource.Validation
 
@@ -11,42 +9,32 @@ defmodule Mv.Accounts.User.Validations.EmailNotUsedByOtherMember do
   def validate(changeset, _opts, _context) do
     case Ash.Changeset.fetch_change(changeset, :email) do
       {:ok, new_email} ->
-        check_email_not_used_by_other_member(changeset, new_email)
+        member_id = Ash.Changeset.get_attribute(changeset, :member_id)
+        check_email_uniqueness(new_email, member_id)
 
       :error ->
-        # Email not being changed
         :ok
     end
   end
 
-  defp check_email_not_used_by_other_member(changeset, new_email) do
-    member_id = Ash.Changeset.get_attribute(changeset, :member_id)
-
-    # Check if any member has this email
-    # Exclude the member linked to this user (if any)
+  defp check_email_uniqueness(new_email, exclude_member_id) do
     query =
       Mv.Membership.Member
       |> Ash.Query.filter(email == ^to_string(new_email))
-      |> then(fn q ->
-        if member_id do
-          Ash.Query.filter(q, id != ^member_id)
-        else
-          q
-        end
-      end)
+      |> maybe_exclude_id(exclude_member_id)
 
     case Ash.read(query) do
       {:ok, []} ->
-        # No conflicting member found
         :ok
 
-      {:ok, members} when is_list(members) and length(members) > 0 ->
-        # Email is already used by another member
+      {:ok, _} ->
         {:error, field: :email, message: "is already used by another member", value: new_email}
 
       {:error, _} ->
-        # Error reading members - be safe and allow
         :ok
     end
   end
+
+  defp maybe_exclude_id(query, nil), do: query
+  defp maybe_exclude_id(query, id), do: Ash.Query.filter(query, id != ^id)
 end
diff --git a/lib/mv/membership/member/validations/email_not_used_by_other_user.ex b/lib/mv/membership/member/validations/email_not_used_by_other_user.ex
index f48613b..6c544b5 100644
--- a/lib/mv/membership/member/validations/email_not_used_by_other_user.ex
+++ b/lib/mv/membership/member/validations/email_not_used_by_other_user.ex
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 defmodule Mv.Membership.Member.Validations.EmailNotUsedByOtherUser do
   @moduledoc """
-  Validates that the member's email is not already used by another user
-  (unless that user is linked to this member).
-
-  This prevents email conflicts when syncing between users and members.
+  Validates that the member's email is not already used by another user.
+  Allows syncing with linked user (excludes linked user from check).
   """
   use Ash.Resource.Validation
 
@@ -11,49 +9,39 @@ defmodule Mv.Membership.Member.Validations.EmailNotUsedByOtherUser do
   def validate(changeset, _opts, _context) do
     case Ash.Changeset.fetch_change(changeset, :email) do
       {:ok, new_email} ->
-        check_email_not_used_by_other_user(changeset, new_email)
+        linked_user_id = get_linked_user_id(changeset.data)
+        check_email_uniqueness(new_email, linked_user_id)
 
       :error ->
-        # Email not being changed
         :ok
     end
   end
 
-  defp check_email_not_used_by_other_user(changeset, new_email) do
-    # Load the user relationship to check if this member is linked to a user
-    member_with_user =
-      case Ash.load(changeset.data, :user) do
-        {:ok, loaded} -> loaded
-        {:error, _} -> changeset.data
-      end
-
-    linked_user_id = if member_with_user.user, do: member_with_user.user.id, else: nil
-
-    # Check if any user has this email (case-insensitive)
-    # Exclude the user linked to this member (if any)
+  defp check_email_uniqueness(new_email, exclude_user_id) do
     query =
       Mv.Accounts.User
       |> Ash.Query.filter(email == ^new_email)
-      |> then(fn q ->
-        if linked_user_id do
-          Ash.Query.filter(q, id != ^linked_user_id)
-        else
-          q
-        end
-      end)
+      |> maybe_exclude_id(exclude_user_id)
 
     case Ash.read(query) do
       {:ok, []} ->
-        # No conflicting user found
         :ok
 
-      {:ok, users} when is_list(users) and length(users) > 0 ->
-        # Email is already used by another user
+      {:ok, _} ->
         {:error, field: :email, message: "is already used by another user", value: new_email}
 
       {:error, _} ->
-        # Error reading users - be safe and allow
         :ok
     end
   end
+
+  defp maybe_exclude_id(query, nil), do: query
+  defp maybe_exclude_id(query, id), do: Ash.Query.filter(query, id != ^id)
+
+  defp get_linked_user_id(member_data) do
+    case Ash.load(member_data, :user) do
+      {:ok, %{user: %{id: id}}} -> id
+      _ -> nil
+    end
+  end
 end