diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 5578ac27f5e..ee304e17e5e 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   validate :name_validator, if: :will_save_change_to_name?
   validates :name, user_full_name: true, if: :will_save_change_to_name?, length: { maximum: 255 }
   validates :ip_address, allowed_ip_address: { on: :create, message: :signup_not_allowed }
-  validates :primary_email, presence: true
+  validates :primary_email, presence: true, unless: :skip_email_validation
   validates :validatable_user_fields_values, watched_words: true, unless: :custom_fields_clean?
   validates_associated :primary_email,
                        message: ->(_, user_email) { user_email[:value]&.errors[:email]&.first }
diff --git a/lib/promotion.rb b/lib/promotion.rb
index 688751f8f88..f18b4924c5d 100644
--- a/lib/promotion.rb
+++ b/lib/promotion.rb
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class Promotion
           new_value: new_level,
         )
       end
+      @user.skip_email_validation = true
       @user.save!
       @user.user_profile.recook_bio
       @user.user_profile.save!
diff --git a/spec/jobs/tl3_promotions_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/tl3_promotions_spec.rb
index d1f44556658..28fc7439591 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/tl3_promotions_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/tl3_promotions_spec.rb
@@ -133,5 +133,19 @@ RSpec.describe Jobs::Tl3Promotions do
       run_job
       expect(user.reload.trust_level).to eq(TrustLevel[3])
     end
+
+    it "doesn't error if user is missing email records" do
+      user = nil
+
+      freeze_time 4.days.ago do
+        user = create_leader_user
+      end
+      user.user_emails.delete_all
+
+      TrustLevel3Requirements.any_instance.stubs(:requirements_met?).returns(false)
+      TrustLevel3Requirements.any_instance.stubs(:requirements_lost?).returns(true)
+      run_job
+      expect(user.reload.trust_level).to eq(TrustLevel[2])
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/promotion_spec.rb b/spec/lib/promotion_spec.rb
index d807a309c0c..f31deebe961 100644
--- a/spec/lib/promotion_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/promotion_spec.rb
@@ -273,4 +273,18 @@ RSpec.describe Promotion do
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe "#change_trust_level!" do
+    fab!(:user) { Fabricate(:user, trust_level: TrustLevel[0]) }
+    let(:promotion) { Promotion.new(user) }
+
+    context "when the user has no emails" do
+      before { user.user_emails.delete_all }
+
+      it "does not error" do
+        expect { promotion.change_trust_level!(TrustLevel[1]) }.not_to raise_error
+        expect(user.reload.trust_level).to eq(TrustLevel[1])
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end