diff --git a/backend/fluksio/cloud/enroll.py b/backend/fluksio/cloud/enroll.py
index 5962b7e..c55a99a 100644
--- a/backend/fluksio/cloud/enroll.py
+++ b/backend/fluksio/cloud/enroll.py
@@ -216,11 +216,12 @@ def adopt_member(session: Session, portal_sub: str) -> User | None:
         return None
     try:
         return create_remote_user(session, portal_sub, str(member["email"]))
-    except EnrollError:
-        return None
-    except IntegrityError:
+    except (EnrollError, IntegrityError):
         # A first page load fires several requests and the websocket at once,
         # all of them missing the row and all of them creating it. Whoever
-        # loses reads back what the winner wrote.
+        # loses, at the unique index or at the checks before it (the winner
+        # may commit while this one asks the portal), reads back what the
+        # winner wrote. An email another local account holds finds nothing to
+        # read back and stays refused.
         session.rollback()
         return session.exec(select(User).where(User.portal_sub == portal_sub)).first()
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_cloud.py b/backend/tests/test_cloud.py
index 9712294..56e7f97 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_cloud.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_cloud.py
@@ -644,6 +644,39 @@ def test_a_member_the_portal_vouches_for_is_adopted(
         assert user_from_token(db, stranger) is None
 
 
+def test_a_request_that_loses_the_adoption_race_gets_the_winners_user(
+    enrolled: User,  # noqa: ARG001 (fixture installs the enrolment)
+    portal_key: rsa.RSAPrivateKey,
+    db: Session,
+) -> None:
+    """A first page load adopts from several requests; none of them is refused."""
+    from fluksio.cloud.enroll import create_remote_user
+
+    theirs = portal_token(portal_key, subject="portal-user-race")
+
+    def vouch_after_the_winner_commits(*_: object, **__: object) -> Mock:
+        # Another request finishes adopting while this one asks the portal.
+        with Session(db.get_bind()) as other:
+            create_remote_user(other, "portal-user-race", "race@example.com")
+        return Mock(
+            status_code=200,
+            json=Mock(
+                return_value={
+                    "user_id": "portal-user-race",
+                    "email": "race@example.com",
+                }
+            ),
+        )
+
+    with patch(
+        "fluksio.cloud.enroll.httpx.get", side_effect=vouch_after_the_winner_commits
+    ):
+        adopted = user_from_token(db, theirs)
+
+    assert adopted is not None
+    assert adopted.portal_sub == "portal-user-race"
+
+
 def test_the_tunnel_opens_the_live_socket_with_a_ticket(
     client: TestClient, superuser_token_headers: dict[str, str]
 ) -> None: