diff --git a/Jellyfin.Api/Controllers/StartupController.cs b/Jellyfin.Api/Controllers/StartupController.cs
index 04f134b8bf..93fb22c4eb 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Api/Controllers/StartupController.cs
+++ b/Jellyfin.Api/Controllers/StartupController.cs
@@ -46,14 +46,12 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Api.Controllers
         [HttpGet("Configuration")]
         public StartupConfigurationDto GetStartupConfiguration()
         {
-            var result = new StartupConfigurationDto
+            return new StartupConfigurationDto
             {
                 UICulture = _config.Configuration.UICulture,
                 MetadataCountryCode = _config.Configuration.MetadataCountryCode,
                 PreferredMetadataLanguage = _config.Configuration.PreferredMetadataLanguage
             };
-
-            return result;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -92,10 +90,10 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Api.Controllers
         /// </summary>
         /// <returns>The first user.</returns>
         [HttpGet("User")]
-        public StartupUserDto GetFirstUser()
+        public async Task<StartupUserDto> GetFirstUser()
         {
             // TODO: Remove this method when startup wizard no longer requires an existing user.
-            _userManager.Initialize();
+            await _userManager.InitializeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
             var user = _userManager.Users.First();
             return new StartupUserDto
             {
diff --git a/Jellyfin.Server.Implementations/Users/UserManager.cs b/Jellyfin.Server.Implementations/Users/UserManager.cs
index 343f452c7d..5d72ff9382 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Server.Implementations/Users/UserManager.cs
+++ b/Jellyfin.Server.Implementations/Users/UserManager.cs
@@ -188,8 +188,24 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server.Implementations.Users
             await dbContext.SaveChangesAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
 
+        internal async Task<User> CreateUserInternalAsync(string name, JellyfinDb dbContext)
+        {
+            // TODO: Remove after user item data is migrated.
+            var max = await dbContext.Users.AnyAsync().ConfigureAwait(false)
+                ? await dbContext.Users.Select(u => u.InternalId).MaxAsync().ConfigureAwait(false)
+                : 0;
+
+            return new User(
+                name,
+                _defaultAuthenticationProvider.GetType().FullName,
+                _defaultPasswordResetProvider.GetType().FullName)
+            {
+                InternalId = max + 1
+            };
+        }
+
         /// <inheritdoc/>
-        public User CreateUser(string name)
+        public async Task<User> CreateUserAsync(string name)
         {
             if (!IsValidUsername(name))
             {
@@ -198,18 +214,10 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server.Implementations.Users
 
             using var dbContext = _dbProvider.CreateContext();
 
-            // TODO: Remove after user item data is migrated.
-            var max = dbContext.Users.Any() ? dbContext.Users.Select(u => u.InternalId).Max() : 0;
+            var newUser = await CreateUserInternalAsync(name, dbContext).ConfigureAwait(false);
 
-            var newUser = new User(
-                name,
-                _defaultAuthenticationProvider.GetType().FullName,
-                _defaultPasswordResetProvider.GetType().FullName)
-            {
-                InternalId = max + 1
-            };
-            dbContext.Users.Add(newUser);
-            dbContext.SaveChanges();
+            await dbContext.Users.AddAsync(newUser).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await dbContext.SaveChangesAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
 
             OnUserCreated?.Invoke(this, new GenericEventArgs<User>(newUser));
 
@@ -572,12 +580,12 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server.Implementations.Users
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc />
-        public void Initialize()
+        public async Task InitializeAsync()
         {
             // TODO: Refactor the startup wizard so that it doesn't require a user to already exist.
             using var dbContext = _dbProvider.CreateContext();
 
-            if (dbContext.Users.Any())
+            if (await dbContext.Users.AnyAsync().ConfigureAwait(false))
             {
                 return;
             }
@@ -595,13 +603,13 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server.Implementations.Users
                 throw new ArgumentException("Provided username is not valid!", defaultName);
             }
 
-            var newUser = CreateUser(defaultName);
+            var newUser = await CreateUserInternalAsync(defaultName, dbContext).ConfigureAwait(false);
             newUser.SetPermission(PermissionKind.IsAdministrator, true);
             newUser.SetPermission(PermissionKind.EnableContentDeletion, true);
             newUser.SetPermission(PermissionKind.EnableRemoteControlOfOtherUsers, true);
 
-            dbContext.Users.Update(newUser);
-            dbContext.SaveChanges();
+            await dbContext.Users.AddAsync(newUser).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await dbContext.SaveChangesAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Api/UserService.cs b/MediaBrowser.Api/UserService.cs
index 6e9d788dc1..440d1840d9 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Api/UserService.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Api/UserService.cs
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api
         /// <returns>System.Object.</returns>
         public async Task<object> Post(CreateUserByName request)
         {
-            var newUser = _userManager.CreateUser(request.Name);
+            var newUser = await _userManager.CreateUserAsync(request.Name).ConfigureAwait(false);
 
             // no need to authenticate password for new user
             if (request.Password != null)
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Controller/Library/IUserManager.cs b/MediaBrowser.Controller/Library/IUserManager.cs
index e73fe71205..a2ff0c1bc7 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Controller/Library/IUserManager.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Controller/Library/IUserManager.cs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Controller.Library
         /// <summary>
         /// Initializes the user manager and ensures that a user exists.
         /// </summary>
-        void Initialize();
+        Task InitializeAsync();
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets a user by Id.
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Controller.Library
         /// <returns>The created user.</returns>
         /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException">name</exception>
         /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"></exception>
-        User CreateUser(string name);
+        Task<User> CreateUserAsync(string name);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Deletes the specified user.