diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 424c8e89a..7266965bd 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -957,10 +957,6 @@ func (c *Cluster) initSystemUsers() {
 			Password: util.RandomPassword(constants.PasswordLength),
 		}
 
-		if _, exists := c.pgUsers[username]; !exists {
-			c.pgUsers[username] = connectionPoolerUser
-		}
-
 		if _, exists := c.systemUsers[constants.ConnectionPoolerUserKeyName]; !exists {
 			c.systemUsers[constants.ConnectionPoolerUserKeyName] = connectionPoolerUser
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/database.go b/pkg/cluster/database.go
index 760b68d72..f6a55a644 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/database.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/database.go
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ const (
 	              JOIN pg_catalog.pg_authid b ON (m.roleid = b.oid)
 	             WHERE m.member = a.oid) as memberof
 	 FROM pg_catalog.pg_authid a LEFT JOIN pg_db_role_setting s ON (a.oid = s.setrole AND s.setdatabase = 0::oid)
-	 WHERE a.rolname = ANY($1)
+	 WHERE a.rolname != ALL($1)
+	   AND (rolcanlogin OR (NOT rolcanlogin AND rolpassword IS NOT NULL))
 	 ORDER BY 1;`
 
 	getDatabasesSQL = `SELECT datname, pg_get_userbyid(datdba) AS owner FROM pg_database;`
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/sync.go b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
index c82e528fd..cea657fc7 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
@@ -528,6 +528,9 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncSecrets() error {
 			} else if secretUsername == c.systemUsers[constants.ReplicationUserKeyName].Name {
 				secretUsername = constants.ReplicationUserKeyName
 				userMap = c.systemUsers
+			} else if secretUsername == c.systemUsers[constants.ConnectionPoolerUserName].Name {
+				secretUsername = constants.ConnectionPoolerUserName
+				userMap = c.systemUsers
 			} else {
 				userMap = c.pgUsers
 			}
@@ -557,8 +560,8 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncRoles() (err error) {
 	c.setProcessName("syncing roles")
 
 	var (
-		dbUsers   spec.PgUserMap
-		userNames []string
+		dbUsers         spec.PgUserMap
+		systemUserNames []string
 	)
 
 	err = c.initDbConn()
@@ -576,20 +579,11 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncRoles() (err error) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	for _, u := range c.pgUsers {
-		userNames = append(userNames, u.Name)
+	for _, u := range c.systemUsers {
+		systemUserNames = append(systemUserNames, u.Name)
 	}
 
-	if needMasterConnectionPooler(&c.Spec) || needReplicaConnectionPooler(&c.Spec) {
-		connectionPoolerUser := c.systemUsers[constants.ConnectionPoolerUserKeyName]
-		userNames = append(userNames, connectionPoolerUser.Name)
-
-		if _, exists := c.pgUsers[connectionPoolerUser.Name]; !exists {
-			c.pgUsers[connectionPoolerUser.Name] = connectionPoolerUser
-		}
-	}
-
-	dbUsers, err = c.readPgUsersFromDatabase(userNames)
+	dbUsers, err = c.readPgUsersFromDatabase(systemUserNames)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting users from the database: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/spec/types.go b/pkg/spec/types.go
index 78c79e1b3..69f742e42 100644
--- a/pkg/spec/types.go
+++ b/pkg/spec/types.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const (
 	PGSyncUserAdd = iota
 	PGsyncUserAlter
 	PGSyncAlterSet // handle ALTER ROLE SET parameter = value
+	PGSyncUserRename
 )
 
 // PgUser contains information about a single user.
diff --git a/pkg/util/constants/roles.go b/pkg/util/constants/roles.go
index dd906fe80..4230028e1 100644
--- a/pkg/util/constants/roles.go
+++ b/pkg/util/constants/roles.go
@@ -18,5 +18,6 @@ const (
 	ReaderRoleNameSuffix        = "_reader"
 	WriterRoleNameSuffix        = "_writer"
 	UserRoleNameSuffix          = "_user"
+	RoleRenameSuffix            = "_delete_me"
 	DefaultSearchPath           = "\"$user\""
 )
diff --git a/pkg/util/users/users.go b/pkg/util/users/users.go
index 231cf2a89..1551ee437 100644
--- a/pkg/util/users/users.go
+++ b/pkg/util/users/users.go
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util"
+	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/constants"
 )
 
 const (
 	createUserSQL        = `SET LOCAL synchronous_commit = 'local'; CREATE ROLE "%s" %s %s;`
 	alterUserSQL         = `ALTER ROLE "%s" %s`
+	alterUserRenameSQL   = `ALTER ROLE "%s" RENAME TO "%s%s"`
 	alterRoleResetAllSQL = `ALTER ROLE "%s" RESET ALL`
 	alterRoleSetSQL      = `ALTER ROLE "%s" SET %s TO %s`
 	grantToUserSQL       = `GRANT %s TO "%s"`
@@ -36,7 +38,6 @@ func (strategy DefaultUserSyncStrategy) ProduceSyncRequests(dbUsers spec.PgUserM
 	newUsers spec.PgUserMap) []spec.PgSyncUserRequest {
 
 	var reqs []spec.PgSyncUserRequest
-	// No existing roles are deleted or stripped of role memebership/flags
 	for name, newUser := range newUsers {
 		dbUser, exists := dbUsers[name]
 		if !exists {
@@ -70,6 +71,16 @@ func (strategy DefaultUserSyncStrategy) ProduceSyncRequests(dbUsers spec.PgUserM
 		}
 	}
 
+	// No existing roles are deleted or stripped of role memebership/flags
+	// but they will be renamed acting as a simple blocker
+	for name, dbUser := range dbUsers {
+		_, exists := newUsers[name]
+		nameSuffixDiff := len(name) - len(constants.RoleRenameSuffix)
+
+		if !exists && (nameSuffixDiff <= 0 || (nameSuffixDiff > 0 && name[nameSuffixDiff:] != constants.RoleRenameSuffix)) {
+			reqs = append(reqs, spec.PgSyncUserRequest{Kind: spec.PGSyncUserRename, User: dbUser})
+		}
+	}
 	return reqs
 }
 
@@ -94,6 +105,11 @@ func (strategy DefaultUserSyncStrategy) ExecuteSyncRequests(requests []spec.PgSy
 				reqretries = append(reqretries, request)
 				errors = append(errors, fmt.Sprintf("could not set custom user %q parameters: %v", request.User.Name, err))
 			}
+		case spec.PGSyncUserRename:
+			if err := strategy.alterPgUserRename(request.User, db); err != nil {
+				reqretries = append(reqretries, request)
+				errors = append(errors, fmt.Sprintf("could not rename custom user %q: %v", request.User.Name, err))
+			}
 		default:
 			return fmt.Errorf("unrecognized operation: %v", request.Kind)
 		}
@@ -124,6 +140,14 @@ func (strategy DefaultUserSyncStrategy) alterPgUserSet(user spec.PgUser, db *sql
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (strategy DefaultUserSyncStrategy) alterPgUserRename(user spec.PgUser, db *sql.DB) error {
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(alterUserRenameSQL, user.Name, user.Name, constants.RoleRenameSuffix)
+	if _, err := db.Exec(query); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (strategy DefaultUserSyncStrategy) createPgUser(user spec.PgUser, db *sql.DB) error {
 	var userFlags []string
 	var userPassword string