diff --git a/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_user_profile_viewset.py b/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_user_profile_viewset.py
index 891dad0a48..7bca53d29d 100644
--- a/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_user_profile_viewset.py
+++ b/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_user_profile_viewset.py
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 from onadata.libs.authentication import DigestAuthentication
 from onadata.libs.serializers.user_profile_serializer import \
     _get_first_last_names
-from onadata.libs.utils.cache_tools import USER_PROFILE_PREFIX, safe_key
 
 
 def _profile_data():
@@ -205,24 +204,6 @@ def test_profiles_get(self):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
         self.assertEqual(response.data, self.user_profile_data())
 
-    def test_retrieve_user_profile_from_cache(self):
-        """
-        Test that user_profiles are cached on retrieve
-        """
-        view = UserProfileViewSet.as_view({
-            'get': 'retrieve'
-        })
-
-        # clear cache
-        cache.delete(safe_key(f'{USER_PROFILE_PREFIX}bob'))
-
-        self.assertIsNone(cache.get(safe_key(f'{USER_PROFILE_PREFIX}bob')))
-
-        request = self.factory.get('/', **self.extra)
-        view(request, user='bob')
-
-        self.assertIsNotNone(cache.get(f'{USER_PROFILE_PREFIX}bob'))
-
     def test_profiles_get_anon(self):
         view = UserProfileViewSet.as_view({
             'get': 'retrieve'
@@ -1208,6 +1189,38 @@ def test_monthly_submissions_with_year_param(self):
         self.assertFalse(self.xform.shared)
         self.assertEquals(response.data, {'private': count})
 
+    @override_settings(ENABLE_EMAIL_VERIFICATION=True)
+    @patch(
+        'onadata.apps.api.viewsets.user_profile_viewset.RegistrationProfile')
+    def test_reads_from_master(self, mock_rp_class):
+        """
+        Test that on failure to retrieve a UserProfile in the first
+        try a second query is run on the master database
+        """
+        data = _profile_data()
+        self._create_user_using_profiles_endpoint(data)
+
+        view = UserProfileViewSet.as_view({'get': 'verify_email'})
+        rp = RegistrationProfile.objects.get(
+            user__username=data.get('username')
+        )
+        _data = {'verification_key': rp.activation_key}
+        mock_rp_class.DoesNotExist = RegistrationProfile.DoesNotExist
+        mock_rp_class.objects.select_related(
+            'user', 'user__profile'
+            ).get.side_effect = [RegistrationProfile.DoesNotExist, rp]
+        request = self.factory.get('/', data=_data)
+        response = view(request)
+        self.assertEquals(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertIn('is_email_verified', response.data)
+        self.assertIn('username', response.data)
+        self.assertTrue(response.data.get('is_email_verified'))
+        self.assertEquals(
+            response.data.get('username'), data.get('username'))
+        self.assertEqual(
+            mock_rp_class.objects.select_related(
+                'user', 'user__profile').get.call_count, 2)
+
     def test_change_password_attempts(self):
         view = UserProfileViewSet.as_view(
             {'post': 'change_password'})
diff --git a/onadata/apps/api/viewsets/user_profile_viewset.py b/onadata/apps/api/viewsets/user_profile_viewset.py
index 0a365ae6dc..3aa8b18e12 100644
--- a/onadata/apps/api/viewsets/user_profile_viewset.py
+++ b/onadata/apps/api/viewsets/user_profile_viewset.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 from rest_framework.generics import get_object_or_404
 from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.viewsets import ModelViewSet
+from multidb.pinning import use_master
 
 from onadata.apps.api.tasks import send_verification_email
 from onadata.apps.api.permissions import UserProfilePermissions
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ def serializer_from_settings():
 
 
 def set_is_email_verified(profile, is_email_verified):
-    profile.metadata.update({"is_email_verified": is_email_verified})
+    profile.metadata.update({'is_email_verified': is_email_verified})
     profile.save()
 
 
@@ -214,7 +215,6 @@ def retrieve(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
             return Response(cached_user)
         response = super(UserProfileViewSet, self)\
             .retrieve(request, *args, **kwargs)
-        cache.set(f'{USER_PROFILE_PREFIX}{username}', response.data)
         return response
 
     def create(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -337,19 +337,31 @@ def verify_email(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
         verification_key = request.query_params.get('verification_key')
         response_message = _("Missing or invalid verification key")
         if verification_key:
+            rp = None
             try:
-                rp = RegistrationProfile.objects.get(
-                    activation_key=verification_key)
+                rp = RegistrationProfile.objects.select_related(
+                        'user', 'user__profile').get(
+                            activation_key=verification_key)
             except RegistrationProfile.DoesNotExist:
-                pass
-            else:
+                with use_master:
+                    try:
+                        rp = RegistrationProfile.objects.select_related(
+                            'user', 'user__profile').get(
+                                activation_key=verification_key)
+                    except RegistrationProfile.DoesNotExist:
+                        pass
+
+            if rp:
                 rp.activation_key = verified_key_text
                 rp.save()
 
+                username = rp.user.username
                 set_is_email_verified(rp.user.profile, True)
+                # Clear profiles cache
+                safe_delete(f'{USER_PROFILE_PREFIX}{username}')
 
                 response_data = {
-                    'username': rp.user.username,
+                    'username': username,
                     'is_email_verified': True
                 }