diff --git a/app/logical/approver_pruner.rb b/app/logical/approver_pruner.rb
index 03172f50f..0fc6cda6e 100644
--- a/app/logical/approver_pruner.rb
+++ b/app/logical/approver_pruner.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module ApproverPruner
   MINIMUM_APPROVALS = 30
 
   def inactive_approvers
-    approvers = User.where("bit_prefs & ? > 0", User.flag_value_for("can_approve_posts"))
+    approvers = User.bit_prefs_match(:can_approve_posts, true)
     approvers = approvers.where("level < ?", User::Levels::MODERATOR)
 
     recently_promoted_approvers = UserFeedback.where("created_at >= ?", APPROVAL_PERIOD.ago).where_like(:body, "*You gained the ability to approve posts*").select(:user_id)
diff --git a/app/logical/danbooru/has_bit_flags.rb b/app/logical/danbooru/has_bit_flags.rb
index 6e7fa2ce7..b130e1cc6 100644
--- a/app/logical/danbooru/has_bit_flags.rb
+++ b/app/logical/danbooru/has_bit_flags.rb
@@ -5,18 +5,10 @@ module Danbooru
     module ClassMethods
       # NOTE: the ordering of attributes has to be fixed#
       # new attributes should be appended to the end.
-      def has_bit_flags(attributes, options = {})
-        field = options[:field] || :bit_flags
-
+      def has_bit_flags(attributes, field: :bit_flags)
         attributes.each.with_index do |attribute, i|
           bit_flag = 1 << i
 
-          define_singleton_method("flag_value_for") do |key|
-            index = attributes.index(key)
-            raise IndexError if index.nil?
-            1 << index
-          end
-
           define_method(attribute) do
             send(field) & bit_flag > 0
           end
@@ -33,6 +25,15 @@ module Danbooru
             end
           end
         end
+
+        # bit_prefs_match
+        define_singleton_method("#{field}_match") do |flag, value|
+          value = value ? 1 : 0
+          bits = attributes.length
+          bit_index = bits - attributes.index(flag.to_s) - 1
+
+          where(sanitize_sql(["get_bit(bit_prefs::bit(?), ?) = ?", bits, bit_index, value]))
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index b5c8ecb09..c380e759a 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -730,35 +730,14 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
         q = q.where("level <= ?", params[:max_level].to_i)
       end
 
-      bitprefs_length = BOOLEAN_ATTRIBUTES.length
-      bitprefs_include = nil
-      bitprefs_exclude = nil
-
-      [:can_approve_posts, :can_upload_free, :is_super_voter].each do |x|
-        if params[x].present?
-          attr_idx = BOOLEAN_ATTRIBUTES.index(x.to_s)
-          if params[x].to_s.truthy?
-            bitprefs_include ||= "0" * bitprefs_length
-            bitprefs_include[attr_idx] = '1'
-          elsif params[x].to_s.falsy?
-            bitprefs_exclude ||= "0" * bitprefs_length
-            bitprefs_exclude[attr_idx] = '1'
-          end
+      %w[can_approve_posts can_upload_free is_super_voter].each do |flag|
+        if params[flag].to_s.truthy?
+          q = q.bit_prefs_match(flag, true)
+        elsif params[flag].to_s.falsy?
+          q = q.bit_prefs_match(flag, false)
         end
       end
 
-      if bitprefs_include
-        bitprefs_include.reverse!
-        q = q.where("bit_prefs::bit(:len) & :bits::bit(:len) = :bits::bit(:len)",
-                    :len => bitprefs_length, :bits => bitprefs_include)
-      end
-
-      if bitprefs_exclude
-        bitprefs_exclude.reverse!
-        q = q.where("bit_prefs::bit(:len) & :bits::bit(:len) = 0::bit(:len)",
-                    :len => bitprefs_length, :bits => bitprefs_exclude)
-      end
-
       if params[:current_user_first].to_s.truthy? && !CurrentUser.is_anonymous?
         q = q.order(Arel.sql("id = #{CurrentUser.id} desc"))
       end
diff --git a/test/factories/user.rb b/test/factories/user.rb
index 3d6741c43..3f9153cde 100644
--- a/test/factories/user.rb
+++ b/test/factories/user.rb
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ FactoryBot.define do
 
     factory(:contributor_user) do
       level {32}
-      bit_prefs {User.flag_value_for("can_upload_free")}
+      can_upload_free {true}
     end
 
     factory(:contrib_user) do
       level {32}
-      bit_prefs {User.flag_value_for("can_upload_free")}
+      can_upload_free {true}
     end
 
     factory(:moderator_user) do