diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 30cea7940..27179e4ab 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -212,11 +212,14 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
     Middleware::AnonymousCache.anon_cache(request.env, time_length)
   end
 
-  def fetch_user_from_params
+  def fetch_user_from_params(opts=nil)
+    opts ||= {}
     user = if params[:username]
       username_lower = params[:username].downcase
       username_lower.gsub!(/\.json$/, '')
-      User.find_by(username_lower: username_lower, active: true)
+      find_opts = {username_lower: username_lower}
+      find_opts[:active] = true unless opts[:include_inactive]
+      User.find_by(find_opts)
     elsif params[:external_id]
       SingleSignOnRecord.find_by(external_id: params[:external_id]).try(:user)
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 2cd93c9aa..e08f4df69 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def send_activation_email
-    @user = fetch_user_from_params
+    @user = fetch_user_from_params(include_inactive: true)
     @email_token = @user.email_tokens.unconfirmed.active.first
     enqueue_activation_email if @user
     render nothing: true
diff --git a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
index 053eb2391..ed1c6e33f 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
@@ -942,11 +942,7 @@ describe UsersController do
 
   describe 'send_activation_email' do
     context 'for an existing user' do
-      let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
-
-      before do
-        UsersController.any_instance.stubs(:fetch_user_from_params).returns(user)
-      end
+      let(:user) { Fabricate(:user, active: false) }
 
       context 'with a valid email_token' do
         it 'should send the activation email' do