diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 4b930f1ead3..29e47a444be 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -2291,14 +2291,12 @@ end
 #
 # Indexes
 #
-#  idx_users_admin                     (id) WHERE admin
-#  idx_users_moderator                 (id) WHERE moderator
-#  index_users_on_last_posted_at       (last_posted_at)
-#  index_users_on_last_seen_at         (last_seen_at)
-#  index_users_on_name_trgm            (name) USING gist
-#  index_users_on_secure_identifier    (secure_identifier) UNIQUE
-#  index_users_on_uploaded_avatar_id   (uploaded_avatar_id)
-#  index_users_on_username             (username) UNIQUE
-#  index_users_on_username_lower       (username_lower) UNIQUE
-#  index_users_on_username_lower_trgm  (username_lower) USING gist
+#  idx_users_admin                    (id) WHERE admin
+#  idx_users_moderator                (id) WHERE moderator
+#  index_users_on_last_posted_at      (last_posted_at)
+#  index_users_on_last_seen_at        (last_seen_at)
+#  index_users_on_secure_identifier   (secure_identifier) UNIQUE
+#  index_users_on_uploaded_avatar_id  (uploaded_avatar_id)
+#  index_users_on_username            (username) UNIQUE
+#  index_users_on_username_lower      (username_lower) UNIQUE
 #
diff --git a/app/models/user_search.rb b/app/models/user_search.rb
index ba48c37ea5f..6c8f01286bf 100644
--- a/app/models/user_search.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_search.rb
@@ -172,27 +172,6 @@ class UserSearch
         .each { |id| users << id }
     end
 
-    return users.to_a if users.size >= @limit
-
-    # 6. similar usernames / names
-    if @term.present? && SiteSetting.user_search_similar_results
-      if SiteSetting.enable_names?
-        scoped_users
-          .where("username_lower <-> ? < 1 OR name <-> ? < 1", @term, @term)
-          .order(["LEAST(username_lower <-> ?, name <-> ?) ASC", @term, @term])
-          .limit(@limit - users.size)
-          .pluck(:id)
-          .each { |id| users << id }
-      else
-        scoped_users
-          .where("username_lower <-> ? < 1", @term)
-          .order(["username_lower <-> ? ASC", @term])
-          .limit(@limit - users.size)
-          .pluck(:id)
-          .each { |id| users << id }
-      end
-    end
-
     users.to_a
   end
 
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index ee2ece4ff26..ba3d67b24bb 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -2580,9 +2580,6 @@ backups:
     client: true
 
 search:
-  user_search_similar_results:
-    default: false
-    hidden: true
   prioritize_exact_search_title_match:
     default: true
     hidden: true
diff --git a/db/migrate/20240912061702_drop_user_search_similar_results_site_setting.rb b/db/migrate/20240912061702_drop_user_search_similar_results_site_setting.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..15f393cb519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20240912061702_drop_user_search_similar_results_site_setting.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class DropUserSearchSimilarResultsSiteSetting < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.1]
+  def up
+    execute <<~SQL
+      DELETE FROM site_settings WHERE name = 'user_search_similar_results';
+    SQL
+  end
+
+  def down
+    raise ActiveRecord::IrreversibleMigration
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20240912061806_drop_trgm_indexes_on_users.rb b/db/migrate/20240912061806_drop_trgm_indexes_on_users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f31b33a21f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20240912061806_drop_trgm_indexes_on_users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class DropTrgmIndexesOnUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.1]
+  def up
+    execute <<~SQL
+      DROP INDEX IF EXISTS index_users_on_username_lower_trgm;
+      DROP INDEX IF EXISTS index_users_on_name_trgm;
+    SQL
+  end
+
+  def down
+    raise ActiveRecord::IrreversibleMigration
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
index 073852d49ee..2d5bc67541a 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
@@ -279,44 +279,4 @@ RSpec.describe UserSearch do
       expect(results[2]).to eq("mrorange")
     end
   end
-
-  context "when using SiteSetting.user_search_similar_results" do
-    it "should find the user even with a typo if the setting is enabled" do
-      rafael = Fabricate(:user, username: "rafael", name: "Rafael Silva")
-      codinghorror = Fabricate(:user, username: "codinghorror", name: "Jeff Atwood")
-      pfaffman = Fabricate(:user, username: "pfaffman")
-      zogstrip = Fabricate(:user, username: "zogstrip", name: "Régis Hanol")
-      roman = Fabricate(:user, username: "roman", name: "Roman Rizzi")
-
-      SiteSetting.user_search_similar_results = false
-      expect(UserSearch.new("rafel").search).to be_blank
-      expect(UserSearch.new("codding").search).to be_blank
-      expect(UserSearch.new("pffman").search).to be_blank
-
-      SiteSetting.user_search_similar_results = true
-      expect(UserSearch.new("rafel").search).to include(rafael)
-      expect(UserSearch.new("codding").search).to include(codinghorror)
-      expect(UserSearch.new("pffman").search).to include(pfaffman)
-
-      SiteSetting.user_search_similar_results = false
-      expect(UserSearch.new("silvia").search).to be_blank
-      expect(UserSearch.new("atwod").search).to be_blank
-      expect(UserSearch.new("regis").search).to be_blank
-      expect(UserSearch.new("reg").search).to be_blank
-
-      SiteSetting.user_search_similar_results = true
-      expect(UserSearch.new("silvia").search).to include(rafael)
-      expect(UserSearch.new("atwod").search).to include(codinghorror)
-      expect(UserSearch.new("regis").search).to include(zogstrip)
-      expect(UserSearch.new("reg").search).to include(zogstrip)
-    end
-
-    it "orders the results by similarity" do
-      zogstrip = Fabricate(:user, username: "zogstrip", name: "Régis Hanol")
-      roman = Fabricate(:user, username: "roman", name: "Roman Rizzi")
-      SiteSetting.user_search_similar_results = true
-
-      expect(UserSearch.new("regis").search.first).to eq(zogstrip)
-    end
-  end
 end