diff --git a/completion/migrations/0004_rm_user_db_foreign_key.py b/completion/migrations/0004_rm_user_db_foreign_key.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29a1735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/completion/migrations/0004_rm_user_db_foreign_key.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Dont create User foreign key constraint in db to avoid locking up the user table during course completion updates.
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, models
+import django.db.models.deletion
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        migrations.swappable_dependency(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+        ('completion', '0003_learning_context'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='blockcompletion',
+            name='user',
+            field=models.ForeignKey(db_constraint=False, on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE, to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/completion/models.py b/completion/models.py
index 338fdc1..a5aa0a0 100644
--- a/completion/models.py
+++ b/completion/models.py
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ class BlockCompletion(TimeStampedModel, models.Model):
     .. no_pii:
     """
     id = BigAutoField(primary_key=True)  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
-    user = models.ForeignKey(User, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
+    user = models.ForeignKey(User, on_delete=models.CASCADE, db_constraint=False)
     context_key = LearningContextKeyField(max_length=255, db_column="course_key")
 
     # note: this usage key may not have the run filled in for