diff --git a/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-dal.ts b/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-dal.ts
index 14a899164..7bf5ff498 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-dal.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-dal.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export const projectMembershipDALFactory = (db: TDbClient) => {
 
       return ghostUser;
     } catch (error) {
-      throw new DatabaseError({ error, name: "Find project ghost user" });
+      throw new DatabaseError({ error, name: "Find project top-level user" });
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-service.ts b/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-service.ts
index 33fbee902..7d5463819 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/project-membership/project-membership-service.ts
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ export const projectMembershipServiceFactory = ({
 
     if (!ghostUser) {
       throw new BadRequestError({
-        message: "Failed to find ghost user"
+        message: "Failed to find top-level user"
       });
     }
 
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ export const projectMembershipServiceFactory = ({
 
     if (!ghostUserLatestKey) {
       throw new BadRequestError({
-        message: "Failed to find ghost user latest key"
+        message: "Failed to find top-level latest key"
       });
     }
 
@@ -269,16 +269,11 @@ export const projectMembershipServiceFactory = ({
 
     await projectMembershipDAL.transaction(async (tx) => {
       const result = await projectMembershipDAL.insertMany(
-        orgMembers.map(({ user, id: membershipId }) => {
-          const role =
-            orgMembers.find((membership) => membership.id === membershipId)?.role || ProjectMembershipRole.Member;
-
-          return {
-            projectId,
-            userId: user.id,
-            role
-          };
-        }),
+        orgMembers.map(({ user }) => ({
+          projectId,
+          userId: user.id,
+          role: ProjectMembershipRole.Member
+        })),
         tx
       );
 
diff --git a/backend/src/services/project/project-dal.ts b/backend/src/services/project/project-dal.ts
index c85d67ee1..fd590b0bc 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/project/project-dal.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/project/project-dal.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export const projectDALFactory = (db: TDbClient) => {
         .first();
       return ghostUser;
     } catch (error) {
-      throw new DatabaseError({ error, name: "Find project ghost user" });
+      throw new DatabaseError({ error, name: "Find project top-level user" });
     }
   };