diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/stack_user.py b/heat/engine/resources/stack_user.py
index e964bbce40..05c5d30f53 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/stack_user.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/stack_user.py
@@ -72,15 +72,6 @@ class StackUser(resource.Resource):
         user_id = self.data().get('user_id')
         if user_id:
             return user_id
-        else:
-            # FIXME(shardy): This is a legacy hack for backwards compatibility
-            # remove after an appropriate transitional period...
-            # Assume this is a resource that was created with
-            # a previous version of heat and that the resource_id
-            # is the user_id
-            if self.resource_id:
-                self.data_set('user_id', self.resource_id)
-                return self.resource_id
 
     def handle_delete(self):
         self._delete_user()
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/legacy-stack-user-id-cebbad8b0f2ed490.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/legacy-stack-user-id-cebbad8b0f2ed490.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f061952f7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/legacy-stack-user-id-cebbad8b0f2ed490.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - If upgrading with pre-icehouse stacks which contain resources that create
+    users (such as OS::Nova::Server, OS::Heat::SoftwareDeployment, and
+    OS::Heat::WaitConditionHandle), it is possible that the users will not be
+    removed upon stack deletion due to the removal of a legacy fallback code
+    path. In such a situation, these users will require manual removal.