diff --git a/web/src/people.ts b/web/src/people.ts
index 7c56edfe35..ea987df501 100644
--- a/web/src/people.ts
+++ b/web/src/people.ts
@@ -14,12 +14,7 @@ import {page_params} from "./page_params";
 import * as reload_state from "./reload_state";
 import * as settings_config from "./settings_config";
 import * as settings_data from "./settings_data";
-import type {
-    StateData,
-    cross_realm_bot_schema,
-    profile_datum_schema,
-    user_schema,
-} from "./state_data";
+import type {StateData, profile_datum_schema, user_schema} from "./state_data";
 import {current_user, realm} from "./state_data";
 import * as timerender from "./timerender";
 import {is_user_in_group} from "./user_groups";
@@ -43,20 +38,18 @@ export type PseudoMentionUser = {
     idx: number;
 };
 
-export type CrossRealmBot = z.infer<typeof cross_realm_bot_schema>;
-
 let people_dict: FoldDict<User>;
 let people_by_name_dict: FoldDict<User>;
 let people_by_user_id_dict: Map<number, User>;
 let active_user_dict: Map<number, User>;
 let non_active_user_dict: Map<number, User>;
-let cross_realm_dict: Map<number, CrossRealmBot>;
+let cross_realm_dict: Map<number, User>;
 let pm_recipient_count_dict: Map<number, number>;
 let duplicate_full_name_data: FoldDict<Set<number>>;
 let my_user_id: number;
 
 export let INACCESSIBLE_USER_NAME: string;
-export let WELCOME_BOT: CrossRealmBot;
+export let WELCOME_BOT: User;
 
 // We have an init() function so that our automated tests
 // can easily clear data.
@@ -1403,7 +1396,7 @@ export const is_person_active = (user_id: number): boolean => {
     return active_user_dict.has(user_id);
 };
 
-export function add_cross_realm_user(person: CrossRealmBot): void {
+export function add_cross_realm_user(person: User): void {
     if (!people_dict.has(person.email)) {
         _add_user(person);
     }
diff --git a/web/src/state_data.ts b/web/src/state_data.ts
index ccb95a4262..52d8e3f6d8 100644
--- a/web/src/state_data.ts
+++ b/web/src/state_data.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ export const user_schema = z
         is_missing_server_data: z.optional(z.boolean()),
         // used for inaccessible user objects.
         is_inaccessible_user: z.optional(z.boolean()),
+        is_system_bot: z.optional(z.literal(true)),
     })
     .and(
         z.discriminatedUnion("is_bot", [
@@ -111,12 +112,6 @@ export const user_schema = z
         ]),
     );
 
-export const cross_realm_bot_schema = user_schema.and(
-    z.object({
-        is_system_bot: z.boolean(),
-    }),
-);
-
 export const server_emoji_schema = z.object({
     id: z.string(),
     author_id: z.number(),
@@ -410,7 +405,7 @@ export const state_data_schema = z
             .object({
                 realm_users: z.array(user_schema),
                 realm_non_active_users: z.array(user_schema),
-                cross_realm_bots: z.array(cross_realm_bot_schema),
+                cross_realm_bots: z.array(user_schema),
             })
             .transform((people) => ({people})),
     )