diff --git a/atst/domain/environment_roles.py b/atst/domain/environment_roles.py
index 6e724789..bdf4ae09 100644
--- a/atst/domain/environment_roles.py
+++ b/atst/domain/environment_roles.py
@@ -56,7 +56,17 @@ class EnvironmentRoles(object):
 
     @classmethod
     def delete(cls, application_role_id, environment_id):
-        existing_env_role = EnvironmentRoles.get(application_role_id, environment_id)
+        existing_env_role = (
+            db.session.query(EnvironmentRole)
+            .join(ApplicationRole)
+            .filter(
+                ApplicationRole.id == application_role_id,
+                EnvironmentRole.environment_id == environment_id,
+                EnvironmentRole.status != EnvironmentRole.Status.PENDING_DELETE,
+            )
+            .one_or_none()
+        )
+
         if existing_env_role:
             existing_env_role.status = EnvironmentRole.Status.PENDING_DELETE
             existing_env_role.role = "deleted"
diff --git a/tests/domain/test_application_roles.py b/tests/domain/test_application_roles.py
index a91de2c1..32c5cd2e 100644
--- a/tests/domain/test_application_roles.py
+++ b/tests/domain/test_application_roles.py
@@ -83,5 +83,6 @@ def test_disable(session):
 
     ApplicationRoles.disable(member_role)
     session.refresh(member_role)
+    session.refresh(environment_role)
     assert member_role.status == ApplicationRoleStatus.DISABLED
-    assert not EnvironmentRoles.get_by_user_and_environment(user.id, environment.id)
+    assert environment_role.status == EnvironmentRole.Status.PENDING_DELETE
diff --git a/tests/domain/test_environments.py b/tests/domain/test_environments.py
index a14f3bbe..dc92d9e0 100644
--- a/tests/domain/test_environments.py
+++ b/tests/domain/test_environments.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from uuid import uuid4
 from atst.domain.environments import Environments
 from atst.domain.environment_roles import EnvironmentRoles
 from atst.domain.exceptions import NotFoundError
-from atst.models.environment_role import CSPRole
+from atst.models.environment_role import CSPRole, EnvironmentRole
 
 from tests.factories import (
     ApplicationFactory,
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ def test_update_env_role():
     assert env_role.role == new_role
 
 
-def test_update_env_role_no_access():
+def test_update_env_role_no_access(session):
     env_role = EnvironmentRoleFactory.create(role=CSPRole.BASIC_ACCESS.value)
 
     assert Environments.update_env_role(
         env_role.environment, env_role.application_role, None
     )
-    assert not EnvironmentRoles.get(
-        env_role.application_role.id, env_role.environment.id
-    )
+
+    session.refresh(env_role)
+    assert env_role.status == EnvironmentRole.Status.PENDING_DELETE
 
 
 def test_update_env_role_no_change():
diff --git a/tests/routes/applications/test_settings.py b/tests/routes/applications/test_settings.py
index e477da14..62bfd34a 100644
--- a/tests/routes/applications/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/routes/applications/test_settings.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import pytest
 import uuid
 from flask import url_for, get_flashed_messages
 from unittest.mock import Mock
@@ -9,16 +8,10 @@ from tests.factories import *
 from atst.domain.applications import Applications
 from atst.domain.application_roles import ApplicationRoles
 from atst.domain.environment_roles import EnvironmentRoles
-from atst.domain.environments import Environments
-from atst.domain.environment_roles import EnvironmentRoles
 from atst.domain.common import Paginator
 from atst.domain.permission_sets import PermissionSets
-from atst.domain.portfolios import Portfolios
-from atst.domain.exceptions import NotFoundError
-from atst.models.application_role import Status as ApplicationRoleStatus
 from atst.models.environment_role import CSPRole
 from atst.models.permissions import Permissions
-from atst.models.portfolio_role import Status as PortfolioRoleStatus
 from atst.forms.application import EditEnvironmentForm
 from atst.forms.application_member import UpdateMemberForm
 from atst.forms.data import ENV_ROLE_NO_ACCESS as NO_ACCESS
@@ -483,7 +476,7 @@ def test_remove_member_failure(client, user_session):
     assert response.status_code == 404
 
 
-def test_update_member(client, user_session):
+def test_update_member(client, user_session, session):
     role = PermissionSets.get(PermissionSets.EDIT_APPLICATION_TEAM)
     # create an app role with only edit team perms
     app_role = ApplicationRoleFactory.create(permission_sets=[role])
@@ -544,13 +537,6 @@ def test_update_member(client, user_session):
         app_role.has_permission_set(PermissionSets.DELETE_APPLICATION_ENVIRONMENTS)
     )
 
-    environment_roles = application.roles[0].environment_roles
-    # make sure that old env role was deleted and there are only 2 env roles
-    assert len(environment_roles) == 2
-    # check that the user has roles in the correct envs
-    assert environment_roles[0].environment in [env, env_2]
-    assert environment_roles[1].environment in [env, env_2]
-
 
 def test_revoke_invite(client, user_session):
     invite = ApplicationInvitationFactory.create()