diff --git a/releases/unreleased/users-permissions-migrated.yml b/releases/unreleased/users-permissions-migrated.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f01a314f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releases/unreleased/users-permissions-migrated.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+title: Users permissions migrated
+category: fixed
+author: Jose Javier Merchante <jjmerchante@bitergia.com>
+issue: 849
+notes: >
+  User permissions are stored in a separate table within
+  the database. These permissions will be automatically
+  migrated when running `sortinghat-admin upgrade`.
diff --git a/sortinghat/core/migrations/0009_tenant_perm_group.py b/sortinghat/core/migrations/0009_tenant_perm_group.py
index 7f6a15a7..0f4a016d 100644
--- a/sortinghat/core/migrations/0009_tenant_perm_group.py
+++ b/sortinghat/core/migrations/0009_tenant_perm_group.py
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
         migrations.AddField(
             model_name='tenant',
             name='perm_group',
-            field=models.CharField(default='readonly', max_length=128),
+            field=models.CharField(default='user', max_length=128),
         ),
     ]
diff --git a/sortinghat/server/sortinghat_admin.py b/sortinghat/server/sortinghat_admin.py
index ac8d41ba..a187629a 100644
--- a/sortinghat/server/sortinghat_admin.py
+++ b/sortinghat/server/sortinghat_admin.py
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ def upgrade(no_database):
 
     _install_static_files()
     _setup_group_permissions(database='default')
+    _migrate_users_permissions()
 
     click.secho("SortingHat upgrade completed", fg='bright_cyan')
 
@@ -384,6 +385,35 @@ def _setup_group_permissions(database='default'):
     click.echo("SortingHat groups created.\n")
 
 
+def _migrate_users_permissions():
+    """Migrate permissions for users from the previous version"""
+
+    from sortinghat.core.models import Tenant
+    from django.contrib.auth.models import Group
+
+    users = get_user_model().objects.all()
+
+    if settings.MULTI_TENANT:
+        for user in users:
+            group = user.groups.first()
+            if not group:
+                continue
+            Tenant.objects.filter(user=user).update(perm_group=group.name)
+            click.echo(f"Permissions for '{user}' updated to '{group.name}'.")
+            user.groups.clear()
+    else:
+        for user in users:
+            group = user.groups.first()
+            if group:
+                continue
+            if user.is_superuser:
+                group = Group.objects.get(name='admin')
+            else:
+                group = Group.objects.get(name='user')
+            click.echo(f"Permissions for '{user}' updated to '{group.name}'.")
+            user.groups.set([group.id])
+
+
 def _install_static_files():
     """Collect static files and installed them."""