diff --git a/jenkins/run-server-func-tests b/jenkins/run-server-func-tests
index ef8992cfad..7624a38bc8 100755
--- a/jenkins/run-server-func-tests
+++ b/jenkins/run-server-func-tests
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ export PB_SERVER_IMAGE_TAG=${PB_SERVER_IMAGE_TAG:-"$(cat jenkins/branch.name)"}
 export PB_POD_NAME=${PB_POD_NAME:-"pbench-in-a-can_${PB_SERVER_IMAGE_TAG}"}
 export PB_SERVER_CONTAINER_NAME=${PB_SERVER_CONTAINER_NAME:-"${PB_POD_NAME}-pbenchserver"}
 
+# For functional testing, assign ADMIN role to the testadmin username
+export PB_ADMIN_NAMES=${PB_ADMIN_NAMES:-testadmin}
+
 # Note:  the value of PB_HOST_IP will be used to generate the TLS certificate
 # and so it (not `localhost`) must also be used to access the Pbench Server;
 # otherwise, the TLS validation will fail due to a host mismatch.
@@ -103,7 +106,6 @@ function cleanup {
 }
 trap cleanup INT QUIT TERM EXIT
 
-export PB_ADMIN_NAMES=${PB_ADMIN_NAMES:-testadmin}
 server/pbenchinacan/run-pbench-in-a-can
 exit_status=${?}
 if [[ ${exit_status} -ne 0 ]]; then
diff --git a/lib/pbench/server/auth/auth.py b/lib/pbench/server/auth/auth.py
index 8a0a73dca5..bdaaff39c3 100644
--- a/lib/pbench/server/auth/auth.py
+++ b/lib/pbench/server/auth/auth.py
@@ -159,12 +159,11 @@ def verify_auth_oidc(auth_token: str) -> Optional[User]:
         audiences = token_payload.get("resource_access", {})
         pb_aud = audiences.get(oidc_client.client_id, {})
         roles = pb_aud.get("roles", [])
-        admin_users = current_app.server_config.get(
-            "pbench-server", "admin-role", fallback=""
-        )
         if Roles.ADMIN.name not in roles:
-            users = admin_users.split(",")
-            if username in users:
+            admin_users = current_app.server_config.get(
+                "pbench-server", "admin-role", fallback=""
+            )
+            if username in admin_users.split(","):
                 roles.append(Roles.ADMIN.name)
 
         # Create or update the user in our cache
diff --git a/lib/pbench/test/functional/server/conftest.py b/lib/pbench/test/functional/server/conftest.py
index 6bfdef6326..b341deed9c 100644
--- a/lib/pbench/test/functional/server/conftest.py
+++ b/lib/pbench/test/functional/server/conftest.py
@@ -54,13 +54,7 @@ def oidc_admin(server_client: PbenchServerClient):
 
 def register_user(oidc_admin: OIDCAdmin, user: JSONOBJECT):
     try:
-        response = oidc_admin.create_new_user(
-            username=user["username"],
-            email=user["email"],
-            password=user["password"],
-            first_name=user["first_name"],
-            last_name=user["last_name"],
-        )
+        response = oidc_admin.create_new_user(**user)
     except OpenIDClientError as e:
         # To allow testing outside our transient CI containers, allow the tester
         # user to already exist.
diff --git a/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py b/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py
index 18c60f834d..e09cce72e7 100644
--- a/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py
+++ b/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ def test_verify_auth_oidc_user_update(
         assert user.roles == []
         assert user.username == "dummy"
 
-        # Generate a new token with a role for the same user
+        # Generate a token with a new username for the same UUID
         token, expected_payload = gen_rsa_token(
             client_id,
             rsa_keys["private_key"],
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ def test_verify_auth_oidc_user_admin(
         monkeypatch.setattr(Auth, "oidc_client", oidc_client)
         server_config._conf.set("pbench-server", "admin-role", "friend,dummy,admin")
 
-        app = Flask("test-verify-auth-oidc-user-update")
+        app = Flask("test-verify-auth-oidc-user-admin")
         app.logger = make_logger
         app.server_config = server_config
         with app.app_context():
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ def test_verify_auth_oidc_user_admin(
         assert user.roles == ["ADMIN"]
         assert user.username == "dummy"
 
-        # Generate a new token with a role for the same user
+        # Generate a token with a role and new username for the same UUID
         token, expected_payload = gen_rsa_token(
             client_id,
             rsa_keys["private_key"],
diff --git a/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg b/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg
index c63584fac9..fed9858013 100644
--- a/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg
+++ b/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ admin-email=%(user)s@localhost
 mailto=%(admin-email)s
 mailfrom=%(user)s@localhost
 
-# A list of usernames to be given ADMIN access on the server. These are SSO ID
-# provider usernames matched against decrypted OIDC2 authorization tokens. If
-# not specified, no users have ADMIN access. NOTE: this is a temporary measure
+# A comma-separated list of OIDC usernames with no spaces. These usernames
+# will be granted ADMIN access on the server. These are OIDC ID provider
+# usernames matched against decrypted authorization tokens. If no usernames
+# are specified, no users have ADMIN access. NOTE: this is a temporary measure
 # until we work out Keycloak / LDAP roles.
 #admin-role=user1,user2