diff --git a/wp-includes/template-functions-author.php b/wp-includes/template-functions-author.php
index 67b4e31eab..e3f0d459be 100644
--- a/wp-includes/template-functions-author.php
+++ b/wp-includes/template-functions-author.php
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ function wp_list_authors($args = '') {
 function list_authors($optioncount = false, $exclude_admin = true, $show_fullname = false, $hide_empty = true, $feed = '', $feed_image = '') {
     global $wpdb;
 
-    $query = "SELECT ID, user_nickname, user_firstname, user_lastname, user_nicename from $wpdb->users " . ($exclude_admin ? "WHERE user_nickname <> 'admin' " : '') . "ORDER BY user_nickname";
+    $query = "SELECT ID, user_nickname, user_firstname, user_lastname, user_nicename from $wpdb->users " . ($exclude_admin ? "WHERE user_login <> 'admin' " : '') . "ORDER BY user_nickname";
     $authors = $wpdb->get_results($query);
 
     foreach($authors as $author) {