diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go
index fd662fe85a2..591b485482e 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go
@@ -146,8 +146,6 @@ func verifyExistingOrg(sess *DBSession, orgId int64) error {
 
 func (ss *SQLStore) getOrCreateOrg(sess *DBSession, orgName string) (int64, error) {
 	var org org.Org
-	org.Created = time.Now()
-	org.Updated = org.Created
 
 	if ss.Cfg.AutoAssignOrg {
 		has, err := sess.Where("id=?", ss.Cfg.AutoAssignOrgId).Get(&org)
@@ -167,6 +165,8 @@ func (ss *SQLStore) getOrCreateOrg(sess *DBSession, orgName string) (int64, erro
 		}
 
 		org.Name = mainOrgName
+		org.Created = time.Now()
+		org.Updated = org.Created
 		org.ID = int64(ss.Cfg.AutoAssignOrgId)
 		if err := sess.InsertId(&org, ss.Dialect); err != nil {
 			ss.log.Error("failed to insert organization with provided id", "org_id", org.ID, "err", err)
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ func (ss *SQLStore) getOrCreateOrg(sess *DBSession, orgName string) (int64, erro
 		}
 	} else {
 		org.Name = orgName
+		org.Created = time.Now()
+		org.Updated = org.Created
 		if _, err := sess.InsertOne(&org); err != nil {
 			return 0, err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/user_test.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/user_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..03131de4665
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/user_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package sqlstore
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// testing a regression which shows up when the main org is created, but not the
+// admin user: getOrCreateOrg was unable to find the existing org.
+// https://github.com/grafana/grafana/issues/71781
+func TestIntegrationGetOrCreateOrg(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("Skipping integration test in short mode")
+	}
+	ss := InitTestDB(t)
+
+	err := ss.WithNewDbSession(context.Background(), func(sess *DBSession) error {
+		// Create the org only:
+		ss.Cfg.AutoAssignOrg = true
+		ss.Cfg.DisableInitAdminCreation = true
+		ss.Cfg.AutoAssignOrgId = 1
+		createdOrgID, err := ss.getOrCreateOrg(sess, mainOrgName)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, int64(1), createdOrgID)
+		return nil
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = ss.WithNewDbSession(context.Background(), func(sess *DBSession) error {
+		// Run it a second time and verify that it finds the org that was
+		// created above.
+		gotOrgId, err := ss.getOrCreateOrg(sess, mainOrgName)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, int64(1), gotOrgId)
+		return nil
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}