diff --git a/app/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker.rb b/app/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker.rb
index 5fcbd74ddad1efee83ee00b17bf187191cbfaf61..16ac61976eb638eac31e219be4409625684c9a29 100644
--- a/app/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker.rb
+++ b/app/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker.rb
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def process_stale_ongoing_cleanups
   def perform_unthrottled
     with_runnable_policy(preloaded: true) do |policy|
       with_context(project: policy.project,
-                   user: policy.project.owner) do |project:, user:|
+                   user: nil) do |project:, user:|
         ContainerExpirationPolicyService.new(project, user)
                                         .execute(policy)
       end
diff --git a/spec/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker_spec.rb
index ebf8004115193d881f0c9456928135596d6bf437..2cfb613865d7f658827e85c2bd01afbfa5c9e631 100644
--- a/spec/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/workers/container_expiration_policy_worker_spec.rb
@@ -60,12 +60,11 @@
       context 'with container expiration policies' do
         let_it_be(:container_expiration_policy, reload: true) { create(:container_expiration_policy, :runnable) }
         let_it_be(:container_repository) { create(:container_repository, project: container_expiration_policy.project) }
-        let_it_be(:user) { container_expiration_policy.project.owner }
 
         context 'a valid policy' do
           it 'runs the policy' do
             expect(ContainerExpirationPolicyService)
-              .to receive(:new).with(container_expiration_policy.project, user).and_call_original
+              .to receive(:new).with(container_expiration_policy.project, nil).and_call_original
             expect(CleanupContainerRepositoryWorker).to receive(:perform_async).once.and_call_original
 
             expect { subject }.not_to raise_error
@@ -102,7 +101,7 @@
           end
 
           it 'disables the policy and tracks an error' do
-            expect(ContainerExpirationPolicyService).not_to receive(:new).with(container_expiration_policy, user)
+            expect(ContainerExpirationPolicyService).not_to receive(:new).with(container_expiration_policy, nil)
             expect(Gitlab::ErrorTracking).to receive(:log_exception).with(instance_of(described_class::InvalidPolicyError), container_expiration_policy_id: container_expiration_policy.id)
 
             expect { subject }.to change { container_expiration_policy.reload.enabled }.from(true).to(false)