diff --git a/docs/API/admin_api.md b/docs/API/admin_api.md
index fdd9df6c7..42071376e 100644
--- a/docs/API/admin_api.md
+++ b/docs/API/admin_api.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Configuration options:
     - `local`: only local users
     - `external`: only external users
     - `active`: only active users
+    - `need_approval`: only unapproved users
     - `deactivated`: only deactivated users
     - `is_admin`: users with admin role
     - `is_moderator`: users with moderator role
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex b/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex
index 66ffe9090..45553cb6c 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user/query.ex
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User.Query do
             external: boolean(),
             active: boolean(),
             deactivated: boolean(),
+            need_approval: boolean(),
             is_admin: boolean(),
             is_moderator: boolean(),
             super_users: boolean(),
@@ -146,6 +147,10 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User.Query do
     |> where([u], not is_nil(u.nickname))
   end
 
+  defp compose_query({:need_approval, _}, query) do
+    where(query, [u], u.approval_pending)
+  end
+
   defp compose_query({:followers, %User{id: id}}, query) do
     query
     |> where([u], u.id != ^id)
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller.ex
index e5f14269a..037a6f269 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller.ex
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.AdminAPI.AdminAPIController do
     end
   end
 
-  @filters ~w(local external active deactivated is_admin is_moderator)
+  @filters ~w(local external active deactivated need_approval is_admin is_moderator)
 
   @spec maybe_parse_filters(String.t()) :: %{required(String.t()) => true} | %{}
   defp maybe_parse_filters(filters) when is_nil(filters) or filters == "", do: %{}
diff --git a/test/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller_test.exs b/test/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller_test.exs
index ccda5df3f..9cc8b1879 100644
--- a/test/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/web/admin_api/controllers/admin_api_controller_test.exs
@@ -991,6 +991,44 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.AdminAPI.AdminAPIControllerTest do
              }
     end
 
+    test "only unapproved users", %{conn: conn} do
+      user =
+        insert(:user,
+          nickname: "sadboy",
+          approval_pending: true,
+          registration_reason: "Plz let me in!"
+        )
+
+      insert(:user, nickname: "happyboy", approval_pending: false)
+
+      conn = get(conn, "/api/pleroma/admin/users?filters=need_approval")
+
+      users =
+        [
+          %{
+            "deactivated" => user.deactivated,
+            "id" => user.id,
+            "nickname" => user.nickname,
+            "roles" => %{"admin" => false, "moderator" => false},
+            "local" => true,
+            "tags" => [],
+            "avatar" => User.avatar_url(user) |> MediaProxy.url(),
+            "display_name" => HTML.strip_tags(user.name || user.nickname),
+            "confirmation_pending" => false,
+            "approval_pending" => true,
+            "url" => user.ap_id,
+            "registration_reason" => "Plz let me in!"
+          }
+        ]
+        |> Enum.sort_by(& &1["nickname"])
+
+      assert json_response(conn, 200) == %{
+               "count" => 1,
+               "page_size" => 50,
+               "users" => users
+             }
+    end
+
     test "load only admins", %{conn: conn, admin: admin} do
       second_admin = insert(:user, is_admin: true)
       insert(:user)
diff --git a/test/web/admin_api/search_test.exs b/test/web/admin_api/search_test.exs
index e0e3d4153..b974cedd5 100644
--- a/test/web/admin_api/search_test.exs
+++ b/test/web/admin_api/search_test.exs
@@ -166,5 +166,16 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.AdminAPI.SearchTest do
       assert total == 3
       assert count == 1
     end
+
+    test "it returns unapproved user" do
+      unapproved = insert(:user, approval_pending: true)
+      insert(:user)
+      insert(:user)
+
+      {:ok, _results, total} = Search.user()
+      {:ok, [^unapproved], count} = Search.user(%{need_approval: true})
+      assert total == 3
+      assert count == 1
+    end
   end
 end