diff --git a/backend/controller/dal/dal.go b/backend/controller/dal/dal.go
index a0fd3b0c3c..816e16da48 100644
--- a/backend/controller/dal/dal.go
+++ b/backend/controller/dal/dal.go
@@ -752,12 +752,13 @@ func (d *DAL) ReplaceDeployment(ctx context.Context, newDeploymentKey model.Depl
 	var replacedDeploymentKey optional.Option[model.DeploymentKey]
 	oldDeployment, err := tx.GetExistingDeploymentForModule(ctx, newDeployment.ModuleName)
 	if err == nil {
-		count, err := tx.ReplaceDeployment(ctx, oldDeployment.Key, newDeploymentKey, int32(minReplicas))
+		err = tx.SetDeploymentDesiredReplicas(ctx, oldDeployment.Key, 0)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("replace deployment failed to replace min replicas from %v to %v: %w", oldDeployment.Key, newDeploymentKey, dalerrs.TranslatePGError(err))
+			return fmt.Errorf("replace deployment failed to set old deployment replicas from %v to %v: %w", oldDeployment.Key, newDeploymentKey, dalerrs.TranslatePGError(err))
 		}
-		if count == 1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("replace deployment failed: deployment already exists from %v to %v: %w", oldDeployment.Key, newDeploymentKey, ErrReplaceDeploymentAlreadyActive)
+		err = tx.SetDeploymentDesiredReplicas(ctx, newDeploymentKey, int32(minReplicas))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("replace deployment failed to set new deployment replicas from %v to %v: %w", oldDeployment.Key, newDeploymentKey, dalerrs.TranslatePGError(err))
 		}
 		err = d.deploymentWillDeactivate(ctx, tx, oldDeployment.Key)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -765,6 +766,7 @@ func (d *DAL) ReplaceDeployment(ctx context.Context, newDeploymentKey model.Depl
 		}
 		replacedDeploymentKey = optional.Some(oldDeployment.Key)
 	} else if !dalerrs.IsNotFound(err) {
+		// any error other than not found
 		return fmt.Errorf("replace deployment failed to get existing deployment for %v: %w", newDeploymentKey, dalerrs.TranslatePGError(err))
 	} else {
 		// Set the desired replicas for the new deployment
diff --git a/backend/controller/sql/querier.go b/backend/controller/sql/querier.go
index b8a825dc83..44b526f84c 100644
--- a/backend/controller/sql/querier.go
+++ b/backend/controller/sql/querier.go
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ type Querier interface {
 	PublishEventForTopic(ctx context.Context, arg PublishEventForTopicParams) error
 	ReleaseLease(ctx context.Context, idempotencyKey uuid.UUID, key leases.Key) (bool, error)
 	RenewLease(ctx context.Context, ttl time.Duration, idempotencyKey uuid.UUID, key leases.Key) (bool, error)
-	ReplaceDeployment(ctx context.Context, oldDeployment model.DeploymentKey, newDeployment model.DeploymentKey, minReplicas int32) (int64, error)
 	// Find an idle runner and reserve it for the given deployment.
 	ReserveRunner(ctx context.Context, reservationTimeout time.Time, deploymentKey model.DeploymentKey, labels []byte) (Runner, error)
 	SetDeploymentDesiredReplicas(ctx context.Context, key model.DeploymentKey, minReplicas int32) error
diff --git a/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql b/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql
index fe860a3165..1a9e618cf6 100644
--- a/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql
+++ b/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql
@@ -41,18 +41,6 @@ RETURNING id;
 INSERT INTO deployment_artefacts (deployment_id, artefact_id, executable, path)
 VALUES ((SELECT id FROM deployments WHERE key = @key::deployment_key), $2, $3, $4);
 
--- name: ReplaceDeployment :one
-WITH update_container AS (
-    UPDATE deployments AS d
-        SET min_replicas = update_deployments.min_replicas
-        FROM (VALUES (sqlc.arg('old_deployment')::deployment_key, 0),
-                     (sqlc.arg('new_deployment')::deployment_key, sqlc.arg('min_replicas')::INT))
-            AS update_deployments(key, min_replicas)
-        WHERE d.key = update_deployments.key
-        RETURNING 1)
-SELECT COUNT(*)
-FROM update_container;
-
 -- name: GetDeployment :one
 SELECT sqlc.embed(d), m.language, m.name AS module_name, d.min_replicas
 FROM deployments d
diff --git a/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql.go b/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql.go
index 00c8bb9646..720df76aa0 100644
--- a/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql.go
+++ b/backend/controller/sql/queries.sql.go
@@ -1856,26 +1856,6 @@ func (q *Queries) RenewLease(ctx context.Context, ttl time.Duration, idempotency
 	return column_1, err
 }
 
-const replaceDeployment = `-- name: ReplaceDeployment :one
-WITH update_container AS (
-    UPDATE deployments AS d
-        SET min_replicas = update_deployments.min_replicas
-        FROM (VALUES ($1::deployment_key, 0),
-                     ($2::deployment_key, $3::INT))
-            AS update_deployments(key, min_replicas)
-        WHERE d.key = update_deployments.key
-        RETURNING 1)
-SELECT COUNT(*)
-FROM update_container
-`
-
-func (q *Queries) ReplaceDeployment(ctx context.Context, oldDeployment model.DeploymentKey, newDeployment model.DeploymentKey, minReplicas int32) (int64, error) {
-	row := q.db.QueryRow(ctx, replaceDeployment, oldDeployment, newDeployment, minReplicas)
-	var count int64
-	err := row.Scan(&count)
-	return count, err
-}
-
 const reserveRunner = `-- name: ReserveRunner :one
 UPDATE runners
 SET state               = 'reserved',