diff --git a/codeforlife/request.py b/codeforlife/request.py
index 6c8e342..2e9d18a 100644
--- a/codeforlife/request.py
+++ b/codeforlife/request.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     from .user.models import User
     from .user.models.session import SessionStore
 
-    AnyUser = t.TypeVar("AnyUser", bound=User)
+AnyUser = t.TypeVar("AnyUser")
 
 
 # pylint: disable-next=missing-class-docstring
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ class HttpRequest(_HttpRequest):
 
 
 # pylint: disable-next=missing-class-docstring,abstract-method
-class Request(_Request, t.Generic["AnyUser"]):
+class Request(_Request, t.Generic[AnyUser]):
     session: "SessionStore"
     data: t.Any
 
-    def __init__(self, user_class: t.Type["AnyUser"], *args, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, user_class: t.Type[AnyUser], *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         self.user_class = user_class
 
@@ -48,11 +48,18 @@ def query_params(self) -> t.Dict[str, str]:  # type: ignore[override]
 
     @property
     def user(self):
-        return t.cast(t.Union["AnyUser", AnonymousUser], super().user)
+        return t.cast(t.Union[AnyUser, AnonymousUser], super().user)
 
     @user.setter
     def user(self, value):
-        if isinstance(value, User) and not isinstance(value, self.user_class):
+        # pylint: disable-next=import-outside-toplevel
+        from .user.models import User
+
+        if (
+            isinstance(value, User)
+            and issubclass(self.user_class, User)
+            and not isinstance(value, self.user_class)
+        ):
             value = value.as_type(self.user_class)
 
         self._user = value
@@ -66,7 +73,7 @@ def anon_user(self):
     @property
     def auth_user(self):
         """The authenticated user that made the request."""
-        return t.cast("AnyUser", self.user)
+        return t.cast(AnyUser, self.user)
 
     @property
     def teacher_user(self):