Cache project authorizations even when user has access to zero projects

app/services/users/refresh_authorized_projects_service.rb

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ module Users
     # remove - The IDs of the authorization rows to remove.
     # add - Rows to insert in the form `[user id, project id, access level]`
     def update_authorizations(remove = [], add = [])
-      return if remove.empty? && add.empty?
+      return if remove.empty? && add.empty? && user.authorized_projects_populated
 
       User.transaction do
         user.remove_project_authorizations(remove) unless remove.empty?

changelogs/unreleased/26126-cache-even-when-no-projects.yml

+---
+title: Cache project authorizations even when user has access to zero projects
+merge_request: 8327
+author:

spec/services/users/refresh_authorized_projects_service_spec.rb

@@ -54,13 +54,38 @@ describe Users::RefreshAuthorizedProjectsService do
   end
 
   describe '#update_authorizations' do
-    it 'does nothing when there are no rows to add and remove' do
+    context 'when there are no rows to add and remove' do
+      it 'does not change authorizations' do
         expect(user).not_to receive(:remove_project_authorizations)
         expect(ProjectAuthorization).not_to receive(:insert_authorizations)
+
+        service.update_authorizations([], [])
+      end
+
+      context 'when the authorized projects column is not set' do
+        before do
+          user.update!(authorized_projects_populated: nil)
+        end
+
+        it 'populates the authorized projects column' do
+          service.update_authorizations([], [])
+
+          expect(user.authorized_projects_populated).to eq true
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when the authorized projects column is set' do
+        before do
+          user.update!(authorized_projects_populated: true)
+        end
+
+        it 'does nothing' do
           expect(user).not_to receive(:set_authorized_projects_column)
 
           service.update_authorizations([], [])
         end
+      end
+    end
 
     it 'removes authorizations that should be removed' do
       authorization = create_authorization(project, user)
@@ -84,7 +109,7 @@ describe Users::RefreshAuthorizedProjectsService do
     it 'populates the authorized projects column' do
       # make sure we start with a nil value no matter what the default in the
       # factory may be.
-      user.update(authorized_projects_populated: nil)
+      user.update!(authorized_projects_populated: nil)
 
       service.update_authorizations([], [[user.id, project.id, Gitlab::Access::MASTER]])