diff --git a/api/institutions/views.py b/api/institutions/views.py
index 9424a69fa10..b9709a15c80 100644
--- a/api/institutions/views.py
+++ b/api/institutions/views.py
@@ -585,13 +585,17 @@ class _NewInstitutionUserMetricsList(InstitutionMixin, ElasticsearchListView):
     ))
 
     def get_default_search(self):
-        _yearmonth = InstitutionalUserReport.most_recent_yearmonth()
-        if _yearmonth is None:
+        base_search = InstitutionalUserReport.search().filter(
+            'term',
+            institution_id=self.get_institution()._id,
+        )
+        yearmonth = InstitutionalUserReport.most_recent_yearmonth(base_search=base_search)
+        if yearmonth is None:
             return None
+
         return (
-            InstitutionalUserReport.search()
-            .filter('term', report_yearmonth=str(_yearmonth))
-            .filter('term', institution_id=self.get_institution()._id)
+            base_search
+            .filter('term', report_yearmonth=str(yearmonth))
             .exclude('term', user_name='Deleted user')
         )