diff --git a/auth/ldap/auth.php b/auth/ldap/auth.php
index a87cc1174ab..d0c39c50662 100644
--- a/auth/ldap/auth.php
+++ b/auth/ldap/auth.php
@@ -941,14 +941,14 @@ class auth_plugin_ldap extends auth_plugin_base {
                 }
 
                 // Save custom profile fields.
-                $euser->profile = array();
+                $profilefields = array();
                 foreach ($user as $key => $value) {
                     if (preg_match('/^profile_field_(.*)$/', $key, $match)) {
                         $field = $match[1];
-                        $euser->profile[$field] = $user->$key;
+                        $profilefields[$field] = $user->$key;
                     }
                 }
-                profile_save_custom_fields($euser);
+                profile_save_custom_fields($euser->id, $profilefields);
 
                 // Add roles if needed.
                 $this->sync_roles($euser);
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ class auth_plugin_ldap extends auth_plugin_base {
         }
 
         // Load old custom fields.
-        profile_load_custom_fields($olduser, false);
+        $olduserprofilefields = (array) profile_user_record($olduser->id, false);
 
         $fields = array();
         foreach (profile_get_custom_fields(false) as $field) {
@@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ class auth_plugin_ldap extends auth_plugin_base {
                     if (isset($fields[$fieldname])) {
                         $class = 'profile_field_' . $fields[$fieldname]->datatype;
                         $formfield = new $class($fields[$fieldname]->id, $olduser->id);
-                        $oldvalue = isset($olduser->profile[$fieldname]) ? $olduser->profile[$fieldname] : null;
+                        $oldvalue = isset($olduserprofilefields[$fieldname]) ? $olduserprofilefields[$fieldname] : null;
                     } else {
                         $oldvalue = null;
                     }
diff --git a/lib/authlib.php b/lib/authlib.php
index 41e7cd3c4b5..6752ae4e1b1 100644
--- a/lib/authlib.php
+++ b/lib/authlib.php
@@ -653,9 +653,6 @@ class auth_plugin_base {
             die;
         }
 
-        // Load all custom fields into $user->profile.
-        profile_load_custom_fields($user, false);
-
         // Protect the userid from being overwritten.
         $userid = $user->id;
 
@@ -673,7 +670,9 @@ class auth_plugin_base {
                 $newuser->id = $userid;
                 // The cast to int is a workaround for MDL-53959.
                 $newuser->suspended = (int) $suspenduser;
-                $newuser->profile = array();
+                // Load all custom fields.
+                $profilefields = (array) profile_user_record($user->id, false);
+                $newprofilefields = [];
 
                 foreach ($updatekeys as $key) {
                     if (isset($newinfo[$key])) {
@@ -686,8 +685,8 @@ class auth_plugin_base {
                         if (preg_match('/^profile_field_(.*)$/', $key, $match)) {
                             // Custom field.
                             $field = $match[1];
-                            $currentvalue = isset($user->profile[$field]) ? $user->profile[$field] : null;
-                            $newuser->profile[$field] = $value;
+                            $currentvalue = isset($profilefields[$field]) ? $profilefields[$field] : null;
+                            $newprofilefields[$field] = $value;
                         } else {
                             // Standard field.
                             $currentvalue = isset($user->$key) ? $user->$key : null;
@@ -704,7 +703,7 @@ class auth_plugin_base {
 
             if ($needsupdate) {
                 user_update_user($newuser, false, $triggerevent);
-                profile_save_custom_fields($newuser);
+                profile_save_custom_fields($newuser->id, $newprofilefields);
                 return $DB->get_record('user', array('id' => $userid, 'deleted' => 0));
             }
         }
diff --git a/user/profile/lib.php b/user/profile/lib.php
index b9ad8081de5..29cb7b73504 100644
--- a/user/profile/lib.php
+++ b/user/profile/lib.php
@@ -770,30 +770,30 @@ function profile_get_custom_fields($onlyinuserobject = false) {
  * Load custom profile fields into user object
  *
  * @param stdClass $user user object
- * @param bool $onlyinuserobject True if you only want the ones in $USER
  */
-function profile_load_custom_fields($user, $onlyinuserobject = true) {
-    $user->profile = (array)profile_user_record($user->id, $onlyinuserobject);
+function profile_load_custom_fields($user) {
+    $user->profile = (array)profile_user_record($user->id);
 }
 
 /**
- * Save custom profile fields in user object
+ * Save custom profile fields for a user.
  *
- * @param stdClass $user user object
+ * @param int $userid The user id
+ * @param array $profilefields The fields to save
  */
-function profile_save_custom_fields($user) {
+function profile_save_custom_fields($userid, $profilefields) {
     global $DB;
 
     if ($fields = $DB->get_records('user_info_field')) {
         foreach ($fields as $field) {
-            if (isset($user->profile[$field->shortname])) {
-                $conditions = array('fieldid' => $field->id, 'userid' => $user->id);
+            if (isset($profilefields[$field->shortname])) {
+                $conditions = array('fieldid' => $field->id, 'userid' => $userid);
                 $id = $DB->get_field('user_info_data', 'id', $conditions);
-                $data = $user->profile[$field->shortname];
+                $data = $profilefields[$field->shortname];
                 if ($id) {
                     $DB->set_field('user_info_data', 'data', $data, array('id' => $id));
                 } else {
-                    $record = array('fieldid' => $field->id, 'userid' => $user->id, 'data' => $data);
+                    $record = array('fieldid' => $field->id, 'userid' => $userid, 'data' => $data);
                     $DB->insert_record('user_info_data', $record);
                 }
             }