diff --git a/src/wp-includes/user.php b/src/wp-includes/user.php
index c8a87a3898..74f3ecba79 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/user.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/user.php
@@ -2366,7 +2366,7 @@ function wp_insert_user( $userdata ) {
 	$admin_color         = empty( $userdata['admin_color'] ) ? 'fresh' : $userdata['admin_color'];
 	$meta['admin_color'] = preg_replace( '|[^a-z0-9 _.\-@]|i', '', $admin_color );
 
-	$meta['use_ssl'] = empty( $userdata['use_ssl'] ) ? 0 : (bool) $userdata['use_ssl'];
+	$meta['use_ssl'] = empty( $userdata['use_ssl'] ) || ! $userdata['use_ssl'] ? '0' : '1';
 
 	$meta['show_admin_bar_front'] = empty( $userdata['show_admin_bar_front'] ) ? 'true' : $userdata['show_admin_bar_front'];
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/user.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/user.php
index 2c13d34ec3..8880ff80bb 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/user.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/user.php
@@ -2245,4 +2245,46 @@ class Tests_User extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 
 		return $additional_profile_data;
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that update_user_meta for 'use_ssl' doesn't write to DB unnecessarily.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 60299
+	 */
+	public function test_unnecessary_assignment_of_use_ssl_in_meta() {
+		$user_id = self::$contrib_id;
+		// Keep track of db writing calls.
+		$set_db_counts = 0;
+
+		// Track db updates with calls to do_action( "update_user_meta", ... with 'use_ssl' meta key.
+		add_action(
+			'update_user_meta',
+			function ( $meta_id, $object_id, $meta_key ) use ( &$set_db_counts ) {
+				if ( 'use_ssl' !== $meta_key ) {
+					return;
+				}
+				$set_db_counts++;
+			},
+			10,
+			3
+		);
+
+		$_POST = array(
+			'nickname' => 'nickname_test',
+			'email'    => 'email_test_1@example.com',
+			'use_ssl'  => 1,
+		);
+
+		$user_id = edit_user( $user_id );
+
+		$this->assertIsInt( $user_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( 1, $set_db_counts );
+
+		// Update the user without changing the 'use_ssl' meta.
+		$_POST['email'] = 'email_test_2@example.com';
+		$user_id        = edit_user( $user_id );
+
+		// Verify there are no updates to use_ssl user meta.
+		$this->assertEquals( 1, $set_db_counts );
+	}
 }