diff --git a/src/db.ts b/src/db.ts
index f5b71f0..956cde7 100644
--- a/src/db.ts
+++ b/src/db.ts
@@ -728,6 +728,7 @@ export class Store {
       ['email_job_updates', 'INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1'],
       ['email_daily_digest', 'INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1'],
       ['notify_email', 'TEXT'],
+      ['allow_private_models', 'INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0'],
       ['github_token_scopes', 'TEXT'],
     ]
     for (const [name, type] of additions) {
@@ -747,7 +748,6 @@ export class Store {
       ['allow_paths', "TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ''"],
       ['deny_paths', "TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ''"],
       ['merge_method', "TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'squash'"],
-      ['allow_private_models', 'INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0'],
       ['require_protection', 'INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1'],
       ['stage_mode', "TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'off'"],
       ['models_dirty', 'INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0'],
diff --git a/test/db.test.ts b/test/db.test.ts
index fe65889..040f428 100644
--- a/test/db.test.ts
+++ b/test/db.test.ts
@@ -371,3 +371,15 @@ test('repository bot model assignments persist and are cleaned with the selectio
     store.close()
   }
 })
+
+test('the per-user private model permission persists', () => {
+  const store = new Store(':memory:')
+  try {
+    const user = makeUser(store, { login: 'private-permission-user', status: 'approved' })
+    assert.equal(store.userById(user.id)?.allow_private_models, 0)
+    store.setUserAllowPrivateModels(user.id, true)
+    assert.equal(store.userById(user.id)?.allow_private_models, 1)
+  } finally {
+    store.close()
+  }
+})