diff --git a/src/events/UserQueryCriteria.php b/src/events/UserQueryCriteria.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..102c6f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/events/UserQueryCriteria.php
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace flipbox\saml\sp\events;
+
+use craft\elements\db\UserQuery;
+use yii\base\Event;
+
+class UserQueryCriteria extends Event
+{
+    public UserQuery $userQuery;
+
+    public string $usernameOrEmail;
+
+    public bool $applyDefaultCriteria = true;
+
+    public bool $archived;
+}
diff --git a/src/services/login/User.php b/src/services/login/User.php
index ae55919..25d4f83 100644
--- a/src/services/login/User.php
+++ b/src/services/login/User.php
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@
 use craft\models\FieldLayout;
 use flipbox\saml\core\exceptions\InvalidMessage;
 use flipbox\saml\core\helpers\ProviderHelper;
+use flipbox\saml\sp\events\UserQueryCriteria;
 use flipbox\saml\sp\helpers\UserHelper;
 use flipbox\saml\sp\models\Settings;
 use flipbox\saml\sp\records\ProviderIdentityRecord;
 use flipbox\saml\sp\records\ProviderRecord;
 use flipbox\saml\sp\Saml;
 use SAML2\Response as SamlResponse;
+use yii\base\Event;
 use yii\base\UserException;
 
 /**
@@ -31,6 +33,8 @@ class User extends Component
 
     const EVENT_BEFORE_USER_SAVE = 'eventBeforeUserSave';
 
+    const EVENT_GET_CUSTOM_USER_CRITERIA = 'eventGetCustomUserCriteria';
+
     /**
      * @var FieldLayout|null
      */
@@ -411,18 +415,30 @@ protected function forceGet($username)
      */
     protected function getByUsernameOrEmail($usernameOrEmail, $archived = false)
     {
+        $event = new UserQueryCriteria([
+            'userQuery'       => UserElement::find(),
+            'usernameOrEmail' => $usernameOrEmail,
+            'archived'        => $archived,
+        ]);
+
+        if (Event::hasHandlers(self::class, self::EVENT_GET_CUSTOM_USER_CRITERIA)) {
+            Event::trigger(
+                self::class,
+                self::EVENT_GET_CUSTOM_USER_CRITERIA,
+                $event
+            );
+        }
 
-        return UserElement::find()
+        return ($event->applyDefaultCriteria ? $event->userQuery
             ->where(
                 [
                     'or',
-                    ['username' => $usernameOrEmail],
-                    ['email' => $usernameOrEmail],
+                    ['username' => $event->usernameOrEmail],
+                    ['email'    => $event->usernameOrEmail],
                 ]
             )
             ->status(null)
-            ->archived($archived)
-            ->one();
+            ->archived($event->archived) : $event->userQuery)->one();
     }
 
     private function getAttributeValue($attributeValue)