diff --git a/db/migrate/20201215175216_add_replica_identity_for_group_categories.rb b/db/migrate/20201215175216_add_replica_identity_for_group_categories.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..acc5ff12685
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20201215175216_add_replica_identity_for_group_categories.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2020 - present Instructure, Inc.
+#
+# This file is part of Canvas.
+#
+# Canvas is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+# the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free
+# Software Foundation, version 3 of the License.
+#
+# Canvas is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+# WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
+# A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more
+# details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along
+# with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+class AddReplicaIdentityForGroupCategories < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2]
+  tag :postdeploy
+  disable_ddl_transaction!
+
+  def up
+    add_replica_identity 'GroupCategory', :root_account_id, 0
+    remove_index :group_categories, name: 'index_group_categories_on_root_account_id', if_exists: true
+  end
+
+  def down
+    remove_replica_identity 'GroupCategory'
+    # no need to re-add index_group_categories_on_root_account_id
+    # since index_group_categories_on_root_account_id_and_sis_source_id exists
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_for_group_categories_spec.rb b/spec/lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_for_group_categories_spec.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 702a12c077b..00000000000
--- a/spec/lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_for_group_categories_spec.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-# frozen_string_literal: true
-
-#
-# Copyright (C) 2011 - present Instructure, Inc.
-#
-# This file is part of Canvas.
-#
-# Canvas is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
-# the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free
-# Software Foundation, version 3 of the License.
-#
-# Canvas is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
-# WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
-# A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more
-# details.
-#
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along
-# with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-#
-
-require 'spec_helper'
-require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../../../lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_for_group_categories')
-
-describe DataFixup::PopulateRootAccountIdForGroupCategories do
-  before :once do
-    account_model
-    @other_acct = Account.create!
-
-    course = Course.create!(account: @account)
-    other_course = Course.create!(account: @other_acct)
-
-    @category_for_acct = GroupCategory.create!(account: @account, name: 'Account')
-    @category_for_course = GroupCategory.create!(course: course, name: 'Course')
-    # we have invalid contexts because they have been scrubbed, but they should
-    # allow the rest to enjoy a root_account_id even though they don't get one.
-    @cat_for_invalid_course = GroupCategory.create!(context_id: -42, context_type: 'Course', name: 'Other Course')
-
-    @other_cat_for_acct = GroupCategory.create!(account: @other_acct, name: 'Other Account')
-    @other_cat_for_course = GroupCategory.create!(course: other_course, name: 'Other Course')
-
-    @category_for_acct.update!(root_account_id: nil)
-    @category_for_course.update!(root_account_id: nil)
-    @other_cat_for_acct.update!(root_account_id: nil)
-    @other_cat_for_course.update(root_account_id: nil)
-
-    # Some group categories that *do* have root_account_ids
-    @acct_cat_with_id = GroupCategory.create!(account: @account, name: 'Has ID', root_account_id: @account.id)
-    @course_cat_with_id = GroupCategory.create!(course: course, name: 'Has ID', root_account_id: @account.id)
-  end
-
-  it 'should set root account ids on group categories' do
-    DataFixup::PopulateRootAccountIdForGroupCategories.run
-    expect(@category_for_acct.root_account_id).to eq(@account.id)
-    expect(@category_for_course.root_account_id).to eq(@account.id)
-
-    expect(@other_cat_for_acct.root_account_id).to eq(@other_acct.id)
-    expect(@other_cat_for_course.root_account_id).to eq(@other_acct.id)
-
-    expect(@acct_cat_with_id.root_account_id).to eq(@account.id)
-    expect(@course_cat_with_id.root_account_id).to eq(@account.id)
-  end
-end
diff --git a/spec/lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_on_models_spec.rb b/spec/lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_on_models_spec.rb
index 8cf13a041dc..541b3468de4 100644
--- a/spec/lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_on_models_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/data_fixup/populate_root_account_id_on_models_spec.rb
@@ -629,20 +629,6 @@ describe DataFixup::PopulateRootAccountIdOnModels do
       end
     end
 
-    context 'with GroupCategory with course context' do
-      it_behaves_like 'a datafixup that populates root_account_id' do
-        let(:record) { group_category(context: @course) }
-        let(:reference_record) { @course }
-      end
-    end
-
-    context 'with GroupCategory with account context' do
-      it_behaves_like 'a datafixup that populates root_account_id' do
-        let(:record) { group_category(context: reference_record) }
-        let(:reference_record) { account_model }
-      end
-    end
-
     context 'with LatePolicy' do
       it_behaves_like 'a datafixup that populates root_account_id' do
         # for some reason late_policy_model doesn't save the record