diff --git a/apps/dav/lib/CardDAV/ContactsManager.php b/apps/dav/lib/CardDAV/ContactsManager.php
index b35137c902d50..85f96bac146dd 100644
--- a/apps/dav/lib/CardDAV/ContactsManager.php
+++ b/apps/dav/lib/CardDAV/ContactsManager.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 use OCA\DAV\Db\PropertyMapper;
 use OCP\Contacts\IManager;
+use OCP\IAppConfig;
 use OCP\IL10N;
 use OCP\IURLGenerator;
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ public function __construct(
 		private CardDavBackend $backend,
 		private IL10N $l10n,
 		private PropertyMapper $propertyMapper,
+		private IAppConfig $appConfig,
 	) {
 	}
 
@@ -43,6 +45,11 @@ public function setupContactsProvider(IManager $cm, $userId, IURLGenerator $urlG
 	 * @param IURLGenerator $urlGenerator
 	 */
 	public function setupSystemContactsProvider(IManager $cm, ?string $userId, IURLGenerator $urlGenerator) {
+		$systemAddressBookExposed = $this->appConfig->getValueBool('dav', 'system_addressbook_exposed', true);
+		if (!$systemAddressBookExposed) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		$addressBooks = $this->backend->getAddressBooksForUser('principals/system/system');
 		$this->register($cm, $addressBooks, $urlGenerator, $userId);
 	}
diff --git a/apps/dav/tests/unit/CardDAV/ContactsManagerTest.php b/apps/dav/tests/unit/CardDAV/ContactsManagerTest.php
index bdd826f671b6f..90caeed666880 100644
--- a/apps/dav/tests/unit/CardDAV/ContactsManagerTest.php
+++ b/apps/dav/tests/unit/CardDAV/ContactsManagerTest.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use OCA\DAV\CardDAV\ContactsManager;
 use OCA\DAV\Db\PropertyMapper;
 use OCP\Contacts\IManager;
+use OCP\IAppConfig;
 use OCP\IL10N;
 use OCP\IURLGenerator;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject;
@@ -21,7 +22,8 @@ class ContactsManagerTest extends TestCase {
 	public function test(): void {
 		/** @var IManager&MockObject $cm */
 		$cm = $this->createMock(IManager::class);
-		$cm->expects($this->exactly(2))->method('registerAddressBook');
+		$cm->expects($this->exactly(1))->method('registerAddressBook');
+		/** @var IURLGenerator&MockObject $urlGenerator */
 		$urlGenerator = $this->createMock(IURLGenerator::class);
 		/** @var CardDavBackend&MockObject $backEnd */
 		$backEnd = $this->createMock(CardDavBackend::class);
@@ -29,9 +31,12 @@ public function test(): void {
 			['{DAV:}displayname' => 'Test address book', 'uri' => 'default'],
 		]);
 		$propertyMapper = $this->createMock(PropertyMapper::class);
+		/** @var IAppConfig&MockObject $appConfig */
+		$appConfig = $this->createMock(IAppConfig::class);
 
+		/** @var IL10N&MockObject $l */
 		$l = $this->createMock(IL10N::class);
-		$app = new ContactsManager($backEnd, $l, $propertyMapper);
+		$app = new ContactsManager($backEnd, $l, $propertyMapper, $appConfig);
 		$app->setupContactsProvider($cm, 'user01', $urlGenerator);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/build/integration/features/contacts-menu.feature b/build/integration/features/contacts-menu.feature
index 772c0e5405cfb..a3a9e0f666740 100644
--- a/build/integration/features/contacts-menu.feature
+++ b/build/integration/features/contacts-menu.feature
@@ -192,3 +192,19 @@ Feature: contacts-menu
     And searching for contacts matching with "test"
     # Disabled because it regularly fails on drone:
     # Then the list of searched contacts has "0" contacts
+
+  Scenario: users cannot list other users from the system address book
+    Given user "user0" exists
+    And user "user1" exists
+    And invoking occ with "config:app:set dav system_addressbook_exposed --value false"
+    And Logging in using web as "user1"
+    And searching for contacts matching with ""
+    Then the list of searched contacts has "1" contacts
+    And invoking occ with "config:app:delete dav system_addressbook_exposed"
+
+  Scenario: users can list other users from the system address book
+    Given user "user0" exists
+    And user "user1" exists
+    And Logging in using web as "user1"
+    And searching for contacts matching with ""
+    Then the list of searched contacts has "2" contacts