diff --git a/zerver/lib/users.py b/zerver/lib/users.py
index 8f76e996e5..7cf3a25a61 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/users.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/users.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ from zerver.models.users import (
     active_user_ids,
     base_bulk_get_user_queryset,
     base_get_user_queryset,
+    get_partial_realm_user_dicts,
     get_realm_user_dicts,
     get_realm_user_dicts_from_ids,
     get_user_by_id_in_realm_including_cross_realm,
@@ -1058,6 +1059,8 @@ def get_user_dicts_in_realm(
 ) -> tuple[list[RawUserDict], list[APIUserDict]]:
     if user_ids is not None:
         all_user_dicts = get_realm_user_dicts_from_ids(realm.id, user_ids)
+    elif settings.PARTIAL_USERS:
+        all_user_dicts = get_partial_realm_user_dicts(realm.id, user_profile)
     else:
         all_user_dicts = get_realm_user_dicts(realm.id)
     if check_user_can_access_all_users(user_profile):
diff --git a/zerver/models/users.py b/zerver/models/users.py
index a8e82dd0e3..d7c347704c 100644
--- a/zerver/models/users.py
+++ b/zerver/models/users.py
@@ -1116,6 +1116,27 @@ def get_realm_user_dicts(realm_id: int) -> list[RawUserDict]:
     )
 
 
+def get_partial_realm_user_dicts(
+    realm_id: int, user_profile: UserProfile | None
+) -> list[RawUserDict]:
+    """Returns a subset of the users in the realm, guaranteed to
+    include the current user as well as all bots in the realm.
+    """
+
+    # Currently, we send the minimum set of users permitted by the API.
+    user_selection_clause = Q(is_bot=True)
+    if user_profile is not None:
+        user_selection_clause |= Q(id=user_profile.id)
+
+    return list(
+        UserProfile.objects.filter(realm_id=realm_id)
+        .filter(
+            user_selection_clause,
+        )
+        .values(*realm_user_dict_fields)
+    )
+
+
 def get_realm_user_dicts_from_ids(realm_id: int, user_ids: list[int]) -> list[RawUserDict]:
     return list(
         UserProfile.objects.filter(
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_users.py b/zerver/tests/test_users.py
index 35b0b587b5..5dc7a23719 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_users.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_users.py
@@ -3165,6 +3165,17 @@ class GetProfileTest(ZulipTestCase):
             result = self.client_get(f"/json/users/{user.id}")
             self.assert_json_error(result, "Insufficient permission")
 
+        with self.settings(PARTIAL_USERS=True), self.assert_database_query_count(9):
+            result = self.client_get("/json/users")
+        self.assert_json_success(result)
+
+        result_dict = orjson.loads(result.content)
+        all_fetched_users = result_dict["members"]
+        self.assertEqual(
+            len(all_fetched_users),
+            UserProfile.objects.filter(realm=hamlet.realm, is_bot=True).count() + 1,
+        )
+
     def test_get_inaccessible_user_ids(self) -> None:
         polonius = self.example_user("polonius")
         bot = self.example_user("default_bot")
@@ -3232,6 +3243,16 @@ class GetProfileTest(ZulipTestCase):
             user_ids_to_fetch,
         )
 
+        with self.settings(PARTIAL_USERS=True), self.assert_database_query_count(4):
+            result = self.client_get("/json/users")
+        self.assert_json_success(result)
+        result_dict = orjson.loads(result.content)
+        all_fetched_users = result_dict["members"]
+        self.assertEqual(
+            len(all_fetched_users),
+            UserProfile.objects.filter(realm=hamlet.realm, is_bot=True).count(),
+        )
+
 
 class DeleteUserTest(ZulipTestCase):
     def test_do_delete_user(self) -> None:
diff --git a/zproject/computed_settings.py b/zproject/computed_settings.py
index 18be84e12f..2815949255 100644
--- a/zproject/computed_settings.py
+++ b/zproject/computed_settings.py
@@ -1307,3 +1307,5 @@ SCIM_SERVICE_PROVIDER = {
 
 # Which API key to use will be determined based on TOPIC_SUMMARIZATION_MODEL.
 TOPIC_SUMMARIZATION_API_KEY = get_secret("topic_summarization_api_key", None)
+
+PARTIAL_USERS = bool(os.environ.get("PARTIAL_USERS"))