diff --git a/pkg/api/login_oauth.go b/pkg/api/login_oauth.go
index 84bb08d7fe4..0a5daa6344c 100644
--- a/pkg/api/login_oauth.go
+++ b/pkg/api/login_oauth.go
@@ -313,16 +313,17 @@ func (hs *HTTPServer) SyncUser(
 	connect social.SocialConnector,
 ) (*user.User, error) {
 	oauthLogger.Debug("Syncing Grafana user with corresponding OAuth profile")
+	lookupParams := models.UserLookupParams{}
+	if hs.Cfg.OAuthAllowInsecureEmailLookup {
+		lookupParams.Email = &extUser.Email
+	}
+
 	// add/update user in Grafana
 	cmd := &models.UpsertUserCommand{
-		ReqContext:    ctx,
-		ExternalUser:  extUser,
-		SignupAllowed: connect.IsSignupAllowed(),
-		UserLookupParams: models.UserLookupParams{
-			Email:  &extUser.Email,
-			UserID: nil,
-			Login:  nil,
-		},
+		ReqContext:       ctx,
+		ExternalUser:     extUser,
+		SignupAllowed:    connect.IsSignupAllowed(),
+		UserLookupParams: lookupParams,
 	}
 
 	if err := hs.Login.UpsertUser(ctx.Req.Context(), cmd); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting.go b/pkg/setting/setting.go
index 078dc4a03b8..042f93193c3 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting.go
@@ -326,7 +326,8 @@ type Cfg struct {
 	AuthProxySyncTTL          int
 
 	// OAuth
-	OAuthCookieMaxAge int
+	OAuthCookieMaxAge             int
+	OAuthAllowInsecureEmailLookup bool
 
 	// JWT Auth
 	JWTAuthEnabled                 bool
@@ -1327,6 +1328,8 @@ func readAuthSettings(iniFile *ini.File, cfg *Cfg) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	cfg.OAuthAllowInsecureEmailLookup = auth.Key("oauth_allow_insecure_email_lookup").MustBool(false)
+
 	const defaultMaxLifetime = "30d"
 	maxLifetimeDurationVal := valueAsString(auth, "login_maximum_lifetime_duration", defaultMaxLifetime)
 	cfg.LoginMaxLifetime, err = gtime.ParseDuration(maxLifetimeDurationVal)