diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/footer.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/footer.hbs
index b8b0e1e47e8..00e9dd99028 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/footer.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/footer.hbs
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
     <div class="sidebar-footer-actions">
       <PluginOutlet @name="sidebar-footer-actions" />
 
-      <DButton
-        @icon="plus"
-        @action={{action this.addSection}}
-        @class="btn-flat add-section"
-        @title="sidebar.sections.custom.add"
-      />
+      {{#if this.currentUser}}
+        <DButton
+          @icon="plus"
+          @action={{action this.addSection}}
+          @class="btn-flat add-section"
+          @title="sidebar.sections.custom.add"
+        />
+      {{/if}}
 
       {{#if
         (or
diff --git a/spec/system/custom_sidebar_sections_spec.rb b/spec/system/custom_sidebar_sections_spec.rb
index 6aab079fe6d..e465c1b92ac 100644
--- a/spec/system/custom_sidebar_sections_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/custom_sidebar_sections_spec.rb
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@ describe "Custom sidebar sections", type: :system, js: true do
   let(:sidebar) { PageObjects::Components::Sidebar.new }
 
   it "allows the user to create custom section" do
+    visit("/latest")
+
+    expect(sidebar).to have_no_add_section_button
+
     sign_in user
     visit("/latest")
-    sidebar.open_new_custom_section
+    sidebar.click_add_section_button
 
     expect(section_modal).to be_visible
     expect(section_modal).to have_disabled_save
@@ -29,7 +33,7 @@ describe "Custom sidebar sections", type: :system, js: true do
   it "allows the user to create custom section with /my link" do
     sign_in user
     visit("/latest")
-    sidebar.open_new_custom_section
+    sidebar.click_add_section_button
 
     expect(section_modal).to be_visible
     expect(section_modal).to have_disabled_save
@@ -49,7 +53,7 @@ describe "Custom sidebar sections", type: :system, js: true do
   it "allows the user to create custom section with external link" do
     sign_in user
     visit("/latest")
-    sidebar.open_new_custom_section
+    sidebar.click_add_section_button
 
     expect(section_modal).to be_visible
     expect(section_modal).to have_disabled_save
@@ -167,7 +171,7 @@ describe "Custom sidebar sections", type: :system, js: true do
   it "allows admin to create, edit and delete public section" do
     sign_in admin
     visit("/latest")
-    sidebar.open_new_custom_section
+    sidebar.click_add_section_button
 
     section_modal.fill_name("Public section")
     section_modal.fill_link("Sidebar Tags", "/tags")
@@ -207,7 +211,7 @@ describe "Custom sidebar sections", type: :system, js: true do
   it "validates custom section fields" do
     sign_in user
     visit("/latest")
-    sidebar.open_new_custom_section
+    sidebar.click_add_section_button
 
     section_modal.fill_name("A" * (SidebarSection::MAX_TITLE_LENGTH + 1))
     section_modal.fill_link("B" * (SidebarUrl::MAX_NAME_LENGTH + 1), "/wrong-url")
diff --git a/spec/system/page_objects/components/sidebar.rb b/spec/system/page_objects/components/sidebar.rb
index 7c4ef2bcace..87e2056030d 100644
--- a/spec/system/page_objects/components/sidebar.rb
+++ b/spec/system/page_objects/components/sidebar.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,12 @@ module PageObjects
         page.has_link?(category.name, class: "sidebar-section-link")
       end
 
-      def open_new_custom_section
-        find("button.add-section").click
+      def click_add_section_button
+        click_button(add_section_button_text)
+      end
+
+      def has_no_add_section_button?
+        page.has_no_button?(add_section_button_text)
       end
 
       def edit_custom_section(name)
@@ -68,6 +72,10 @@ module PageObjects
         attributes[:class] += "--active" if active
         page.public_send(present ? :has_link? : :has_no_link?, name, **attributes)
       end
+
+      def add_section_button_text
+        I18n.t("js.sidebar.sections.custom.add")
+      end
     end
   end
 end