diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
index 69276768055..84c2765f6f5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
@@ -536,8 +536,12 @@ const User = RestModel.extend({
     const user = this;
 
     return PreloadStore.getAndRemove(`user_${user.get("username")}`, () => {
-      const useCardRoute = options && options.forCard;
+      if (options && options.existingRequest) {
+        // Existing ajax request has been passed, use it
+        return options.existingRequest;
+      }
 
+      const useCardRoute = options && options.forCard;
       if (options) delete options.forCard;
 
       const path = useCardRoute
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 33e7bdce6c2..5b7bbc70222 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -99,6 +99,30 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     show(for_card: true)
   end
 
+  def cards
+    return redirect_to path('/login') if SiteSetting.hide_user_profiles_from_public && !current_user
+
+    user_ids = params.require(:user_ids).split(",").map(&:to_i)
+    raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:user_ids) if user_ids.length > 50
+
+    users = User.where(id: user_ids).includes(:user_option,
+                                              :user_stat,
+                                              :default_featured_user_badges,
+                                              :user_profile,
+                                              :card_background_upload,
+                                              :primary_group,
+                                              :primary_email
+                                            )
+
+    users = users.filter { |u| guardian.can_see_profile?(u) }
+
+    preload_fields = User.whitelisted_user_custom_fields(guardian) + UserField.all.pluck(:id).map { |fid| "#{User::USER_FIELD_PREFIX}#{fid}" }
+    User.preload_custom_fields(users, preload_fields)
+    User.preload_recent_time_read(users)
+
+    render json: users, each_serializer: UserCardSerializer
+  end
+
   def badges
     raise Discourse::NotFound unless SiteSetting.enable_badges?
     show
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 8fd2d19727d..38047b91eb7 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -367,6 +367,8 @@ Discourse::Application.routes.draw do
   get "user_preferences" => "users#user_preferences_redirect"
   get ".well-known/change-password", to: redirect(relative_url_root + 'my/preferences/account', status: 302)
 
+  get "user-cards" => "users#cards", format: :json
+
   %w{users u}.each_with_index do |root_path, index|
     get "#{root_path}" => "users#index", constraints: { format: 'html' }
 
diff --git a/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb
index 13aebdfd2f4..7a15170e38f 100644
--- a/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb
@@ -3052,6 +3052,34 @@ describe UsersController do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#cards" do
+    fab!(:user) { Discourse.system_user }
+    fab!(:user2) { Fabricate(:user) }
+
+    it "returns success" do
+      get "/user-cards.json?user_ids=#{user.id},#{user2.id}"
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+      parsed = JSON.parse(response.body)["users"]
+
+      expect(parsed.map { |u| u["username"] }).to contain_exactly(user.username, user2.username)
+    end
+
+    it "should redirect to login page for anonymous user when profiles are hidden" do
+      SiteSetting.hide_user_profiles_from_public = true
+      get "/user-cards.json?user_ids=#{user.id},#{user2.id}"
+      expect(response).to redirect_to '/login'
+    end
+
+    it "does not include hidden profiles" do
+      user2.user_option.update(hide_profile_and_presence: true)
+      get "/user-cards.json?user_ids=#{user.id},#{user2.id}"
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+      parsed = JSON.parse(response.body)["users"]
+
+      expect(parsed.map { |u| u["username"] }).to contain_exactly(user.username)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#badges' do
     it "renders fine by default" do
       get "/u/#{user.username}/badges"