diff --git a/app/channel.go b/app/channel.go
index 0b5d96ff3e..c7bcf727ed 100644
--- a/app/channel.go
+++ b/app/channel.go
@@ -315,12 +315,26 @@ func (a *App) GetOrCreateDirectChannel(c *request.Context, userID, otherUserID s
 
 	if *a.Config().TeamSettings.RestrictDirectMessage == model.DirectMessageTeam &&
 		!a.SessionHasPermissionTo(*c.Session(), model.PermissionManageSystem) {
-		commonTeamIDs, err := a.GetCommonTeamIDsForTwoUsers(userID, otherUserID)
+		users, err := a.GetUsersByIds([]string{userID, otherUserID}, &store.UserGetByIdsOpts{})
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		if len(commonTeamIDs) == 0 {
-			return nil, model.NewAppError("createDirectChannel", "api.channel.create_channel.direct_channel.team_restricted_error", nil, "", http.StatusForbidden)
+		var isBot bool
+		for _, user := range users {
+			if user.IsBot {
+				isBot = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		// if one of the users is a bot, don't restrict to team members
+		if !isBot {
+			commonTeamIDs, err := a.GetCommonTeamIDsForTwoUsers(userID, otherUserID)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			if len(commonTeamIDs) == 0 {
+				return nil, model.NewAppError("createDirectChannel", "api.channel.create_channel.direct_channel.team_restricted_error", nil, "", http.StatusForbidden)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -398,10 +412,10 @@ func (a *App) createDirectChannel(userID string, otherUserID string, channelOpti
 		return nil, model.NewAppError("CreateDirectChannel", "api.channel.create_direct_channel.invalid_user.app_error", nil, fmt.Sprintf("No users found for ids: %s. %s", userID, otherUserID), http.StatusBadRequest)
 	}
 
-	// The potential swap dance bellow is necessary in order to guarantee determinism when creating a direct channel.
+	// The potential swap dance below is necessary in order to guarantee determinism when creating a direct channel.
 	// When we query the database for some given user ids, the database result is not deterministic, meaning we can get
 	// the same results but in different order. In order to conform the contract of Channel.CreateDirectChannel method
-	// bellow we need to identify which user is who.
+	// below we need to identify which user is who.
 	user := users[0]
 	otherUser := users[1]
 	if user.Id != userID {
diff --git a/app/channel_test.go b/app/channel_test.go
index bb1e9d2b15..45fbbee47c 100644
--- a/app/channel_test.go
+++ b/app/channel_test.go
@@ -400,6 +400,50 @@ func TestUpdateChannelPrivacy(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, publicChannel.Type, model.ChannelTypeOpen)
 }
 
+func TestGetOrCreateDirectChannel(t *testing.T) {
+	th := Setup(t).InitBasic()
+	defer th.TearDown()
+
+	team1 := th.CreateTeam()
+	team2 := th.CreateTeam()
+
+	user1 := th.CreateUser()
+	th.LinkUserToTeam(user1, team1)
+
+	user2 := th.CreateUser()
+	th.LinkUserToTeam(user2, team2)
+
+	bot1 := th.CreateBot()
+
+	t.Run("Bot can create with restriction", func(t *testing.T) {
+		th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) {
+			setting := model.DirectMessageTeam
+			cfg.TeamSettings.RestrictDirectMessage = &setting
+		})
+
+		// check with bot in first userid param
+		channel, appErr := th.App.GetOrCreateDirectChannel(th.Context, bot1.UserId, user1.Id)
+		require.NotNil(t, channel, "channel should be non-nil")
+		require.Nil(t, appErr)
+
+		// check with bot in second userid param
+		channel, appErr = th.App.GetOrCreateDirectChannel(th.Context, user1.Id, bot1.UserId)
+		require.NotNil(t, channel, "channel should be non-nil")
+		require.Nil(t, appErr)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("User from other team cannot create with restriction", func(t *testing.T) {
+		th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) {
+			setting := model.DirectMessageTeam
+			cfg.TeamSettings.RestrictDirectMessage = &setting
+		})
+
+		channel, appErr := th.App.GetOrCreateDirectChannel(th.Context, user1.Id, user2.Id)
+		require.Nil(t, channel, "channel should be nil")
+		require.NotNil(t, appErr)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestCreateGroupChannelCreatesChannelMemberHistoryRecord(t *testing.T) {
 	th := Setup(t).InitBasic()
 	defer th.TearDown()