diff --git a/config/packages/nelmio_api_doc.yaml b/config/packages/nelmio_api_doc.yaml
index 883316db..f047130b 100644
--- a/config/packages/nelmio_api_doc.yaml
+++ b/config/packages/nelmio_api_doc.yaml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ nelmio_api_doc:
             - { alias: UserCreateForm,              type: App\Form\API\UserApiCreateForm,           groups: [Default, Entity, User, User_Entity] }
             - { alias: UserEditForm,                type: App\Form\API\UserApiEditForm,             groups: [Default, Entity, User, User_Entity] }
             - { alias: User,                        type: App\Entity\User,                          groups: [Default] }
+            - { alias: UserPreference,              type: App\Entity\UserPreference,                groups: [Default, User_Entity] }
             - { alias: UserEntity,                  type: App\Entity\User,                          groups: [Default, Entity, User, User_Entity] }
             - { alias: UserCollection,              type: App\Entity\User,                          groups: [Default, Collection, User] }
             - { alias: TeamEditForm,                type: App\Form\API\TeamApiEditForm,             groups: [Default, Entity, Team, Team_Entity] }
diff --git a/src/API/UserController.php b/src/API/UserController.php
index 286e3591..a0aa391f 100644
--- a/src/API/UserController.php
+++ b/src/API/UserController.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ namespace App\API;
 
 use App\Configuration\SystemConfiguration;
 use App\Entity\User;
+use App\Event\PrepareUserEvent;
 use App\Form\API\UserApiCreateForm;
 use App\Form\API\UserApiEditForm;
 use App\Repository\Query\UserQuery;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ use HandcraftedInTheAlps\RestRoutingBundle\Controller\Annotations\RouteResource;
 use Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\Annotation\Security as ApiSecurity;
 use Sensio\Bundle\FrameworkExtraBundle\Configuration\Security;
 use Swagger\Annotations as SWG;
+use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventDispatcherInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\AccessDeniedHttpException;
@@ -137,7 +139,7 @@ final class UserController extends BaseApiController
      * @ApiSecurity(name="apiUser")
      * @ApiSecurity(name="apiToken")
      */
-    public function getAction(int $id): Response
+    public function getAction(int $id, EventDispatcherInterface $dispatcher): Response
     {
         $user = $this->repository->find($id);
 
@@ -149,6 +151,10 @@ final class UserController extends BaseApiController
             throw new AccessDeniedHttpException('You are not allowed to view this profile');
         }
 
+        // we need to prepare the user preferences, which is done via an EventSubscriber
+        $event = new PrepareUserEvent($user);
+        $dispatcher->dispatch($event);
+
         $view = new View($user, 200);
         $view->getContext()->setGroups(self::GROUPS_ENTITY);
 
diff --git a/src/Entity/User.php b/src/Entity/User.php
index 6f0fedcd..0210200d 100644
--- a/src/Entity/User.php
+++ b/src/Entity/User.php
@@ -373,6 +373,45 @@ class User implements UserInterface, EquatableInterface, \Serializable
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Read-only list of of all visible user preferences.
+     *
+     * @Serializer\VirtualProperty
+     * @Serializer\SerializedName("preferences"),
+     * @Serializer\Groups({"User_Entity"})
+     * @SWG\Property(type="array", @SWG\Items(ref="#/definitions/UserPreference"))
+     *
+     * @internal only for API usage
+     * @return UserPreference[]
+     */
+    public function getVisiblePreferences(): array
+    {
+        // hide all internal preferences, which are either available in other fields
+        // or which are only used within the Kimai UI
+        $skip = [
+            UserPreference::TIMEZONE,
+            UserPreference::LOCALE,
+            UserPreference::SKIN,
+            'calendar.initial_view',
+            'login.initial_view',
+            'reporting.initial_view',
+            'theme.collapsed_sidebar',
+            'theme.layout',
+            'theme.update_browser_title',
+            'timesheet.daily_stats',
+            'timesheet.export_decimal',
+        ];
+
+        $all = [];
+        foreach ($this->preferences as $preference) {
+            if ($preference->isEnabled() && !\in_array($preference->getName(), $skip)) {
+                $all[] = $preference;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $all;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return Collection<UserPreference>
      */
diff --git a/src/Entity/UserPreference.php b/src/Entity/UserPreference.php
index 95f33892..0db257a0 100644
--- a/src/Entity/UserPreference.php
+++ b/src/Entity/UserPreference.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ namespace App\Entity;
 
 use App\Form\Type\YesNoType;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;
+use JMS\Serializer\Annotation as Serializer;
 use Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\Type\CheckboxType;
 use Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\Type\IntegerType;
 use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraint;
@@ -23,6 +24,8 @@ use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;
  *          @ORM\UniqueConstraint(columns={"user_id", "name"})
  *      }
  * )
+ *
+ * @Serializer\ExclusionPolicy("all")
  */
 class UserPreference
 {
@@ -53,6 +56,9 @@ class UserPreference
     /**
      * @var string
      *
+     * @Serializer\Expose()
+     * @Serializer\Groups({"Default"})
+     *
      * @ORM\Column(name="name", type="string", length=50, nullable=false)
      * @Assert\NotNull()
      * @Assert\Length(min=2, max=50, allowEmptyString=false)
@@ -61,6 +67,9 @@ class UserPreference
     /**
      * @var string
      *
+     * @Serializer\Expose()
+     * @Serializer\Groups({"Default"})
+     *
      * @ORM\Column(name="value", type="string", length=255, nullable=true)
      */
     private $value;
diff --git a/tests/API/APIControllerBaseTest.php b/tests/API/APIControllerBaseTest.php
index a0f3f1fe..43eca410 100644
--- a/tests/API/APIControllerBaseTest.php
+++ b/tests/API/APIControllerBaseTest.php
@@ -283,6 +283,12 @@ abstract class APIControllerBaseTest extends ControllerBaseTest
                 ];
 
             // embedded meta data
+            case 'UserPreference':
+                return [
+                    'name' => 'string',
+                    'value' => '@string',
+                ];
+
             case 'CustomerMeta':
             case 'ProjectMeta':
             case 'ActivityMeta':
@@ -321,6 +327,7 @@ abstract class APIControllerBaseTest extends ControllerBaseTest
                     'timezone' => 'string',
                     'accountNumber' => '@string',
                     'memberships' => ['result' => 'array', 'type' => 'TeamMembership'],
+                    'preferences' => ['result' => 'array', 'type' => 'UserPreference'],
                 ];
 
             // if a team is embedded