diff --git a/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java
index d3ed61652c..0c4a21bdc4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java
@@ -493,6 +493,15 @@ public class PersonServiceImpl extends TransactionListenerAdapter implements Per
         {
             return null;
         }
+        if (EqualsHelper.nullSafeEquals(userName, AuthenticationUtil.getSystemUserName()))
+        {
+            if (exceptionOrNull)
+            {
+                throw new NoSuchPersonException(userName);
+            }
+            return null;
+        }
+        
         final NodeRef personNode = getPersonOrNullImpl(userName);
         if (personNode == null)
         {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/notification/NotificationServiceImplSystemTest.java b/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/notification/NotificationServiceImplSystemTest.java
index a9be112392..446486ccb5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/notification/NotificationServiceImplSystemTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/notification/NotificationServiceImplSystemTest.java
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
 import org.alfresco.repo.content.MimetypeMap;
 import org.alfresco.repo.model.Repository;
-import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil;
+import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil;
+import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil.RunAsWork;
 import org.alfresco.repo.transaction.RetryingTransactionHelper.RetryingTransactionCallback;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.model.FileFolderService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.notification.NotificationContext;
@@ -195,28 +196,34 @@ public class NotificationServiceImplSystemTest extends BaseAlfrescoTestCase
     protected boolean useSpacesStore()
     {
         return true;
-    }
+    }
+    
+    public void testSimpleEmailNotificationSystem()
+    {
+        AuthenticationUtil.runAsSystem(new RunAsWork<Void>()
+        {
+            @Override
+            public Void doWork()
+            {
+                NotificationContext context = new NotificationContext();
+                
+                context.setFrom(FROM_EMAIL);
+                context.addTo(TO_USER1);
+                context.setSubject(SUBJECT);
+                context.setBodyTemplate(template.toString());
+                
+                Map<String, Serializable> templateArgs = new HashMap<String, Serializable>(1);
+                templateArgs.put("template", template);
+                context.setTemplateArgs(templateArgs);
+                
+                notificationService.sendNotification(EMailNotificationProvider.NAME, context);
+                
+                return null;
+            }
+        });
+    }
+    
     
-    public void testSimpleEmailNotification()
-    {
-        doTestInTransaction(new Test<Void>()
-        {
-            @Override
-            public Void run()
-            {
-                NotificationContext context = new NotificationContext();
-                
-                context.setFrom(FROM_EMAIL);
-                context.addTo(TO_USER1);
-                context.setSubject(SUBJECT);
-                context.setBody(BODY);
-                
-                notificationService.sendNotification(EMailNotificationProvider.NAME, context);
-                
-                return null;
-            }
-        });
-    }
     
     public void testTemplateEmailNotification()
     {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java b/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java
index 5f04b9d9a0..e4b5d056f1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import org.alfresco.query.PagingRequest;
 import org.alfresco.query.PagingResults;
 import org.alfresco.repo.policy.BehaviourFilter;
 import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil;
+import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil.RunAsWork;
 import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.MutableAuthenticationDao;
 import org.alfresco.repo.transaction.AlfrescoTransactionSupport;
 import org.alfresco.repo.transaction.AlfrescoTransactionSupport.TxnReadState;
@@ -1788,4 +1789,27 @@ public class PersonTest extends TestCase
             //  expect to go here
         }
     }
+    
+    public void testBuitInSystemUser()
+    {
+
+        AuthenticationUtil.runAsSystem(new RunAsWork<Void>()
+        {
+            @Override
+            public Void doWork()
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    NodeRef person = personService.getPerson(AuthenticationUtil.SYSTEM_USER_NAME);
+                    fail("A NoSuchPersonException should have been thrown for " + AuthenticationUtil.SYSTEM_USER_NAME +
+                            " but " + person + " was returned");
+                }
+                catch(NoSuchPersonException ignore)
+                {
+                    // This is expected for system.;
+                }
+                return null;
+            }
+        });
+    }
 }