diff --git a/core/api/current.txt b/core/api/current.txt
index b9201f2690217..3f12b6ca7d64e 100644
--- a/core/api/current.txt
+++ b/core/api/current.txt
@@ -5815,6 +5815,7 @@ package android.app {
   public class LocaleManager {
     method @NonNull public android.os.LocaleList getApplicationLocales();
     method @NonNull @RequiresPermission(value="android.permission.READ_APP_SPECIFIC_LOCALES", conditional=true) public android.os.LocaleList getApplicationLocales(@NonNull String);
+    method @NonNull public android.os.LocaleList getSystemLocales();
     method public void setApplicationLocales(@NonNull android.os.LocaleList);
   }
 
diff --git a/core/api/test-current.txt b/core/api/test-current.txt
index 2e8bed32665cb..d984abe457c9d 100644
--- a/core/api/test-current.txt
+++ b/core/api/test-current.txt
@@ -300,7 +300,6 @@ package android.app {
   }
 
   public class LocaleManager {
-    method @Nullable public android.os.LocaleList getSystemLocales();
     method public void setSystemLocales(@NonNull android.os.LocaleList);
   }
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/ILocaleManager.aidl b/core/java/android/app/ILocaleManager.aidl
index 348cb2d30739a..3002c8bb9c3e2 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/ILocaleManager.aidl
+++ b/core/java/android/app/ILocaleManager.aidl
@@ -40,4 +40,9 @@ import android.os.LocaleList;
       */
      LocaleList getApplicationLocales(String packageName, int userId);
 
+     /**
+       * Returns the current system locales.
+       */
+     LocaleList getSystemLocales();
+
  }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/LocaleManager.java b/core/java/android/app/LocaleManager.java
index 522dc845f57c7..efe9e35d4c64a 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/LocaleManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/LocaleManager.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package android.app;
 
 import android.Manifest;
 import android.annotation.NonNull;
-import android.annotation.Nullable;
 import android.annotation.RequiresPermission;
 import android.annotation.SystemApi;
 import android.annotation.SystemService;
@@ -126,6 +125,26 @@ public class LocaleManager {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the current system locales, ignoring app-specific overrides.
+     *
+     * <p><b>Note:</b> Apps should generally access the user's locale preferences as indicated in
+     * their in-process {@link LocaleList}s. However, in case an app-specific locale is set, this
+     * method helps cater to rare use-cases which might require specifically knowing the system
+     * locale.
+     *
+     * <p><b>Note:</b> This API is not user-aware. It returns the system locales for the foreground
+     * user.
+     */
+    @NonNull
+    public LocaleList getSystemLocales() {
+        try {
+            return mService.getSystemLocales();
+        } catch (RemoteException e) {
+            throw e.rethrowFromSystemServer();
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the current system locales to the provided value.
      *
@@ -142,19 +161,4 @@ public class LocaleManager {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Returns the current system locales for the device.
-     *
-     * @hide
-     */
-    @TestApi
-    @Nullable
-    public LocaleList getSystemLocales() {
-        try {
-            return ActivityManager.getService().getConfiguration().getLocales();
-        } catch (RemoteException e) {
-            throw e.rethrowFromSystemServer();
-        }
-    }
-
 }
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/locales/LocaleManagerService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/locales/LocaleManagerService.java
index 176c08c8da293..924db6a49eeb7 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/locales/LocaleManagerService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/locales/LocaleManagerService.java
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ import android.Manifest;
 import android.annotation.NonNull;
 import android.annotation.Nullable;
 import android.annotation.UserIdInt;
+import android.app.ActivityManager;
 import android.app.ActivityManagerInternal;
 import android.app.ILocaleManager;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
 import android.content.pm.PackageManagerInternal;
+import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.os.Binder;
 import android.os.HandlerThread;
 import android.os.LocaleList;
@@ -153,6 +155,12 @@ public class LocaleManagerService extends SystemService {
             return LocaleManagerService.this.getApplicationLocales(appPackageName, userId);
         }
 
+        @Override
+        @NonNull
+        public LocaleList getSystemLocales() throws RemoteException {
+            return LocaleManagerService.this.getSystemLocales();
+        }
+
         @Override
         public void onShellCommand(FileDescriptor in, FileDescriptor out,
                 FileDescriptor err, String[] args, ShellCallback callback,
@@ -426,6 +434,32 @@ public class LocaleManagerService extends SystemService {
         return null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the current system locales.
+     */
+    @NonNull
+    public LocaleList getSystemLocales() throws RemoteException {
+        final long token = Binder.clearCallingIdentity();
+        try {
+            return getSystemLocalesUnchecked();
+        } finally {
+            Binder.restoreCallingIdentity(token);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @NonNull
+    private LocaleList getSystemLocalesUnchecked() throws RemoteException {
+        LocaleList systemLocales = null;
+        Configuration conf = ActivityManager.getService().getConfiguration();
+        if (conf != null) {
+            systemLocales = conf.getLocales();
+        }
+        if (systemLocales == null) {
+            systemLocales = LocaleList.getEmptyLocaleList();
+        }
+        return systemLocales;
+    }
+
     private void logMetric(@NonNull AppLocaleChangedAtomRecord atomRecordForMetrics) {
         FrameworkStatsLog.write(FrameworkStatsLog.APPLICATION_LOCALES_CHANGED,
                 atomRecordForMetrics.mCallingUid,