--- a/toolkit/mozapps/extensions/AddonManager.jsm
+++ b/toolkit/mozapps/extensions/AddonManager.jsm
@@ -1320,31 +1320,40 @@ var AddonManagerInternal = {
         addon: info.addon,
         permissions: difference,
         resolve, reject
       }};
       Services.obs.notifyObservers(subject, "webextension-update-permissions");
     });
   },
 
+  // Returns true if System Addons should be updated
+  systemUpdateEnabled() {
+    if (!Services.prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_APP_UPDATE_ENABLED) ||
+        !Services.prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_APP_UPDATE_AUTO)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (Services.policies && !Services.policies.isAllowed("SysAddonUpdate")) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  },
+
   /**
    * Performs a background update check by starting an update for all add-ons
    * that can be updated.
    * @return Promise{null} Resolves when the background update check is complete
    *                       (the resulting addon installations may still be in progress).
    */
   backgroundUpdateCheck() {
     if (!gStarted)
       throw Components.Exception("AddonManager is not initialized",
                                  Cr.NS_ERROR_NOT_INITIALIZED);
 
     let buPromise = (async () => {
-      let appUpdateEnabled = Services.prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_APP_UPDATE_ENABLED) &&
-                             Services.prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_APP_UPDATE_AUTO);
-
       logger.debug("Background update check beginning");
 
       Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "addons-background-update-start");
 
       if (this.updateEnabled) {
         let scope = {};
         ChromeUtils.import("resource://gre/modules/LightweightThemeManager.jsm", scope);
         scope.LightweightThemeManager.updateCurrentTheme();
@@ -1381,17 +1390,17 @@ var AddonManagerInternal = {
 
               onUpdateFinished: aAddon => { logger.debug("onUpdateFinished for ${id}", aAddon); resolve(); }
             }, AddonManager.UPDATE_WHEN_PERIODIC_UPDATE);
           }));
         }
         await Promise.all(updates);
       }
 
-      if (appUpdateEnabled) {
+      if (AddonManagerInternal.systemUpdateEnabled()) {
         try {
           await AddonManagerInternal._getProviderByName("XPIProvider").updateSystemAddons();
         } catch (e) {
           logger.warn("Failed to update system addons", e);
         }
       }
 
       logger.debug("Background update check complete");
@@ -2999,24 +3008,16 @@ var AddonManagerPrivate = {
     AddonManagerInternal.markProviderSafe(aProvider);
   },
 
   backgroundUpdateCheck() {
     return AddonManagerInternal.backgroundUpdateCheck();
   },
 
   backgroundUpdateTimerHandler() {
-    // Don't call through to the real update check if no checks are enabled.
-    let appUpdateEnabled = Services.prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_APP_UPDATE_ENABLED) &&
-                           Services.prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_APP_UPDATE_AUTO);
-
-    if (!AddonManagerInternal.updateEnabled && !appUpdateEnabled) {
-      logger.info("Skipping background update check");
-      return;
-    }
     // Don't return the promise here, since the caller doesn't care.
     AddonManagerInternal.backgroundUpdateCheck();
   },
 
   addStartupChange(aType, aID) {
     AddonManagerInternal.addStartupChange(aType, aID);
   },