diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 032e3f03f1da..13fee863c1c0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ core_vendor=core/vendor
 
 core_doc_files=AUTHORS COPYING README.md CHANGELOG.md
 core_src_files=$(wildcard *.php) index.html db_structure.xml .htaccess .user.ini robots.txt
-core_src_dirs=apps apps-external core l10n lib occ ocs ocs-provider ocm-provider resources settings
+core_src_dirs=apps core l10n lib occ ocs ocs-provider ocm-provider resources settings
 core_test_dirs=tests
 core_all_src=$(core_src_files) $(core_src_dirs) $(core_doc_files)
 core_config_files=config/config.sample.php config/config.apps.sample.php
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ $(dist_dir)/owncloud: $(composer_deps) $(core_vendor) $(core_all_src)
 	rm -Rf $@/core/vendor/*/{.bower.json,bower.json,package.json,testem.json}
 	rm -Rf $@/l10n/
 	find $@/core/ -iname \*.sh -delete
-	find $@/{apps/,apps-external/,lib/composer/,core/vendor/} \( \
+	find $@/{apps/,lib/composer/,core/vendor/} \( \
 		-name bin -o \
 		-name test -o \
 		-name tests -o \
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ $(dist_dir)/owncloud: $(composer_deps) $(core_vendor) $(core_all_src)
 		-name travis -o \
 		-iname \*.sh \
 		\) -print | xargs rm -Rf
-	find $@/{apps/,apps-external/,lib/composer/} -iname \*.exe -delete
+	find $@/{apps/,lib/composer/} -iname \*.exe -delete
 	# Set build
 	$(eval _BUILD="$(shell date -u --iso-8601=seconds) $(shell git rev-parse HEAD)")
 	# Replace channel in version.php
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ $(dist_dir)/qa/owncloud: $(composer_dev_deps) $(core_vendor) $(core_all_src) $(c
 	rm -Rf $@/core/vendor/*/{.bower.json,bower.json,package.json,testem.json}
 	rm -Rf $@/l10n/
 	find $@/core/ -iname \*.sh -delete
-	find $@/{apps/,apps-external/,lib/composer/,core/vendor/} \( \
+	find $@/{apps/,lib/composer/,core/vendor/} \( \
 		-name test -o \
 		-name examples -o \
 		-name demo -o \
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ $(dist_dir)/qa/owncloud: $(composer_dev_deps) $(core_vendor) $(core_all_src) $(c
 		-name travis -o \
 		-iname \*.sh \
 		\) -print | xargs rm -Rf
-	find $@/{apps/,apps-external/,lib/composer/} -iname \*.exe -delete
+	find $@/{apps/,lib/composer/} -iname \*.exe -delete
 	# Set build
 	$(eval _BUILD="$(shell date -u --iso-8601=seconds) $(shell git rev-parse HEAD)")
 	# Replace channel in version.php
diff --git a/apps-external/.gitkeep b/apps-external/.gitkeep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d1..000000000000
diff --git a/lib/private/Setup.php b/lib/private/Setup.php
index e25dd363bc83..17fb7cbe0c2e 100644
--- a/lib/private/Setup.php
+++ b/lib/private/Setup.php
@@ -285,7 +285,22 @@ public function install($options) {
 		) {
 			$error[] = $l->t("Can't create or write into the data directory %s", [$dataDir]);
 		}
-		
+
+		// create the apps-external directory only during installation
+		$appsExternalDir = \OC::$SERVERROOT.'/apps-external';
+		if (!\file_exists($appsExternalDir)) {
+			@\mkdir($appsExternalDir);
+		}
+
+		// validate the apps-external directory
+		if (
+			(!\is_dir($appsExternalDir) and !\mkdir($appsExternalDir)) or
+			!\is_writable($appsExternalDir)
+		) {
+			$htmlAppsExternalDir = \htmlspecialchars_decode($appsExternalDir);
+			$error[] = $l->t("Can't create or write into the apps-external directory %s", $htmlAppsExternalDir);
+		}
+
 		if (\count($error) != 0) {
 			return $error;
 		}
@@ -383,10 +398,10 @@ public function install($options) {
 				$config->setSystemValue('logtimezone', \date_default_timezone_get());
 			}
 
-			// adding the apps-external directory by default using apps_path
+			// add the apps-external directory to config using apps_path
+			// add the key only if it does not exist (protect against overwriting)
 			$apps2Key = \OC::$server->getSystemConfig()->getValue('apps_paths', false);
 
-			// add the key only if it does not exist (protect against overwriting)
 			if ($apps2Key === false) {
 				$defaultAppsPaths = [
 					'apps_paths' => [