diff --git a/apps/settings/css/settings.scss b/apps/settings/css/settings.scss
index a80ab6a5d9f..e3d03150fbe 100644
--- a/apps/settings/css/settings.scss
+++ b/apps/settings/css/settings.scss
@@ -19,27 +19,6 @@ input {
 	clear: both;
 }
 
-/* icons for sidebar */
-.nav-icon-personal-settings {
-	@include functions.icon-color('personal', 'settings', variables.$color-black);
-}
-
-.nav-icon-security {
-	@include functions.icon-color('toggle-filelist', 'settings', variables.$color-black);
-}
-
-.nav-icon-clientsbox {
-	@include functions.icon-color('change', 'settings', variables.$color-black);
-}
-
-.nav-icon-federated-cloud {
-	@include functions.icon-color('share', 'settings', variables.$color-black);
-}
-
-.nav-icon-second-factor-backup-codes, .nav-icon-ssl-root-certificate {
-	@include functions.icon-color('password', 'settings', variables.$color-black);
-}
-
 #personal-settings-avatar-container {
 	display: inline-grid;
 	grid-template-columns: 1fr;
@@ -325,20 +304,6 @@ table.nostyle {
 	}
 }
 
-li.active {
-	.delete,
-	.rename {
-		display: block;
-	}
-}
-
-.app-navigation-entry-utils {
-	.delete,
-	.rename {
-		display: none;
-	}
-}
-
 #usersearchform {
 	position: absolute;
 	top: 2px;
@@ -424,26 +389,6 @@ span.usersLastLoginTooltip {
 	white-space: nowrap;
 }
 
-/* SETTINGS NAVIGATION */
-#app-navigation {
-	/* Navigation icons */
-	img {
-		margin-bottom: -3px;
-		margin-inline-end: 6px;
-		width: 16px;
-	}
-
-	li span.no-icon {
-		padding-inline-start: 32px;
-	}
-
-	ul li.active > span.utils {
-		.delete, .rename {
-			display: block;
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 /* SETTINGS SECTIONS */
 // to match with NcSettingsSection component
 .section {
diff --git a/apps/settings/lib/Controller/CommonSettingsTrait.php b/apps/settings/lib/Controller/CommonSettingsTrait.php
index 75d2b1f2f9e..c4949339ad5 100644
--- a/apps/settings/lib/Controller/CommonSettingsTrait.php
+++ b/apps/settings/lib/Controller/CommonSettingsTrait.php
@@ -49,22 +49,10 @@ trait CommonSettingsTrait {
 	/** @var IInitialState */
 	private $initialState;
 
-	/**
-	 * @return array{forms: array{personal: array, admin: array}}
-	 */
-	private function getNavigationParameters(string $currentType, string $currentSection): array {
-		return [
-			'forms' => [
-				'personal' => $this->formatPersonalSections($currentType, $currentSection),
-				'admin' => $this->formatAdminSections($currentType, $currentSection),
-			],
-		];
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * @param IIconSection[][] $sections
 	 * @psalm-param 'admin'|'personal' $type
-	 * @return list<array{anchor: string, section-name: string, active: bool, icon: string}>
+	 * @return list<array{id: string, name: string, active: bool, icon: string}>
 	 */
 	protected function formatSections(array $sections, string $currentSection, string $type, string $currentType): array {
 		$templateParameters = [];
@@ -89,8 +77,8 @@ trait CommonSettingsTrait {
 					&& $type === $currentType;
 
 				$templateParameters[] = [
-					'anchor' => $section->getID(),
-					'section-name' => $section->getName(),
+					'id' => $section->getID(),
+					'name' => $section->getName(),
 					'active' => $active,
 					'icon' => $icon,
 				];
@@ -99,11 +87,17 @@ trait CommonSettingsTrait {
 		return $templateParameters;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return list<array{id: string, name: string, active: bool, icon: string}>
+	 */
 	protected function formatPersonalSections(string $currentType, string $currentSection): array {
 		$sections = $this->settingsManager->getPersonalSections();
 		return $this->formatSections($sections, $currentSection, 'personal', $currentType);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return list<array{id: string, name: string, active: bool, icon: string}>
+	 */
 	protected function formatAdminSections(string $currentType, string $currentSection): array {
 		$sections = $this->settingsManager->getAdminSections();
 		return $this->formatSections($sections, $currentSection, 'admin', $currentType);
@@ -175,9 +169,13 @@ trait CommonSettingsTrait {
 			$this->initialState->provideInitialState('declarative-settings-forms', $declarativeSettings);
 		}
 
+		$this->initialState->provideInitialState('sections', [
+			'personal' => $this->formatPersonalSections($type, $section),
+			'admin' => $this->formatAdminSections($type, $section),
+		]);
+
 		$settings = array_merge(...$settings);
 		$templateParams = $this->formatSettings($settings, $declarativeSettings);
-		$templateParams = array_merge($templateParams, $this->getNavigationParameters($type, $section));
 
 		$activeSection = $this->settingsManager->getSection($type, $section);
 		if ($activeSection) {
@@ -186,6 +184,7 @@ trait CommonSettingsTrait {
 			$templateParams['activeSectionType'] = $type;
 		}
 
+		Util::addScript(Application::APP_ID, 'main', prepend: true);
 		return new TemplateResponse('settings', 'settings/frame', $templateParams);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/apps/settings/src/components/SettingsNavigationItem.vue b/apps/settings/src/components/SettingsNavigationItem.vue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..867c7278841
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/settings/src/components/SettingsNavigationItem.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+<!--
+ - SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors
+ - SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+-->
+
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { generateUrl } from '@nextcloud/router'
+import { computed } from 'vue'
+import NcAppNavigationItem from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcAppNavigationItem'
+
+export interface ISettingsSection {
+	id: string
+	name: string
+	icon?: string
+	active: boolean
+}
+
+const props = defineProps<{
+	section: ISettingsSection
+	type: 'admin' | 'personal'
+}>()
+
+const href = computed(() => generateUrl('/settings/{type}/{section}', {
+	type: props.type === 'personal' ? 'user' : 'admin',
+	section: props.section.id,
+}))
+</script>
+
+<template>
+	<NcAppNavigationItem
+		:name="section.name"
+		:active="section.active"
+		:href="href">
+		<template v-if="section.icon" #icon>
+			<img
+				:class="$style.settingsNavigationItem__icon"
+				:src="section.icon"
+				alt="">
+		</template>
+	</NcAppNavigationItem>
+</template>
+
+<style module>
+.settingsNavigationItem__icon {
+	width: var(--default-font-size);
+	height: var(--default-font-size);
+	object-fit: contain;
+	filter: var(--background-invert-if-dark);
+}
+
+:global(.active) .settingsNavigationItem__icon {
+	filter: var(--primary-invert-if-dark);
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/apps/settings/src/main-settings.ts b/apps/settings/src/main-settings.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b47dc9062c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/settings/src/main-settings.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/*!
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+import { getCSPNonce } from '@nextcloud/auth'
+import Vue from 'vue'
+import SettingsNavigation from './views/SettingsNavigation.vue'
+
+__webpack_nonce__ = getCSPNonce()
+
+const app = new Vue(SettingsNavigation)
+app.$mount('#app-navigation')
diff --git a/apps/settings/src/views/SettingsNavigation.vue b/apps/settings/src/views/SettingsNavigation.vue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f87ede5e5a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/settings/src/views/SettingsNavigation.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<!--
+ - SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors
+ - SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+-->
+
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import type { ISettingsSection } from '../components/SettingsNavigationItem.vue'
+
+import { loadState } from '@nextcloud/initial-state'
+import { t } from '@nextcloud/l10n'
+import NcAppNavigation from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcAppNavigation'
+import NcAppNavigationCaption from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcAppNavigationCaption'
+import NcAppNavigationList from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcAppNavigationList'
+import SettingsNavigationItem from '../components/SettingsNavigationItem.vue'
+
+const {
+	personal: personalSections,
+	admin: adminSections,
+} = loadState<{ admin: ISettingsSection[], personal: ISettingsSection[] }>('settings', 'sections')
+const hasAdminSections = adminSections.length > 0
+</script>
+
+<template>
+	<NcAppNavigation>
+		<NcAppNavigationCaption
+			heading-id="settings-personal_section_heading"
+			is-heading
+			:name="t('settings', 'Personal')" />
+		<NcAppNavigationList aria-labelledby="settings-personal_section_heading">
+			<SettingsNavigationItem
+				v-for="section in personalSections"
+				:key="'personal-section--' + section.id"
+				:section="section"
+				type="personal" />
+		</NcAppNavigationList>
+
+		<template v-if="hasAdminSections">
+			<NcAppNavigationCaption
+				heading-id="settings-admin_section_heading"
+				is-heading
+				:name="t('settings', 'Administration')" />
+			<NcAppNavigationList aria-labelledby="settings-admin_section_heading">
+				<SettingsNavigationItem
+					v-for="section in adminSections"
+					:key="'admin-section--' + section.id"
+					:section="section"
+					type="admin" />
+			</NcAppNavigationList>
+		</template>
+	</NcAppNavigation>
+</template>
diff --git a/apps/settings/templates/settings/frame.php b/apps/settings/templates/settings/frame.php
index ec21cad5895..4ad142f3c58 100644
--- a/apps/settings/templates/settings/frame.php
+++ b/apps/settings/templates/settings/frame.php
@@ -7,61 +7,7 @@
 style('settings', 'settings');
 ?>
 
-<div id="app-navigation">
-	<?php if (!empty($_['forms']['admin'])): ?>
-		<div id="app-navigation-caption-personal" class="app-navigation-caption"><?php p($l->t('Personal')); ?></div>
-	<?php endif; ?>
-	<nav class="app-navigation-personal" aria-labelledby="app-navigation-caption-personal">
-		<ul>
-			<?php foreach ($_['forms']['personal'] as $form) {
-				if (isset($form['anchor'])) {
-					$anchor = \OCP\Server::get(\OCP\IURLGenerator::class)->linkToRoute('settings.PersonalSettings.index', ['section' => $form['anchor']]);
-					$class = 'nav-icon-' . $form['anchor'];
-					$sectionName = $form['section-name']; ?>
-					<li <?php print_unescaped($form['active'] ? ' class="active"' : ''); ?> data-section-id="<?php print_unescaped($form['anchor']); ?>" data-section-type="personal">
-						<a href="<?php p($anchor); ?>"<?php print_unescaped($form['active'] ? ' aria-current="page"' : ''); ?>>
-							<?php if (!empty($form['icon'])) { ?>
-								<img alt="" src="<?php print_unescaped($form['icon']); ?>">
-								<span><?php p($form['section-name']); ?></span>
-							<?php } else { ?>
-								<span class="no-icon"><?php p($form['section-name']); ?></span>
-							<?php } ?>
-						</a>
-					</li>
-					<?php
-				}
-			}
-?>
-		</ul>
-	</nav>
-
-	<?php if (!empty($_['forms']['admin'])): ?>
-		<div id="app-navigation-caption-administration" class="app-navigation-caption"><?php p($l->t('Administration')); ?></div>
-	<?php endif; ?>
-	<nav class="app-navigation-administration" aria-labelledby="app-navigation-caption-administration">
-		<ul>
-			<?php foreach ($_['forms']['admin'] as $form) {
-				if (isset($form['anchor'])) {
-					$anchor = \OCP\Server::get(\OCP\IURLGenerator::class)->linkToRoute('settings.AdminSettings.index', ['section' => $form['anchor']]);
-					$class = 'nav-icon-' . $form['anchor'];
-					$sectionName = $form['section-name']; ?>
-					<li <?php print_unescaped($form['active'] ? ' class="active"' : ''); ?> data-section-id="<?php print_unescaped($form['anchor']); ?>" data-section-type="admin">
-						<a href="<?php p($anchor); ?>"<?php print_unescaped($form['active'] ? ' aria-current="page"' : ''); ?>>
-							<?php if (!empty($form['icon'])) { ?>
-								<img alt="" src="<?php print_unescaped($form['icon']); ?>">
-								<span><?php p($form['section-name']); ?></span>
-							<?php } else { ?>
-								<span class="no-icon"><?php p($form['section-name']); ?></span>
-							<?php } ?>
-						</a>
-					</li>
-					<?php
-				}
-			}
-?>
-		</ul>
-	</nav>
-</div>
+<div id="app-navigation"></div>
 <main id="app-content" <?php if (!empty($_['activeSectionId'])) { ?> data-active-section-id="<?php print_unescaped($_['activeSectionId']) ?>" <?php } if (!empty($_['activeSectionType'])) { ?> data-active-section-type="<?php print_unescaped($_['activeSectionType']) ?>" <?php } ?>>
 	<?php print_unescaped($_['content']); ?>
 </main>
diff --git a/apps/settings/tests/Controller/AdminSettingsControllerTest.php b/apps/settings/tests/Controller/AdminSettingsControllerTest.php
index 218be8dbeeb..7ac0b73e37a 100644
--- a/apps/settings/tests/Controller/AdminSettingsControllerTest.php
+++ b/apps/settings/tests/Controller/AdminSettingsControllerTest.php
@@ -122,12 +122,23 @@ class AdminSettingsControllerTest extends TestCase {
 			->with($user, 'admin', 'test')
 			->willReturn([]);
 
-		$idx = $this->adminSettingsController->index('test');
+		$initialState = [];
+		$this->initialState->expects(self::atLeastOnce())
+			->method('provideInitialState')
+			->willReturnCallback(function () use (&$initialState) {
+				$initialState[] = func_get_args();
+			});
 
-		$expected = new TemplateResponse('settings', 'settings/frame', [
-			'forms' => ['personal' => [], 'admin' => []],
-			'content' => ''
-		]);
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $idx);
+		$expected = new TemplateResponse(
+			'settings',
+			'settings/frame',
+			[
+				'content' => ''
+			],
+		);
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $this->adminSettingsController->index('test'));
+		$this->assertEquals([
+			['sections', ['admin' => [], 'personal' => []]],
+		], $initialState);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/build/frontend-legacy/webpack.modules.cjs b/build/frontend-legacy/webpack.modules.cjs
index b5fd95c8174..8bd01fe7920 100644
--- a/build/frontend-legacy/webpack.modules.cjs
+++ b/build/frontend-legacy/webpack.modules.cjs
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ module.exports = {
 		'public-nickname-handler': path.join(__dirname, 'apps/files_sharing/src', 'public-nickname-handler.ts'),
 	},
 	settings: {
+		main: path.join(__dirname, 'apps/settings/src', 'main-settings.ts'),
 		'vue-settings-admin-overview': path.join(__dirname, 'apps/settings/src', 'main-admin-overview.ts'),
 		'vue-settings-admin-basic-settings': path.join(__dirname, 'apps/settings/src', 'main-admin-basic-settings.js'),
 		'vue-settings-admin-ai': path.join(__dirname, 'apps/settings/src', 'main-admin-ai.js'),