diff --git a/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleService.java b/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleService.java
index fae8fed312b5..4fffe9984f54 100644
--- a/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleService.java
+++ b/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleService.java
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public Collection<RuleDao> loadAll() {
 
     @Override
     public void delete(String id) {
-        if (!scopedEntityMongoUtils.deleteById(id)) {
+        if (!scopedEntityMongoUtils.deleteById(id, false)) {
             log.error("Unable to delete rule {}", id);
         }
         clusterBus.post(RulesChangedEvent.deletedRuleId(id));
diff --git a/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog2/database/utils/ScopedEntityMongoUtils.java b/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog2/database/utils/ScopedEntityMongoUtils.java
index 79cb2ec09329..a2c75c180730 100644
--- a/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog2/database/utils/ScopedEntityMongoUtils.java
+++ b/graylog2-server/src/main/java/org/graylog2/database/utils/ScopedEntityMongoUtils.java
@@ -69,7 +69,11 @@ public String create(T entity) {
      * @return true if a document was deleted, false otherwise.
      */
     public boolean deleteById(String id) {
-        return deleteById(new ObjectId(id));
+        return deleteById(new ObjectId(id), true);
+    }
+
+    public boolean deleteById(String id, boolean checkMutability) {
+        return deleteById(new ObjectId(id), checkMutability);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -78,11 +82,13 @@ public boolean deleteById(String id) {
      * @param id the document's id.
      * @return true if a document was deleted, false otherwise.
      */
-    public boolean deleteById(ObjectId id) {
+    public boolean deleteById(ObjectId id, boolean checkMutability) {
         final T entity = Optional.ofNullable(collection.find(idEq(id)).first())
                 .orElseThrow(() -> new IllegalArgumentException("Entity not found"));
         ensureDeletability(entity);
-        ensureMutability(entity);
+        if (checkMutability) {
+            ensureMutability(entity);
+        }
         return collection.deleteOne(idEq(id)).getDeletedCount() > 0;
     }
 
diff --git a/graylog2-server/src/test/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleServiceTest.java b/graylog2-server/src/test/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleServiceTest.java
index 55bd5929fa01..a5b952a94b19 100644
--- a/graylog2-server/src/test/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleServiceTest.java
+++ b/graylog2-server/src/test/java/org/graylog/plugins/pipelineprocessor/db/mongodb/MongoDbRuleServiceTest.java
@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.AssertionsForClassTypes.assertThatThrownBy;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 
 @ExtendWith(MongoDBExtension.class)
@@ -60,6 +63,14 @@ void create() throws Exception {
         verify(clusterEventBus).post(eq(RulesChangedEvent.updatedRuleId(savedRule.id())));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void createSystemRule() throws Exception {
+        final var rule = systemRule();
+        final var savedRule = ruleService.save(rule);
+        assertThat(ruleService.load(savedRule.id())).isEqualTo(rule.toBuilder().id(savedRule.id()).build());
+        verify(clusterEventBus).post(eq(RulesChangedEvent.updatedRuleId(savedRule.id())));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void update() throws Exception {
         final var rule = dummyRule().toBuilder().id(new ObjectId().toHexString()).build();
@@ -68,6 +79,15 @@ void update() throws Exception {
         verify(clusterEventBus).post(eq(RulesChangedEvent.updatedRuleId(savedRule.id())));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void updateSystemRuleThrows() throws Exception {
+        final var rule = systemRule().toBuilder().id(new ObjectId().toHexString()).build();
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> ruleService.save(rule))
+                .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class)
+                .hasMessage("Immutable entity cannot be modified");
+        verify(clusterEventBus, times(0)).post(any());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void loadByName() throws Exception {
         final var rule = dummyRule();
@@ -93,6 +113,15 @@ void delete() {
         verify(clusterEventBus).post(eq(RulesChangedEvent.deletedRuleId(rule.id())));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void deleteSystemRule() {
+        final var rule = ruleService.save(systemRule().toBuilder().title("title 2").build());
+        assertThat(ruleService.loadAll()).hasSize(1);
+        ruleService.delete(rule.id());
+        assertThat(ruleService.loadAll()).hasSize(0);
+        verify(clusterEventBus).post(eq(RulesChangedEvent.deletedRuleId(rule.id())));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void loadNamed() {
         final var rule1 = ruleService.save(dummyRule().toBuilder().title("title 1").build());
@@ -107,4 +136,8 @@ private static RuleDao dummyRule() {
         return RuleDao.builder().title("a title").source("a source").build();
     }
 
+    private static RuleDao systemRule() {
+        return RuleDao.builder().scope(SystemPipelineRuleScope.NAME).title("a sysytem rule").source("a source").build();
+    }
+
 }