diff --git a/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.cxx b/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.cxx
index 987510c19d2b..8b7b5cd1bc00 100644
--- a/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.cxx
+++ b/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.cxx
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static ApiMap aCommonApiMap[] =
     SYM_MAP( e_book_query_field_exists )
 };
 
-//< 3-6 api
+//< 3.6 api
 static ApiMap aOldApiMap[] =
 {
     SYM_MAP( e_book_get_addressbooks ),
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static ApiMap aOldApiMap[] =
     SYM_MAP( e_source_group_peek_sources )
 };
 
-//>= 3-6 api
+//>= 3.6 api
 static ApiMap aNewApiMap[] =
 {
     SYM_MAP( e_source_registry_list_sources ),
@@ -87,12 +87,24 @@ static ApiMap aNewApiMap[] =
     SYM_MAP( e_source_get_display_name ),
     SYM_MAP( e_source_get_uid ),
     SYM_MAP( e_source_registry_ref_source),
-    SYM_MAP( e_book_client_new ),
     SYM_MAP( e_client_open_sync ),
     SYM_MAP( e_client_get_source ),
     SYM_MAP( e_book_client_get_contacts_sync ),
     SYM_MAP( e_client_util_free_object_slist )
 };
+
+//== indirect read access (3.6 only)
+static ApiMap aClientApiMap36[] =
+{
+    SYM_MAP( e_book_client_new )
+};
+
+//>= direct read access API (>= 3.8)
+static ApiMap aClientApiMap38[] =
+{
+    SYM_MAP( e_book_client_connect_direct_sync )
+};
+
 #undef SYM_MAP
 
 template<size_t N> static bool
@@ -122,22 +134,33 @@ bool EApiInit()
         aModule = osl_loadModule( rtl::OUString::createFromAscii
                                   ( eBookLibNames[ j ] ).pData,
                                   SAL_LOADMODULE_DEFAULT );
-        if( aModule)
+
+        if( aModule == NULL)
+            continue;
+
+        if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aCommonApiMap))
         {
-            if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aCommonApiMap))
+            if (eds_check_version( 3, 6, 0 ) != NULL)
             {
-                if (eds_check_version(3, 6, 0) == NULL)
+                if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aOldApiMap))
+                    return true;
+            }
+            else if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aNewApiMap))
+            {
+                if (eds_check_version( 3, 7, 6 ) != NULL)
                 {
-                    if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aNewApiMap))
+                    if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aClientApiMap36))
                         return true;
                 }
-                else if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aOldApiMap))
+                else
                 {
-                    return true;
+                    if (tryLink( aModule, eBookLibNames[ j ], aClientApiMap38))
+                        return true;
                 }
             }
-            osl_unloadModule( aModule );
         }
+
+        osl_unloadModule( aModule );
     }
     fprintf( stderr, "Can find no compliant libebook client libraries\n" );
     return false;
diff --git a/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.h b/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.h
index 8d188a9a974b..59e2c3a33cf4 100644
--- a/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.h
+++ b/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/EApi.h
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ EAPI_EXTERN const gchar* (*eds_check_version) (guint required_major, guint requi
 EAPI_EXTERN const gchar* (*e_source_get_uid) (ESource *source);
 EAPI_EXTERN ESource* (*e_source_registry_ref_source) (ESourceRegistry *registry, const gchar *uid);
 EAPI_EXTERN EBookClient* (*e_book_client_new) (ESource *source, GError **error);
+EAPI_EXTERN EBookClient* (*e_book_client_connect_direct_sync) (ESourceRegistry *registry, ESource *source, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error);
 EAPI_EXTERN gboolean (*e_client_open_sync) (EClient *client, gboolean only_if_exists, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error);
 EAPI_EXTERN ESource* (*e_client_get_source) (EClient *client);
 EAPI_EXTERN gboolean (*e_book_client_get_contacts_sync) (EBookClient *client, const gchar *sexp, GSList **contacts, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error);
diff --git a/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/NResultSet.cxx b/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/NResultSet.cxx
index 154db40a94a8..f3a5ca33d552 100644
--- a/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/NResultSet.cxx
+++ b/connectivity/source/drivers/evoab2/NResultSet.cxx
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ public:
             return NULL;
 
         ESource *pSource = e_source_registry_ref_source(get_e_source_registry(), id);
-        EBookClient *pBook = pSource ? e_book_client_new (pSource, NULL) : NULL;
+        EBookClient *pBook = pSource ? createClient (pSource) : NULL;
         if (pBook && !e_client_open_sync (pBook, TRUE, NULL, NULL))
         {
             g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (pBook));
@@ -479,6 +479,21 @@ public:
         m_pContacts = g_slist_sort_with_data( m_pContacts, &CompareContacts,
             const_cast< gpointer >( static_cast< gconstpointer >( &_rCompData ) ) );
     }
+
+protected:
+    virtual EBookClient * createClient( ESource *pSource )
+    {
+        return e_book_client_new (pSource, NULL);
+    }
+};
+
+class OEvoabVersion38Helper : public OEvoabVersion36Helper
+{
+protected:
+    virtual EBookClient * createClient( ESource *pSource )
+    {
+        return e_book_client_connect_direct_sync (get_e_source_registry (), pSource, NULL, NULL);
+    }
 };
 
 class OEvoabVersion35Helper : public OEvoabVersionHelper
@@ -614,7 +629,9 @@ OEvoabResultSet::OEvoabResultSet( OCommonStatement* pStmt, OEvoabConnection *pCo
     ,m_nIndex(-1)
     ,m_nLength(0)
 {
-    if (eds_check_version(3, 6, 0) == NULL)
+    if (eds_check_version( 3, 7, 6 ) == NULL)
+        m_pVersionHelper  = new OEvoabVersion38Helper;
+    else if (eds_check_version( 3, 6, 0 ) == NULL)
         m_pVersionHelper  = new OEvoabVersion36Helper;
     else
         m_pVersionHelper  = new OEvoabVersion35Helper;