diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1950c2217..77fbd65f9 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1257,6 +1257,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "axum",
  "base64 0.22.1",
  "deltachat",
+ "deltachat-contact-tools",
  "env_logger 0.11.3",
  "futures",
  "log",
diff --git a/deltachat-contact-tools/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-contact-tools/src/lib.rs
index 325ec748e..3f6bf0294 100644
--- a/deltachat-contact-tools/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-contact-tools/src/lib.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ use regex::Regex;
 pub struct VcardContact {
     /// The email address, vcard property `email`
     pub addr: String,
-    /// The contact's display name, vcard property `fn`
+    /// The contact's display name, vcard property `fn`. Can be empty, one should use
+    /// `display_name()` to obtain the actual value.
     pub display_name: String,
     /// The contact's public PGP key in Base64, vcard property `key`
     pub key: Option<String>,
@@ -54,6 +55,16 @@ pub struct VcardContact {
     pub timestamp: Result<u64>,
 }
 
+impl VcardContact {
+    /// Returns the contact's display name.
+    pub fn display_name(&self) -> &str {
+        match self.display_name.is_empty() {
+            false => &self.display_name,
+            true => &self.addr,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Returns a vCard containing given contacts.
 ///
 /// Calling [`parse_vcard()`] on the returned result is a reverse operation.
@@ -68,10 +79,7 @@ pub fn make_vcard(contacts: &[VcardContact]) -> String {
     let mut res = "".to_string();
     for c in contacts {
         let addr = &c.addr;
-        let display_name = match c.display_name.is_empty() {
-            false => &c.display_name,
-            true => &c.addr,
-        };
+        let display_name = c.display_name();
         res += &format!(
             "BEGIN:VCARD\n\
              VERSION:4.0\n\
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
index 23c1d7129..6d8e7b7d1 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ required-features = ["webserver"]
 [dependencies]
 anyhow = "1"
 deltachat = { path = ".." }
+deltachat-contact-tools = { path = "../deltachat-contact-tools" }
 num-traits = "0.2"
 schemars = "0.8.19"
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
index c0ebfb52d..d022a6235 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::path::Path;
+use std::str;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use std::{collections::HashMap, str::FromStr};
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ pub mod types;
 use num_traits::FromPrimitive;
 use types::account::Account;
 use types::chat::FullChat;
-use types::contact::ContactObject;
+use types::contact::{ContactObject, VcardContact};
 use types::events::Event;
 use types::http::HttpResponse;
 use types::message::{MessageData, MessageObject, MessageReadReceipt};
@@ -1426,6 +1427,16 @@ impl CommandApi {
         Ok(contact_id.map(|id| id.to_u32()))
     }
 
+    /// Parses a vCard file located at the given path. Returns contacts in their original order.
+    async fn parse_vcard(&self, path: String) -> Result<Vec<VcardContact>> {
+        let vcard = tokio::fs::read(Path::new(&path)).await?;
+        let vcard = str::from_utf8(&vcard)?;
+        Ok(deltachat_contact_tools::parse_vcard(vcard)?
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|c| c.into())
+            .collect())
+    }
+
     // ---------------------------------------------
     //                   chat
     // ---------------------------------------------
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/contact.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/contact.rs
index f6d9096bd..c3f25c038 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/contact.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/contact.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
+use deltachat::color;
 use deltachat::context::Context;
 use serde::Serialize;
 use typescript_type_def::TypeDef;
@@ -87,3 +88,34 @@ impl ContactObject {
         })
     }
 }
+
+#[derive(Serialize, TypeDef, schemars::JsonSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct VcardContact {
+    /// Email address.
+    addr: String,
+    display_name: String,
+    /// Public PGP key in Base64.
+    key: Option<String>,
+    /// Profile image in Base64.
+    profile_image: Option<String>,
+    /// Contact color as hex string.
+    color: String,
+    /// Last update timestamp.
+    timestamp: Option<u64>,
+}
+
+impl From<deltachat_contact_tools::VcardContact> for VcardContact {
+    fn from(vc: deltachat_contact_tools::VcardContact) -> Self {
+        let display_name = vc.display_name().to_string();
+        let color = color::str_to_color(&vc.addr.to_lowercase());
+        Self {
+            addr: vc.addr,
+            display_name,
+            key: vc.key,
+            profile_image: vc.profile_image,
+            color: color_int_to_hex_string(color),
+            timestamp: vc.timestamp.ok(),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/color.rs b/src/color.rs
index 495cf5401..146970b0f 100644
--- a/src/color.rs
+++ b/src/color.rs
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ fn rgb_to_u32((r, g, b): (f64, f64, f64)) -> u32 {
 ///
 /// Saturation is set to maximum (100.0) to make colors distinguishable, and lightness is set to
 /// half (50.0) to make colors suitable both for light and dark theme.
-pub(crate) fn str_to_color(s: &str) -> u32 {
+pub fn str_to_color(s: &str) -> u32 {
     rgb_to_u32(hsluv_to_rgb((str_to_angle(s), 100.0, 50.0)))
 }
 
+/// Returns color as a "#RRGGBB" `String` where R, G, B are hex digits.
 pub fn color_int_to_hex_string(color: u32) -> String {
     format!("{color:#08x}").replace("0x", "#")
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index ed3f6860d..55d56c27f 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ pub mod webxdc;
 #[macro_use]
 mod dehtml;
 mod authres;
-mod color;
+pub mod color;
 pub mod html;
 pub mod net;
 pub mod plaintext;