diff --git a/src/Doctrine/Orm/Extension/EagerLoadingExtension.php b/src/Doctrine/Orm/Extension/EagerLoadingExtension.php
index 240c1ff15d..7703c09075 100644
--- a/src/Doctrine/Orm/Extension/EagerLoadingExtension.php
+++ b/src/Doctrine/Orm/Extension/EagerLoadingExtension.php
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@ private function joinRelations(QueryBuilder $queryBuilder, QueryNameGeneratorInt
         }
 
         $currentDepth = $currentDepth > 0 ? $currentDepth - 1 : $currentDepth;
-        $entityManager = $queryBuilder->getEntityManager();
-        $classMetadata = $entityManager->getClassMetadata($resourceClass);
+        $classMetadata = $queryBuilder->getEntityManager()->getClassMetadata($resourceClass);
         $attributesMetadata = $this->classMetadataFactory?->getMetadataFor($resourceClass)->getAttributesMetadata();
 
         foreach ($classMetadata->associationMappings as $association => $mapping) {
@@ -123,6 +122,23 @@ private function joinRelations(QueryBuilder $queryBuilder, QueryNameGeneratorInt
                 continue;
             }
 
+            // prepare the child context
+            $childNormalizationContext = $normalizationContext;
+            if (isset($normalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES])) {
+                if ($inAttributes = isset($normalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES][$association])) {
+                    $childNormalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES] = $normalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES][$association];
+                }
+            } else {
+                $inAttributes = null;
+            }
+
+            if (true !== $inAttributes
+                && isset($attributesMetadata[$association])
+                && empty(array_intersect($normalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::GROUPS] ?? [], $attributesMetadata[$association]->getGroups()))) {
+                // Skip this association if the current normalization groups do not include the association's groups
+                continue;
+            }
+
             try {
                 $propertyMetadata = $this->propertyMetadataFactory->create($resourceClass, $association, $options);
             } catch (PropertyNotFoundException) {
@@ -143,16 +159,6 @@ private function joinRelations(QueryBuilder $queryBuilder, QueryNameGeneratorInt
                 continue;
             }
 
-            // prepare the child context
-            $childNormalizationContext = $normalizationContext;
-            if (isset($normalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES])) {
-                if ($inAttributes = isset($normalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES][$association])) {
-                    $childNormalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES] = $normalizationContext[AbstractNormalizer::ATTRIBUTES][$association];
-                }
-            } else {
-                $inAttributes = null;
-            }
-
             $fetchEager = $propertyMetadata->getFetchEager();
             $uriTemplate = $propertyMetadata->getUriTemplate();
 
diff --git a/src/Doctrine/Orm/Tests/Extension/EagerLoadingExtensionTest.php b/src/Doctrine/Orm/Tests/Extension/EagerLoadingExtensionTest.php
index 2ad7a74d33..74372c3ca1 100644
--- a/src/Doctrine/Orm/Tests/Extension/EagerLoadingExtensionTest.php
+++ b/src/Doctrine/Orm/Tests/Extension/EagerLoadingExtensionTest.php
@@ -427,9 +427,11 @@ public function testMaxDepth(): void
 
         $dummyAttributeMetadata = new AttributeMetadata('dummy');
         $dummyAttributeMetadata->setMaxDepth(2);
+        $dummyAttributeMetadata->addGroup('foo');
 
         $relatedAttributeMetadata = new AttributeMetadata('relatedDummy');
         $relatedAttributeMetadata->setMaxDepth(4);
+        $relatedAttributeMetadata->addGroup('foo');
 
         $dummyClassMetadataInterfaceProphecy->getAttributesMetadata()->willReturn(['relatedDummy' => $dummyAttributeMetadata]);
         $relatedClassMetadataInterfaceProphecy->getAttributesMetadata()->willReturn(['dummy' => $relatedAttributeMetadata]);