diff --git a/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendation.php b/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendation.php
index c58ad0f..dcae232 100644
--- a/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendation.php
+++ b/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendation.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 namespace Oveleon\ContaoRecommendationBundle;
 
 use Contao\Config;
+use Contao\CoreBundle\ContaoCoreBundle;
 use Contao\CoreBundle\Security\ContaoCorePermissions;
 use Contao\Date;
 use Contao\FilesModel;
@@ -252,7 +253,7 @@ protected function generateRecommendationUrl(RecommendationModel $objRecommendat
     {
         $objPage = PageModel::findByPk($objRecommendation->getRelated('pid')->jumpTo);
 
-        return StringUtil::ampersand($objPage->getFrontendUrl((Config::get('useAutoItem') ? '/' : '/items/') . ($objRecommendation->alias ?: $objRecommendation->id)));
+        return StringUtil::ampersand($objPage->getFrontendUrl(($this->useAutoItem() ? '/' : '/items/') . ($objRecommendation->alias ?: $objRecommendation->id)));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -343,4 +344,15 @@ protected function translateElapsedTime(int $value, string $strUnit = 'justNow')
     {
         return sprintf($GLOBALS['TL_LANG']['tl_recommendation'][$strUnit][!($value>1)], $value);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Checks weather auto_item should be used to provide BC
+     *
+     * @deprecated - To be removed when contao 4.13 support ends
+     * @internal
+     */
+    protected function useAutoItem(): bool
+    {
+        return version_compare(ContaoCoreBundle::getVersion(), '5', '<') ? Config::get('useAutoItem') : true;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationList.php b/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationList.php
index 5ae38ac..80a6cad 100644
--- a/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationList.php
+++ b/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationList.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public function generate(): string
         }
 
         // Show the recommendation reader if an item has been selected
-        if ($this->recommendation_readerModule > 0 && (isset($_GET['items']) || (Config::get('useAutoItem') && isset($_GET['auto_item']))))
+        if ($this->recommendation_readerModule > 0 && (isset($_GET['items']) || ($this->useAutoItem() && isset($_GET['auto_item']))))
         {
             return $this->getFrontendModule($this->recommendation_readerModule, $this->strColumn);
         }
diff --git a/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationReader.php b/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationReader.php
index afe756f..f684ed7 100644
--- a/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationReader.php
+++ b/contao/modules/ModuleRecommendationReader.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 use Contao\BackendTemplate;
 use Contao\Config;
+use Contao\CoreBundle\ContaoCoreBundle;
 use Contao\CoreBundle\Exception\InternalServerErrorException;
 use Contao\CoreBundle\Exception\PageNotFoundException;
 use Contao\Environment;
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@
 use Contao\System;
 use Oveleon\ContaoRecommendationBundle\Model\RecommendationArchiveModel;
 use Oveleon\ContaoRecommendationBundle\Model\RecommendationModel;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
 
 /**
  * Front end module "recommendation reader".
@@ -54,14 +56,21 @@ public function generate()
             return $objTemplate->parse();
         }
 
-        // Set the item from the auto_item parameter
-        if (!isset($_GET['items']) && isset($_GET['auto_item']) && Config::get('useAutoItem'))
-        {
+        $auto_item = Input::get('auto_item');
+
+        if (
+            version_compare(ContaoCoreBundle::getVersion(), '5', '<') &&
+            !isset($_GET['items']) &&
+            isset($_GET['auto_item']) &&
+            $this->useAutoItem()
+        ) {
+            // Set the item from the auto_item parameter - Contao 4.13 BC
             Input::setGet('items', Input::get('auto_item'));
+            $auto_item = Input::get('items');
         }
 
         // Return an empty string if "items" is not set (to combine list and reader on same page)
-        if (!Input::get('items'))
+        if (null === $auto_item)
         {
             return '';
         }