diff --git a/src/app/chat/views/communities.nim b/src/app/chat/views/communities.nim
index d6fbe17fd2..b868b4c3a5 100644
--- a/src/app/chat/views/communities.nim
+++ b/src/app/chat/views/communities.nim
@@ -141,6 +141,13 @@ QtObject:
       if community.id == communityId:
         return community.joined and community.isMember
     return false
+  
+  proc userCanJoin*(self: CommunitiesView, communityId: string): bool {.slot.} =
+    let communities = self.getCommunitiesIfNotFetched()
+    for community in communities.communities:
+      if community.id == communityId:
+        return community.canJoin
+    return false
 
   proc activeCommunityChanged*(self: CommunitiesView) {.signal.}
 
@@ -162,6 +169,8 @@ QtObject:
   proc joinCommunity*(self: CommunitiesView, communityId: string, setActive: bool = true): string {.slot.} =
     result = ""
     try:
+      if (not self.userCanJoin(communityId) or self.isUserMemberOfCommunity(communityId)):
+        return
       self.status.chat.joinCommunity(communityId)
       self.joinedCommunityList.addCommunityItemToList(self.communityList.getCommunityById(communityId))
       if (setActive):
diff --git a/ui/imports/Utils.qml b/ui/imports/Utils.qml
index 1130823194..e2ecfb3304 100644
--- a/ui/imports/Utils.qml
+++ b/ui/imports/Utils.qml
@@ -411,7 +411,11 @@ QtObject {
                     chatsModel.communities.setActiveCommunity(communityId)
                     return
                 }
-                chatsModel.communities.joinCommunity(communityId, true)
+                const userCanJoin = chatsModel.communities.userCanJoin(communityId)
+                // TODO find what to do when you can't join
+                if (userCanJoin) {
+                    chatsModel.communities.joinCommunity(communityId, true)
+                }
             }
             return result
         }