diff --git a/protocol/errors.go b/protocol/errors.go
index 00e02e2f8..76b7f5251 100644
--- a/protocol/errors.go
+++ b/protocol/errors.go
@@ -10,4 +10,5 @@ var (
 	ErrNotImplemented   = errors.New("not implemented")
 	ErrContactNotFound  = errors.New("contact not found")
 	ErrCommunityIDEmpty = errors.New("community ID is empty")
+	ErrUserNotMember    = errors.New("user not a member")
 )
diff --git a/protocol/messenger_communities.go b/protocol/messenger_communities.go
index 54ff8a5d0..e34bda77b 100644
--- a/protocol/messenger_communities.go
+++ b/protocol/messenger_communities.go
@@ -3090,6 +3090,21 @@ func (m *Messenger) enableHistoryArchivesImportAfterDelay() {
 	}()
 }
 
+func (m *Messenger) checkIfIMemberOfCommunity(communityID types.HexBytes) error {
+	community, err := m.communitiesManager.GetByID(communityID)
+	if err != nil {
+		m.communitiesManager.LogStdout("couldn't get community to import archives", zap.Error(err))
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !community.HasMember(&m.identity.PublicKey) {
+		m.communitiesManager.LogStdout("can't import archives when user not a member of community")
+		return ErrUserNotMember
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (m *Messenger) resumeHistoryArchivesImport(communityID types.HexBytes) error {
 	archiveIDsToImport, err := m.communitiesManager.GetMessageArchiveIDsToImport(communityID)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -3100,6 +3115,11 @@ func (m *Messenger) resumeHistoryArchivesImport(communityID types.HexBytes) erro
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	err = m.checkIfIMemberOfCommunity(communityID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	currentTask := m.communitiesManager.GetHistoryArchiveDownloadTask(communityID.String())
 	// no need to resume imports if there's already a task ongoing
 	if currentTask != nil {
@@ -3161,7 +3181,10 @@ importMessageArchivesLoop:
 			m.communitiesManager.LogStdout("interrupted importing history archive messages")
 			return nil
 		case <-importTicker.C:
-
+			err := m.checkIfIMemberOfCommunity(communityID)
+			if err != nil {
+				break importMessageArchivesLoop
+			}
 			archiveIDsToImport, err := m.communitiesManager.GetMessageArchiveIDsToImport(communityID)
 			if err != nil {
 				m.communitiesManager.LogStdout("couldn't get message archive IDs to import", zap.Error(err))
diff --git a/protocol/messenger_handler.go b/protocol/messenger_handler.go
index 433310c5b..eef652294 100644
--- a/protocol/messenger_handler.go
+++ b/protocol/messenger_handler.go
@@ -1306,6 +1306,11 @@ func (m *Messenger) downloadAndImportHistoryArchives(id types.HexBytes, magnetli
 		m.communitiesManager.LogStdout("couldn't update last seen magnetlink", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
+	err = m.checkIfIMemberOfCommunity(id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
 	err = m.importHistoryArchives(id, cancel)
 	if err != nil {
 		m.communitiesManager.LogStdout("failed to import history archives", zap.Error(err))