diff --git a/wled00/const.h b/wled00/const.h
index cade2a0dc..db14e9721 100644
--- a/wled00/const.h
+++ b/wled00/const.h
@@ -320,7 +320,8 @@
 
 // WLED Error modes
 #define ERR_NONE         0  // All good :)
-#define ERR_EEP_COMMIT   2  // Could not commit to EEPROM (wrong flash layout?)
+#define ERR_DENIED       1  // Permission denied
+#define ERR_EEP_COMMIT   2  // Could not commit to EEPROM (wrong flash layout?) OBSOLETE
 #define ERR_NOBUF        3  // JSON buffer was not released in time, request cannot be handled at this time
 #define ERR_JSON         9  // JSON parsing failed (input too large?)
 #define ERR_FS_BEGIN    10  // Could not init filesystem (no partition?)
diff --git a/wled00/wled_server.cpp b/wled00/wled_server.cpp
index 8fbfb7fc0..d3d3eb229 100644
--- a/wled00/wled_server.cpp
+++ b/wled00/wled_server.cpp
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ void initServer()
     JsonObject root = doc.as<JsonObject>();
     if (error || root.isNull()) {
       releaseJSONBufferLock();
-      request->send(400, "application/json", F("{\"error\":9}"));
+      request->send(400, "application/json", F("{\"error\":9}")); // ERR_JSON
       return;
     }
     const String& url = request->url();
@@ -210,6 +210,11 @@ void initServer()
       */
       verboseResponse = deserializeState(root);
     } else {
+      if (!correctPIN && strlen(settingsPIN)>0) {
+        request->send(403, "application/json", F("{\"error\":1}")); // ERR_DENIED
+        releaseJSONBufferLock();
+        return;
+      }
       verboseResponse = deserializeConfig(root); //use verboseResponse to determine whether cfg change should be saved immediately
     }
     releaseJSONBufferLock();
diff --git a/wled00/ws.cpp b/wled00/ws.cpp
index 9ec06c236..b221586b0 100644
--- a/wled00/ws.cpp
+++ b/wled00/ws.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ void wsEvent(AsyncWebSocket * server, AsyncWebSocketClient * client, AwsEventTyp
       if((info->index + len) == info->len){
         if(info->final){
           if(info->message_opcode == WS_TEXT) {
-            client->text(F("{\"error\":9}")); //we do not handle split packets right now
+            client->text(F("{\"error\":9}")); // ERR_JSON we do not handle split packets right now
           }
         }
       }