diff --git a/PluralKit.Bot/Handlers/MessageCreated.cs b/PluralKit.Bot/Handlers/MessageCreated.cs
index 2bab31e5..09a1a8c5 100644
--- a/PluralKit.Bot/Handlers/MessageCreated.cs
+++ b/PluralKit.Bot/Handlers/MessageCreated.cs
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ public class MessageCreated: IEventHandler<MessageCreateEvent>
         if (evt.Type != Message.MessageType.Default && evt.Type != Message.MessageType.Reply) return;
         if (IsDuplicateMessage(evt)) return;
 
+        if (!(await _cache.PermissionsIn(evt.ChannelId)).HasFlag(PermissionSet.SendMessages)) return;
+
         // spawn off saving the private channel into another thread
         // it is not a fatal error if this fails, and it shouldn't block message processing
         _ = _dmCache.TrySavePrivateChannel(evt);