diff --git a/app/src/react/components/chat/messages/submit/index.jsx b/app/src/react/components/chat/messages/submit/index.jsx
index f226e32..1ae3136 100644
--- a/app/src/react/components/chat/messages/submit/index.jsx
+++ b/app/src/react/components/chat/messages/submit/index.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import './index.scss';
 
+import {push} from 'connected-react-router';
 import React, {useRef} from 'react';
 import {useDispatch, useSelector} from 'react-redux';
 import {v4 as uuidv4} from 'uuid';
@@ -10,7 +11,12 @@ import {
   inputText,
   submitMessage,
 } from '@reddichat/chat/client';
-import {userSelector} from '@reddichat/user/client';
+import {
+  friendshipSelector,
+  userSelector,
+  redditUsernameSelector,
+  usernamesSelector,
+} from '@reddichat/user/client';
 
 import useChannel from 'hooks/useChannel';
 
@@ -18,9 +24,29 @@ export default function ChatSubmitMessage() {
   const channel = useChannel();
   const dispatch = useDispatch();
   const $form = useRef(null);
+  const redditUsername = useSelector(redditUsernameSelector);
   const user = useSelector(userSelector);
+  const usernames = useSelector(usernamesSelector);
   const text = useSelector((state) => inputChannelSelector(state, channel));
   const setText = (text) => dispatch(inputText({channel, text}));
+  const friendship = useSelector(friendshipSelector);
+  const areNotFriends = 'r' !== channel.type && !friendship.find(({addeeId, adderId, status}) => {
+    const addeeName = usernames[addeeId];
+    const adderName = usernames[adderId];
+    if (
+      (redditUsername === addeeName && channel.name === adderName)
+      || (redditUsername === adderName && channel.name === addeeName)
+    ) {
+      if ('active' === status) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+    return false;
+  });
+  if (areNotFriends) {
+    dispatch(push('/chat'));
+    return null;
+  }
   return (
     <div className="chat--messageSubmit">
       <form