diff --git a/changelog.d/+local-join-forbidden.bugfix.md b/changelog.d/+local-join-forbidden.bugfix.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3e5b62d94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/+local-join-forbidden.bugfix.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Joining a local room the user is not allowed to join now returns `403 M_FORBIDDEN` instead of `500 M_UNKNOWN` when there are no other servers to try.
diff --git a/src/service/rooms/membership/mod.rs b/src/service/rooms/membership/mod.rs
index e7bd6037d..b5bfa10d2 100644
--- a/src/service/rooms/membership/mod.rs
+++ b/src/service/rooms/membership/mod.rs
@@ -221,6 +221,9 @@ impl Service {
 					// We couldn't authorize a local join, probably because it's
 					// restricted and we couldn't satisfy
 					// the join rules ourselves.
+					if servers.is_empty() {
+						return Err(err);
+					}
 					info!(?err, "Failed to join room locally, trying over federation instead");
 				},
 			}