diff --git a/pkg/routes/admin_gate.go b/pkg/routes/admin_gate.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad75b6719
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/routes/admin_gate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+// Vikunja is a to-do list application to facilitate your life.
+// Copyright 2018-present Vikunja and contributors. All rights reserved.
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package routes
+
+import (
+	"code.vikunja.io/api/pkg/db"
+	auth2 "code.vikunja.io/api/pkg/modules/auth"
+	"code.vikunja.io/api/pkg/user"
+
+	"github.com/labstack/echo/v5"
+)
+
+// RequireInstanceAdmin serves 404 to make admin routes indistinguishable from unregistered ones,
+// and re-reads is_admin from the DB so demotion takes effect before the JWT expires.
+func RequireInstanceAdmin() echo.MiddlewareFunc {
+	return func(next echo.HandlerFunc) echo.HandlerFunc {
+		return func(c *echo.Context) error {
+			a, err := auth2.GetAuthFromClaims(c)
+			if err != nil {
+				return echo.ErrNotFound
+			}
+			u, ok := a.(*user.User)
+			if !ok {
+				return echo.ErrNotFound
+			}
+
+			// Close before next() — SQLite deadlocks when a read session is held across a write on users.
+			s := db.NewSession()
+			fresh, err := user.GetUserByID(s, u.ID)
+			_ = s.Close()
+			if err != nil || !fresh.IsAdmin {
+				return echo.ErrNotFound
+			}
+			return next(c)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/routes/feature_gate.go b/pkg/routes/feature_gate.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d76290fa4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/routes/feature_gate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// Vikunja is a to-do list application to facilitate your life.
+// Copyright 2018-present Vikunja and contributors. All rights reserved.
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package routes
+
+import (
+	"code.vikunja.io/api/pkg/license"
+	"github.com/labstack/echo/v5"
+)
+
+// RequireFeature serves 404 so gated routes are indistinguishable from unregistered ones.
+func RequireFeature(f license.Feature) echo.MiddlewareFunc {
+	return func(next echo.HandlerFunc) echo.HandlerFunc {
+		return func(c *echo.Context) error {
+			if !license.IsFeatureEnabled(f) {
+				return echo.ErrNotFound
+			}
+			return next(c)
+		}
+	}
+}