diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3f937129f..4c70a3614 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 - Synchronize Seen status across devices #2942
 - Add API to set the database password #2956
 - Add information about whether the database is encrypted or not to `dc_get_info()` #3000
-- Add Webxdc #2826 #2971 #2975 #2977 #2979 #2993 #2998
+- Add Webxdc #2826 #2971 #2975 #2977 #2979 #2993 #2998 #3001
 
 ### Changed
 - selfstatus now defaults to empty
diff --git a/draft/webxdc-dev-reference.md b/draft/webxdc-dev-reference.md
index 83801deee..2052e21d8 100644
--- a/draft/webxdc-dev-reference.md
+++ b/draft/webxdc-dev-reference.md
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ To get a shared state, the peers use `sendUpdate()` to send updates to each othe
 All peers, including the sending one,
 will receive the update by the callback given to `setUpdateListener()`.
 
+There are situations where the user cannot send messages to a chat,
+eg. contact requests or if the user has left a group.
+In these cases, you can still call `sendUpdate()`,
+however, the update won't be sent to other peers
+and you won't get the update by `setUpdateListener()` nor by `getAllUpdates()`.
+
+
 ### setUpdateListener()
 
 ```js
diff --git a/src/webxdc.rs b/src/webxdc.rs
index 624c3a8fb..257973657 100644
--- a/src/webxdc.rs
+++ b/src/webxdc.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //! # Handle webxdc messages.
 
+use crate::chat::Chat;
 use crate::constants::Viewtype;
 use crate::context::Context;
 use crate::dc_tools::{dc_create_smeared_timestamp, dc_open_file_std};
@@ -246,6 +247,9 @@ impl Context {
             bail!("send_webxdc_status_update: is no webxdc message");
         }
 
+        let chat = Chat::load_from_db(self, instance.chat_id).await?;
+        ensure!(chat.can_send(self).await?, "cannot send to {}", chat.id);
+
         let status_update_id = self
             .create_status_update_record(
                 &mut instance,
@@ -683,6 +687,48 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[async_std::test]
+    async fn test_webxdc_contact_request() -> Result<()> {
+        let alice = TestContext::new_alice().await;
+        let bob = TestContext::new_bob().await;
+
+        // Alice sends an webxdc instance to Bob
+        let alice_chat = alice.create_chat(&bob).await;
+        let _alice_instance = send_webxdc_instance(&alice, alice_chat.id).await?;
+        bob.recv_msg(&alice.pop_sent_msg().await).await;
+
+        // Bob can start the webxdc from a contact request (get index.html)
+        // but cannot send updates to contact requests
+        let bob_instance = bob.get_last_msg().await;
+        let bob_chat = Chat::load_from_db(&bob, bob_instance.chat_id).await?;
+        assert!(bob_chat.is_contact_request());
+        assert!(bob_instance
+            .get_webxdc_blob(&bob, "index.html")
+            .await
+            .is_ok());
+        assert!(bob
+            .send_webxdc_status_update(bob_instance.id, r#"{"payload":42}"#, "descr")
+            .await
+            .is_err());
+        assert_eq!(
+            bob.get_webxdc_status_updates(bob_instance.id, None).await?,
+            "[]"
+        );
+
+        // Once the contact request is accepted, Bob can send updates
+        bob_chat.id.accept(&bob).await?;
+        assert!(bob
+            .send_webxdc_status_update(bob_instance.id, r#"{"payload":42}"#, "descr")
+            .await
+            .is_ok());
+        assert_eq!(
+            bob.get_webxdc_status_updates(bob_instance.id, None).await?,
+            r#"[{"payload":42}]"#
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[async_std::test]
     async fn test_delete_webxdc_instance() -> Result<()> {
         let t = TestContext::new_alice().await;