diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomListHeader.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomListHeader.tsx
index ac38d0519b..5e238f3849 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomListHeader.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomListHeader.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import defaultDispatcher from "../../../dispatcher/dispatcher";
 import dis from "../../../dispatcher/dispatcher";
 import {
     shouldShowSpaceInvite,
+    showAddExistingRooms,
     showCreateNewRoom,
     showCreateNewSubspace,
     showSpaceInvite,
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ const RoomListHeader = ({ spacePanelDisabled, onVisibilityChange }: IProps) => {
     }
 
     const communityId = CommunityPrototypeStore.instance.getSelectedCommunityId();
+    const canAddRooms = activeSpace?.currentState?.maySendStateEvent(EventType.SpaceChild, cli.getUserId());
 
     let contextMenu: JSX.Element;
     if (mainMenuDisplayed) {
@@ -283,9 +285,11 @@ const RoomListHeader = ({ spacePanelDisabled, onVisibilityChange }: IProps) => {
                     onClick={(e) => {
                         e.preventDefault();
                         e.stopPropagation();
-                        showCreateNewRoom(activeSpace);
+                        showAddExistingRooms(activeSpace);
                         closePlusMenu();
                     }}
+                    disabled={!canAddRooms}
+                    tooltip={!canAddRooms && _t("You do not have permissions to add rooms to this space")}
                 />
                 <IconizedContextMenuOption
                     label={_t("Add space")}
@@ -296,6 +300,8 @@ const RoomListHeader = ({ spacePanelDisabled, onVisibilityChange }: IProps) => {
                         showCreateNewSubspace(activeSpace);
                         closePlusMenu();
                     }}
+                    disabled={!canAddRooms}
+                    tooltip={!canAddRooms && _t("You do not have permissions to add spaces to this space")}
                 >
                     <BetaPill />
                 </IconizedContextMenuOption>
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 10cf93fe48..e2c56f1913 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -1781,6 +1781,7 @@
     "%(count)s results|one": "%(count)s result",
     "Invite": "Invite",
     "Add space": "Add space",
+    "You do not have permissions to add spaces to this space": "You do not have permissions to add spaces to this space",
     "Join public room": "Join public room",
     "Currently joining %(count)s rooms|other": "Currently joining %(count)s rooms",
     "Currently joining %(count)s rooms|one": "Currently joining %(count)s room",