diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2b63492..b2109b0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ config/dedup-*.json
 .worktrees/
 PRODUCT.md
 
-# Local skills (Claude Code / agent tooling)
+# Local editor tooling
 .agents/
 skills-lock.json
diff --git a/bot/botUtils.js b/bot/botUtils.js
index c557aaf..a28a3c6 100644
--- a/bot/botUtils.js
+++ b/bot/botUtils.js
@@ -144,21 +144,54 @@ export function parseQualityAndServerOptions(options, mediaType, isAnime = false
   return { profileId, serverId };
 }
 
-export function checkRolePermission(member) {
-  if (!member || !member.roles) return true;
+// Config problems are logged when they appear, not on every interaction
+const activeRoleConfigErrors = new Map();
+function reportRoleConfigError(name, value, message) {
+  if (activeRoleConfigErrors.get(name) === value) return;
+  activeRoleConfigErrors.set(name, value);
+  logger.error(message);
+}
 
-  let allowlist = [];
-  let blocklist = [];
-  try {
-    allowlist = process.env.ROLE_ALLOWLIST ? JSON.parse(process.env.ROLE_ALLOWLIST) : [];
-  } catch (e) {
-    logger.error(`Invalid JSON in ROLE_ALLOWLIST — allowlist disabled, all users permitted: ${e.message}`);
+// Returns the parsed role ID list, or null if the value is set but invalid
+function parseRoleList(name) {
+  const raw = process.env[name];
+  if (!raw) {
+    activeRoleConfigErrors.delete(name);
+    return [];
   }
+  let parsed;
   try {
-    blocklist = process.env.ROLE_BLOCKLIST ? JSON.parse(process.env.ROLE_BLOCKLIST) : [];
-  } catch (e) {
-    logger.error(`Invalid JSON in ROLE_BLOCKLIST — blocklist disabled, no users blocked: ${e.message}`);
+    parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+  } catch {
+    reportRoleConfigError(name, raw, `Invalid JSON in ${name}: denying role-restricted interactions`);
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(parsed) && parsed.every((id) => typeof id === "string")) {
+    activeRoleConfigErrors.delete(name);
+    return parsed;
+  }
+  reportRoleConfigError(name, raw, `${name} is not an array of role IDs: denying role-restricted interactions`);
+  return null;
+}
+
+export function checkRolePermission(member, guildId) {
+  const allowlist = parseRoleList("ROLE_ALLOWLIST");
+  const blocklist = parseRoleList("ROLE_BLOCKLIST");
+  if (allowlist === null || blocklist === null) return false;
+
+  if (allowlist.length === 0 && blocklist.length === 0) {
+    activeRoleConfigErrors.delete("GUILD_ID");
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // Roles are only meaningful in the configured guild; DMs and other guilds are denied
+  if (!member?.roles?.cache) return false;
+  if (!process.env.GUILD_ID) {
+    reportRoleConfigError("GUILD_ID", "", "Role lists are set but GUILD_ID is empty: denying role-restricted interactions");
+    return false;
   }
+  activeRoleConfigErrors.delete("GUILD_ID");
+  if (guildId !== process.env.GUILD_ID) return false;
 
   const userRoles = member.roles.cache.map((r) => r.id);
 
diff --git a/bot/interactions.js b/bot/interactions.js
index b72523d..3318327 100644
--- a/bot/interactions.js
+++ b/bot/interactions.js
@@ -317,17 +317,24 @@ async function handleSearchOrRequest(
 export function registerInteractions(client) {
   client.on("interactionCreate", async (interaction) => {
     try {
-      // Check role permissions for all commands, buttons, and select menus
+      // Check role permissions for all commands, buttons, select menus, and autocomplete
       if (
         interaction.isCommand() ||
         interaction.isButton() ||
-        (interaction.isStringSelectMenu() &&
-          !interaction.customId.startsWith("request_seasons|") &&
-          !interaction.customId.startsWith("request_with_tags|"))
+        interaction.isStringSelectMenu() ||
+        interaction.isAutocomplete()
       ) {
-        if (!checkRolePermission(interaction.member)) {
-          return interaction.reply({
-            content: "❌ You don't have permission to use this command.",
+        if (!checkRolePermission(interaction.member, interaction.guildId)) {
+          if (interaction.isAutocomplete()) return await interaction.respond([]);
+          logger.info(
+            `[PERMISSION] Denied interaction from user ${interaction.user.id} (${interaction.guildId ? `guild ${interaction.guildId}` : "DM"})`
+          );
+          return await interaction.reply({
+            content: t(
+              interaction.guildId
+                ? "permission_errors.denied"
+                : "permission_errors.dm_denied"
+            ),
             flags: 64,
           });
         }
diff --git a/locales/de.json b/locales/de.json
index 53fc41e..9f8844e 100644
--- a/locales/de.json
+++ b/locales/de.json
@@ -492,5 +492,9 @@
     "generic": "⚠️ Seerr-Fehler: {msg}",
     "unreachable": "⚠️ Seerr konnte nicht erreicht werden. Prüfe, ob die Seerr-URL korrekt und erreichbar ist.",
     "unknown": "⚠️ Ein Fehler ist aufgetreten: {msg}"
+  },
+  "permission_errors": {
+    "denied": "❌ Du hast keine Berechtigung, diesen Befehl zu verwenden.",
+    "dm_denied": "❌ Dieser Bot ist auf Server-Rollen beschränkt. Bitte nutze den Befehl im Server."
   }
 }
diff --git a/locales/en.json b/locales/en.json
index e5efbdc..a1404e6 100644
--- a/locales/en.json
+++ b/locales/en.json
@@ -425,5 +425,9 @@
     "generic": "⚠️ Seerr error: {msg}",
     "unreachable": "⚠️ Could not reach Seerr. Check that your Seerr URL is correct and reachable.",
     "unknown": "⚠️ An error occurred: {msg}"
+  },
+  "permission_errors": {
+    "denied": "❌ You don't have permission to use this command.",
+    "dm_denied": "❌ This bot is restricted to server roles. Please use this command in the server."
   }
 }
diff --git a/locales/template.json b/locales/template.json
index c794ed7..1f01875 100644
--- a/locales/template.json
+++ b/locales/template.json
@@ -425,5 +425,9 @@
     "generic": "⚠️ Seerr error: {msg}",
     "unreachable": "⚠️ Could not reach Seerr. Check that your Seerr URL is correct and reachable.",
     "unknown": "⚠️ An error occurred: {msg}"
+  },
+  "permission_errors": {
+    "denied": "",
+    "dm_denied": ""
   }
 }