diff --git a/packages/client-core/src/social/services/ChannelService.ts b/packages/client-core/src/social/services/ChannelService.ts
index b4af7a74d4..63b6c00116 100755
--- a/packages/client-core/src/social/services/ChannelService.ts
+++ b/packages/client-core/src/social/services/ChannelService.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ export const ChannelService = {
       })
       channelState.merge({ messageCreated: true })
     } catch (err) {
+      //Occasionally, the client attempts to fetch the instance's channel after it's been created, but before the user's
+      //channel-user has been created, which occurs when connecting to the instance server.
+      //If it's a 403, it is almost definitely because of this issue, so just wait a second and try again.
+      if (err.code == 403) return setTimeout(() => ChannelService.getInstanceChannel(), 1000)
       NotificationService.dispatchNotify(err.message, { variant: 'error' })
     }
   },
diff --git a/packages/server-core/src/hooks/channel-permission-authenticate.ts b/packages/server-core/src/hooks/channel-permission-authenticate.ts
index f983f36ae5..56ff3db2af 100755
--- a/packages/server-core/src/hooks/channel-permission-authenticate.ts
+++ b/packages/server-core/src/hooks/channel-permission-authenticate.ts
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ export default () => {
     if (channel == null) {
       throw new BadRequest('Invalid channel ID')
     }
-    const partyUser = await app.service('channel-user').Model.findOne({
+    const channelUser = await app.service('channel-user').Model.findOne({
       where: {
         channelId: channel.id,
         userId: userId
       }
     })
-    if (partyUser == null) {
+    if (channelUser == null) {
       throw new Forbidden('You are not a member of that channel')
     }
     return context