diff --git a/packages/nc-gui/pages/projects/index.vue b/packages/nc-gui/pages/projects/index.vue
index 79a5c9e794..a7ee6b1e8e 100644
--- a/packages/nc-gui/pages/projects/index.vue
+++ b/packages/nc-gui/pages/projects/index.vue
@@ -235,11 +235,13 @@
                         x-small
                         class="mr-2"
                         :color="
-                          props.item.status === 'started'
-                            ? 'green'
-                            : props.item.status === 'stopped'
-                              ? 'orange'
-                              : 'orange'
+                          !props.item.allowed ? 'blue' :(
+                            props.item.status === 'started'
+                              ? 'green'
+                              : props.item.status === 'stopped'
+                                ? 'orange'
+                                : 'orange'
+                          )
                         "
                       >
                         mdi-moon-full
@@ -266,13 +268,15 @@
                         }}
                       </x-icon>
 
-                      <span class="title font-weight-regular">{{
+                      <span
+                        class="title font-weight-regular"
+                      >{{
                         props.item.title
                       }}</span>
                     </td>
                     <td>
                       <div
-                        v-if="_isUIAllowed('projectActions',true)"
+                        v-if="props.item.allowed && _isUIAllowed('projectActions',true)"
                         :class="{
                           'action-icons': !(
                             projectStatusUpdating &&
@@ -999,6 +1003,11 @@ export default {
       this.loaded = true
     },
     projectRouteHandler(project) {
+      if (!project.allowed) {
+        this.$toast.info(`Contact following owner email to get project access : ${project.owner}`).goAway(5000)
+        return
+      }
+
       if (project.status !== 'started') {
         this.$toast
           .info(
diff --git a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaIOImpl.ts b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaIOImpl.ts
index 2e3cfef602..441d3952d8 100644
--- a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaIOImpl.ts
+++ b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaIOImpl.ts
@@ -350,10 +350,27 @@ export default class NcMetaIOImpl extends NcMetaIO {
   }
 
   public async userProjectList(userId: any): Promise<any[]> {
+
+
     return (await this.knexConnection('nc_projects')
-      .innerJoin('nc_projects_users', 'nc_projects_users.project_id', 'nc_projects.id')
-      .select('nc_projects.*')
-      .where(`nc_projects_users.user_id`, userId)).map(p => {
+        .leftJoin(this.knexConnection('nc_projects_users')
+          .where(`nc_projects_users.user_id`, userId).as('user'), 'user.project_id', 'nc_projects.id')
+        .select('nc_projects.*')
+        .select('user.user_id')
+        //(SELECT `xc_users`.`email`
+        //                   FROM   `xc_users`
+        //                          INNER JOIN `nc_projects_users`
+        //                                  ON `nc_projects_users`.`user_id` =
+        //                                     `xc_users`.`id` and `nc_projects_users`.project_id=`nc_projects`.id  where `nc_projects_users`.`roles` like '%owner%'  limit 1)
+        .select(this.knexConnection('xc_users')
+          .select('xc_users.email')
+          .innerJoin('nc_projects_users', 'nc_projects_users.user_id', '=', 'xc_users.id')
+          .where('nc_projects_users.roles', 'like', '%owner%')
+          .first()
+          .as('owner')
+        )
+    ).map(p => {
+      p.allowed = p.user_id === userId;
       p.config = CryptoJS.AES.decrypt(p.config, this.config?.auth?.jwt?.secret).toString(CryptoJS.enc.Utf8)
       return p;
     });
diff --git a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaMgr.ts b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaMgr.ts
index aa3b86d78a..db4d1e3d20 100644
--- a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaMgr.ts
+++ b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/meta/NcMetaMgr.ts
@@ -144,10 +144,12 @@ export default class NcMetaMgr {
         // auth to admin
         if (this.config.auth) {
           if (this.config.auth.jwt) {
-            if (!(req?.session?.passport?.user?.roles?.creator || req?.session?.passport?.user?.roles?.editor
-              || req?.session?.passport?.user?.roles?.viewer
-              || req?.session?.passport?.user?.roles?.commenter
-              || req?.session?.passport?.user?.roles?.user
+            const roles = req?.session?.passport?.user?.roles;
+            if (!(roles?.creator || roles?.editor
+              || roles?.viewer
+              || roles?.commenter
+              || roles?.user
+              || roles?.user_new
             )) {
               return res.status(401).json({
                 msg: 'Unauthorized access : xc-auth does not have admin permission'
diff --git a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrl.ts b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrl.ts
index 6a4e926734..2584f85b4c 100644
--- a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrl.ts
+++ b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrl.ts
@@ -751,13 +751,16 @@ export default class RestAuthCtrl {
       } else {
 
 
-        const roles = 'user';
+        let roles = 'user';
 
         if (!(await this.users.first())) {
           // roles = 'owner,creator,editor'
         } else {
-          // todo : opening up signup for timebeing
-          return next(new Error('Not allowed to signup, contact super admin.'));
+          if (process.env.NC_INVITE_ONLY_SIGNUP) {
+            return next(new Error('Not allowed to signup, contact super admin.'));
+          } else {
+            roles = 'user_new';
+          }
         }
 
         await this.users.insert({
diff --git a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrlEE.ts b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrlEE.ts
index 3e312d087d..d927db0d1e 100644
--- a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrlEE.ts
+++ b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/noco/rest/RestAuthCtrlEE.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ export default class RestAuthCtrlEE extends RestAuthCtrl {
       // add user to project if user already exist
       const user = await this.users.where({email}).first();
       if (user) {
+
+        await this.users.update({
+          roles: 'user'
+        }).where({roles: 'user_new', email});
+
         if (!await this.xcMeta.isUserHaveAccessToProject(req.body.project_id, user.id)) {
           await this.xcMeta.projectAddUser(req.body.project_id, user.id, 'editor');
         }
diff --git a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/utils/projectAcl.ts b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/utils/projectAcl.ts
index 11e834de64..62e9a4d01a 100644
--- a/packages/nocodb/src/lib/utils/projectAcl.ts
+++ b/packages/nocodb/src/lib/utils/projectAcl.ts
@@ -209,6 +209,9 @@ export default {
     'indexList': true,
     'list': true,
   },
+  user_new: {
+    projectList: true,
+  },
   user: {
     projectList: true,
     testConnection: true,