diff --git a/src/Mjolnir.ts b/src/Mjolnir.ts
index 122e2ba6..cf59fc80 100644
--- a/src/Mjolnir.ts
+++ b/src/Mjolnir.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class Mjolnir {
      */
     private unlistedUserRedactionQueue = new UnlistedUserRedactionQueue();
 
-    private protectedRoomsConfig: ProtectedRoomsConfig;
+    public readonly protectedRoomsConfig: ProtectedRoomsConfig;
     public readonly protectedRoomsTracker: ProtectedRoomsSet;
     private webapis: WebAPIs;
     private openMetrics: OpenMetrics;
diff --git a/src/commands/ShutdownRoomCommand.ts b/src/commands/ShutdownRoomCommand.ts
index 7e7b0ebf..880275db 100644
--- a/src/commands/ShutdownRoomCommand.ts
+++ b/src/commands/ShutdownRoomCommand.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 import { Mjolnir } from "../Mjolnir";
-import { RichReply } from "@vector-im/matrix-bot-sdk";
+import { LogLevel, RichReply } from "@vector-im/matrix-bot-sdk";
 
 // !mjolnir shutdown room <room> [<message>]
 export async function execShutdownRoomCommand(roomId: string, event: any, mjolnir: Mjolnir, parts: string[]) {
@@ -31,6 +31,21 @@ export async function execShutdownRoomCommand(roomId: string, event: any, mjolni
         return;
     }
 
+    let protectedRooms;
+    if (mjolnir.config.protectAllJoinedRooms) {
+        protectedRooms = await mjolnir.client.getJoinedRooms();
+    } else {
+        protectedRooms = mjolnir.protectedRoomsConfig.getExplicitlyProtectedRooms();
+    }
+    if (protectedRooms.includes(target)) {
+        await mjolnir.managementRoomOutput.logMessage(
+            LogLevel.INFO,
+            "ShutdownRoomCommand",
+            "You are attempting to shutdown a room that mjolnir currently protects, aborting.",
+        );
+        return;
+    }
+
     await mjolnir.shutdownSynapseRoom(await mjolnir.client.resolveRoom(target), reason);
     await mjolnir.client.unstableApis.addReactionToEvent(roomId, event["event_id"], "✅");
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/commands/shutdownCommandTest.ts b/test/integration/commands/shutdownCommandTest.ts
index 7c79234f..cdb661f7 100644
--- a/test/integration/commands/shutdownCommandTest.ts
+++ b/test/integration/commands/shutdownCommandTest.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import { strict as assert } from "assert";
 
 import { newTestUser } from "../clientHelper";
+import { getFirstReaction } from "./commandUtils";
+import { MatrixClient } from "@vector-im/matrix-bot-sdk";
 
 describe("Test: shutdown command", function () {
-    let client;
+    let client: MatrixClient;
     this.beforeEach(async function () {
         client = await newTestUser(this.config.homeserverUrl, { name: { contains: "shutdown-command" } });
         await client.start();
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ describe("Test: shutdown command", function () {
         });
 
         const reply2 = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-            this.mjolnir.client.on("room.event", (roomId, event) => {
+            this.mjolnir.client.on("room.event", (roomId: string, event: any) => {
                 if (
                     roomId !== this.mjolnir.managementRoomId &&
                     roomId !== badRoom &&
@@ -54,4 +56,42 @@ describe("Test: shutdown command", function () {
             return e.message.endsWith('{"errcode":"M_UNKNOWN","error":"This room has been blocked on this server"}');
         });
     });
+    it("Mjolnir will not shutdown a room it is protecting.", async function () {
+        this.timeout(20000);
+        const targetRoom = await client.createRoom({ preset: "public_chat" });
+        await client.joinRoom(this.mjolnir.managementRoomId);
+        const otherUser = await newTestUser(this.config.homeserverUrl, {
+            name: { contains: "shutdown-command-extra" },
+        });
+
+        await getFirstReaction(client, this.mjolnir.managementRoomId, "✅", async () => {
+            return await client.sendMessage(this.mjolnir.managementRoomId, {
+                msgtype: "m.text",
+                body: `!mjolnir rooms add ${targetRoom}`,
+            });
+        });
+
+        await client.sendMessage(this.mjolnir.managementRoomId, {
+            msgtype: "m.text",
+            body: `!mjolnir shutdown room ${targetRoom}`,
+        });
+
+        let reply = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            client.on("room.message", (roomId: string, event: any) => {
+                console.log(JSON.stringify(event));
+                if (
+                    roomId === this.mjolnir.managementRoomId &&
+                    event.content?.body.includes(
+                        "You are attempting to shutdown a room that mjolnir currently protects, aborting",
+                    )
+                ) {
+                    resolve(event);
+                }
+            });
+        });
+        await reply;
+        // room should not be shutdown and available to join
+        const joined = await otherUser.joinRoom(targetRoom);
+        await otherUser.sendMessage(joined, { msgtype: "m.text", body: "it's fine to interact with this room" });
+    });
 });