diff --git a/src/services/InstanceService/index.ts b/src/services/InstanceService/index.ts
index 88c9127a..0b94fe8a 100644
--- a/src/services/InstanceService/index.ts
+++ b/src/services/InstanceService/index.ts
@@ -410,6 +410,11 @@ export const instanceService = mkSingleton(
           })
         if (instance) {
           dbg(`${host} is a cname`)
+          if (!instance.cname_active) {
+            throw new Error(
+              `CNAME not active for this instance. See dashboard.`,
+            )
+          }
           return instance
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/services/MothershipAdmimClientService/InstanceMIxin.ts b/src/services/MothershipAdmimClientService/InstanceMIxin.ts
index a7035aac..b2b66aa7 100644
--- a/src/services/MothershipAdmimClientService/InstanceMIxin.ts
+++ b/src/services/MothershipAdmimClientService/InstanceMIxin.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export const createInstanceMixin = (context: MixinContext) => {
   ): Promise<InstanceFields & WithUser> =>
     client
       .collection(INSTANCE_COLLECTION)
-      .getFirstListItem(`cname = '${host}' and cname_active = 1`, {
+      .getFirstListItem(`cname = '${host}'`, {
         expand: 'uid',
       })