diff --git a/AGHTechDoc.md b/AGHTechDoc.md
index 6e99cbaa..8d1de3d7 100644
--- a/AGHTechDoc.md
+++ b/AGHTechDoc.md
@@ -1353,7 +1353,9 @@ Response:
 
 ## Log-in page
 
-After user completes the steps of installation wizard, he must log in into dashboard using his name and password.  After user successfully logs in, he gets the Cookie which allows the server to authenticate him next time without password.  After the Cookie is expired, user needs to perform log-in operation again.  All requests without a proper Cookie get redirected to Log-In page with prompt for name and password.
+After user completes the steps of installation wizard, he must log in into dashboard using his name and password.  After user successfully logs in, he gets the Cookie which allows the server to authenticate him next time without password.  After the Cookie is expired, user needs to perform log-in operation again.
+
+Requests to / or /index.html without a proper Cookie get redirected to Log-In page with prompt for name and password.  The server responds with 403 to all other requests (including all API methods) without a proper Cookie.
 
 YAML configuration:
 
diff --git a/home/auth.go b/home/auth.go
index e074e414..aae40f33 100644
--- a/home/auth.go
+++ b/home/auth.go
@@ -406,8 +406,13 @@ func optionalAuth(handler func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request)) func(http.Re
 				}
 			}
 			if !ok {
-				w.Header().Set("Location", "/login.html")
-				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusFound)
+				if r.URL.Path == "/" || r.URL.Path == "/index.html" {
+					w.Header().Set("Location", "/login.html")
+					w.WriteHeader(http.StatusFound)
+				} else {
+					w.WriteHeader(http.StatusForbidden)
+					_, _ = w.Write([]byte("Forbidden"))
+				}
 				return
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/home/home_test.go b/home/home_test.go
index 315797b0..771c74d0 100644
--- a/home/home_test.go
+++ b/home/home_test.go
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ func TestHome(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, ioutil.WriteFile(fn, []byte(yamlConf), 0644) == nil)
 	fn, _ = filepath.Abs(fn)
 
+	config = configuration{} // the global variable is dirty because of the previous tests run
 	args := options{}
 	args.configFilename = fn
 	args.workDir = dir