diff --git a/public/openapi/write.yaml b/public/openapi/write.yaml
index 75f7d18e20..385a75bb75 100644
--- a/public/openapi/write.yaml
+++ b/public/openapi/write.yaml
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ paths:
     $ref: 'write/users/uid/content.yaml'
   /users/{uid}/account:
     $ref: 'write/users/uid/account.yaml'
+  /users/{uid}/status:
+    $ref: 'write/users/uid/status.yaml'
+  /users/{uid}/status/{status}:
+    $ref: 'write/users/uid/status/status.yaml'
   /users/{uid}/settings:
     $ref: 'write/users/uid/settings.yaml'
   /users/{uid}/password:
diff --git a/public/openapi/write/users/uid/status.yaml b/public/openapi/write/users/uid/status.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6cd5bdd5fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/openapi/write/users/uid/status.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+get:
+  tags:
+    - users
+  summary: get user status
+  parameters:
+    - in: path
+      name: uid
+      schema:
+        type: integer
+      required: true
+      description: uid of the user whose status to check
+      example: 2
+  responses:
+    '200':
+      description: successfully retrieved user status
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            type: object
+            properties:
+              status:
+                $ref: ../../../components/schemas/Status.yaml#/Status
+              response:
+                type: object
+                properties:
+                  status:
+                    type: string
+                    enum: ['online', 'offline', 'dnd', 'away']
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/openapi/write/users/uid/status/status.yaml b/public/openapi/write/users/uid/status/status.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa216c6dbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/openapi/write/users/uid/status/status.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+head:
+  tags:
+    - users
+  summary: verify user status
+  parameters:
+    - in: path
+      name: uid
+      schema:
+        type: integer
+      required: true
+      description: uid of the user whose status to check
+      example: 2
+    - in: path
+      name: status
+      schema:
+        type: string
+      required: true
+      description: status of the user to confirm
+      example: 'online'
+  responses:
+    '200':
+      description: user status is the value in path
+    '404':
+      description: user status is not the value in path
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/src/modules/chat.js b/public/src/modules/chat.js
index de090c7365..9802c7ae3f 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/chat.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/chat.js
@@ -64,11 +64,9 @@ define('chat', [
 		if (parseInt(touid, 10) === parseInt(app.user.uid, 10)) {
 			return alerts.error('[[error:cant-chat-with-yourself]]');
 		}
-		socket.emit('modules.chats.isDnD', touid, function (err, isDnD) {
-			if (err) {
-				return alerts.error(err);
-			}
-			if (!isDnD) {
+
+		api.get(`/users/${touid}/status`).then(({ status }) => {
+			if (status !== 'dnd') {
 				return createChat();
 			}
 
@@ -77,7 +75,7 @@ define('chat', [
 					createChat();
 				}
 			});
-		});
+		}).catch(alerts.error);
 	};
 
 	module.loadChatsDropdown = function (chatsListEl) {
diff --git a/src/api/users.js b/src/api/users.js
index f7c4edc2d2..d9eacb2cea 100644
--- a/src/api/users.js
+++ b/src/api/users.js
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ usersAPI.updateSettings = async function (caller, data) {
 	return await user.saveSettings(data.uid, payload);
 };
 
+usersAPI.getStatus = async (caller, { uid }) => {
+	const status = await db.getObjectField(`user:${uid}`, 'status');
+	return { status };
+};
+
 usersAPI.changePassword = async function (caller, data) {
 	await user.changePassword(caller.uid, Object.assign(data, { ip: caller.ip }));
 	await events.log({
diff --git a/src/controllers/write/users.js b/src/controllers/write/users.js
index 6dbcb1b01e..a977a1442a 100644
--- a/src/controllers/write/users.js
+++ b/src/controllers/write/users.js
@@ -66,6 +66,17 @@ Users.changePicture = async (req, res) => {
 	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res);
 };
 
+Users.getStatus = async (req, res) => {
+	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, await api.users.getStatus(req, { ...req.params }));
+};
+
+Users.checkStatus = async (req, res) => {
+	const { uid, status } = req.params;
+	const { status: current } = await api.users.getStatus(req, { uid });
+
+	helpers.formatApiResponse(current === status ? 200 : 404, res);
+};
+
 Users.updateSettings = async (req, res) => {
 	const settings = await api.users.updateSettings(req, { ...req.body, uid: req.params.uid });
 	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, settings);
diff --git a/src/routes/write/users.js b/src/routes/write/users.js
index 23d8d75ddd..633fae200b 100644
--- a/src/routes/write/users.js
+++ b/src/routes/write/users.js
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ function authenticatedRoutes() {
 	setupApiRoute(router, 'delete', '/:uid/content', [...middlewares, middleware.assert.user], controllers.write.users.deleteContent);
 	setupApiRoute(router, 'delete', '/:uid/account', [...middlewares, middleware.assert.user], controllers.write.users.deleteAccount);
 
+	setupApiRoute(router, 'get', '/:uid/status', [], controllers.write.users.getStatus);
+	setupApiRoute(router, 'head', '/:uid/status/:status', [], controllers.write.users.checkStatus);
+
 	setupApiRoute(router, 'put', '/:uid/settings', [...middlewares, middleware.checkRequired.bind(null, ['settings'])], controllers.write.users.updateSettings);
 
 	setupApiRoute(router, 'put', '/:uid/password', [...middlewares, middleware.checkRequired.bind(null, ['newPassword']), middleware.assert.user], controllers.write.users.changePassword);
diff --git a/src/socket.io/modules.js b/src/socket.io/modules.js
index cd69031340..fa4e93dbe6 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/modules.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/modules.js
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ SocketModules.chats.getRaw = async function (socket, data) {
 };
 
 SocketModules.chats.isDnD = async function (socket, uid) {
-	const status = await db.getObjectField(`user:${uid}`, 'status');
+	sockets.warnDeprecated(socket, 'GET /api/v3/users/:uid/status OR HEAD /api/v3/users/:uid/status/:status');
+
+	const { status } = await api.users.getStatus(socket, { uid });
 	return status === 'dnd';
 };