diff --git a/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/Default.cshtml b/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/Default.cshtml
index c2cdbd902..8ab1c3d52 100644
--- a/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/Default.cshtml
+++ b/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/Default.cshtml
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 @model BTCPayServer.Components.StoreLightningBalance.StoreLightningBalanceViewModel
-
+@if(!Model.InitialRendering && Model.Balance == null)
+{
+   return;
+}
 <div id="StoreLightningBalance-@Model.Store.Id" class="widget store-lightning-balance">
     <div class="d-flex gap-3 align-items-center justify-content-between mb-2">
         <h6>Lightning Balance</h6>
diff --git a/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/StoreLightningBalance.cs b/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/StoreLightningBalance.cs
index ec9c1515b..cf21bd5e4 100644
--- a/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/StoreLightningBalance.cs
+++ b/BTCPayServer/Components/StoreLightningBalance/StoreLightningBalance.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ using System;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using BTCPayServer.Abstractions.Extensions;
+using BTCPayServer.Client;
 using BTCPayServer.Configuration;
 using BTCPayServer.Data;
 using BTCPayServer.Lightning;
@@ -9,9 +10,11 @@ using BTCPayServer.Models;
 using BTCPayServer.Models.StoreViewModels;
 using BTCPayServer.Payments;
 using BTCPayServer.Payments.Lightning;
+using BTCPayServer.Security;
 using BTCPayServer.Services;
 using BTCPayServer.Services.Rates;
 using BTCPayServer.Services.Stores;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
 
@@ -26,6 +29,7 @@ public class StoreLightningBalance : ViewComponent
     private readonly LightningClientFactoryService _lightningClientFactory;
     private readonly IOptions<LightningNetworkOptions> _lightningNetworkOptions;
     private readonly IOptions<ExternalServicesOptions> _externalServiceOptions;
+    private readonly IAuthorizationService _authorizationService;
 
     public StoreLightningBalance(
         StoreRepository storeRepo,
@@ -34,13 +38,15 @@ public class StoreLightningBalance : ViewComponent
         BTCPayServerOptions btcpayServerOptions,
         LightningClientFactoryService lightningClientFactory,
         IOptions<LightningNetworkOptions> lightningNetworkOptions,
-        IOptions<ExternalServicesOptions> externalServiceOptions)
+        IOptions<ExternalServicesOptions> externalServiceOptions, 
+        IAuthorizationService authorizationService)
     {
         _storeRepo = storeRepo;
         _currencies = currencies;
         _networkProvider = networkProvider;
         _btcpayServerOptions = btcpayServerOptions;
         _externalServiceOptions = externalServiceOptions;
+        _authorizationService = authorizationService;
         _lightningClientFactory = lightningClientFactory;
         _lightningNetworkOptions = lightningNetworkOptions;
     }
@@ -54,13 +60,19 @@ public class StoreLightningBalance : ViewComponent
 
         vm.DefaultCurrency = vm.Store.GetStoreBlob().DefaultCurrency;
         vm.CurrencyData = _currencies.GetCurrencyData(vm.DefaultCurrency, true);
-
-        if (vm.InitialRendering)
-            return View(vm);
-
+        
         try
         {
-            var lightningClient = GetLightningClient(vm.Store, vm.CryptoCode);
+            var lightningClient = await GetLightningClient(vm.Store, vm.CryptoCode);
+            if (lightningClient == null)
+            {
+                vm.InitialRendering = false;
+                return View(vm);
+            }
+            
+            if (vm.InitialRendering)
+                return View(vm);
+           
             var balance = await lightningClient.GetBalance();
             vm.Balance = balance;
             vm.TotalOnchain = balance.OnchainBalance != null
@@ -72,7 +84,8 @@ public class StoreLightningBalance : ViewComponent
                   (balance.OffchainBalance.Closing ?? 0)
                 : null;
         }
-        catch (NotSupportedException)
+       
+        catch (Exception ex) when (ex is NotImplementedException or NotSupportedException)
         {
             // not all implementations support balance fetching
             vm.ProblemDescription = "Your node does not support balance fetching.";
@@ -85,7 +98,7 @@ public class StoreLightningBalance : ViewComponent
         return View(vm);
     }
 
-    private ILightningClient GetLightningClient(StoreData store, string cryptoCode)
+    private async Task<ILightningClient> GetLightningClient(StoreData store, string cryptoCode )
     {
         var network = _networkProvider.GetNetwork<BTCPayNetwork>(cryptoCode);
         var id = new PaymentMethodId(cryptoCode, PaymentTypes.LightningLike);
@@ -101,7 +114,9 @@ public class StoreLightningBalance : ViewComponent
         }
         if (existing.IsInternalNode && _lightningNetworkOptions.Value.InternalLightningByCryptoCode.TryGetValue(cryptoCode, out var internalLightningNode))
         {
-            return internalLightningNode;
+            var result = await _authorizationService.AuthorizeAsync(HttpContext.User, null,
+                new PolicyRequirement(Policies.CanUseInternalLightningNode));
+            return result.Succeeded ? internalLightningNode : null;
         }
 
         return null;
diff --git a/BTCPayServer/Views/UIStores/Dashboard.cshtml b/BTCPayServer/Views/UIStores/Dashboard.cshtml
index ea35813ae..94d555d75 100644
--- a/BTCPayServer/Views/UIStores/Dashboard.cshtml
+++ b/BTCPayServer/Views/UIStores/Dashboard.cshtml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 @using BTCPayServer.Components.AppSales
 @using BTCPayServer.Components.AppTopItems
 @using BTCPayServer.Services.Apps
+@using BTCPayServer.Client
 @model StoreDashboardViewModel
 @{
     ViewData.SetActivePage(StoreNavPages.Dashboard, Model.StoreName, Model.StoreId);
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@
         @if (Model.LightningEnabled)
         {
             <vc:store-lightning-balance vm="@(new StoreLightningBalanceViewModel { Store = store, CryptoCode = Model.CryptoCode, InitialRendering = true })"/>
-            <vc:store-lightning-services vm="@(new StoreLightningServicesViewModel { Store = store, CryptoCode = Model.CryptoCode })"/>
+            <vc:store-lightning-services vm="@(new StoreLightningServicesViewModel { Store = store, CryptoCode = Model.CryptoCode })" permission="@Policies.CanModifyServerSettings"/>
         }
         @if (Model.WalletEnabled)
         {