diff --git a/lib/hk-util.js b/lib/hk-util.js
index 09839e12c..1060bc9fc 100644
--- a/lib/hk-util.js
+++ b/lib/hk-util.js
@@ -580,6 +580,7 @@ const handleFirstMessage = function (Env, channelName, metadata) {
         // Set the selfdestruct flag to history keeper ID to handle server crash.
         metadata.selfdestruct = Env.id;
     }
+    delete metadata.forcePlaceholder;
     Env.store.writeMetadata(channelName, JSON.stringify(metadata), function (err) {
         if (err) {
             // FIXME tell the user that there was a channel error?
@@ -706,7 +707,7 @@ const handleGetHistory = function (Env, Server, seq, userId, parsed) {
                 Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(parsedMsg)]);
                 return;
             }
-            if (err && err.code === 'ENOENT' && reason) {
+            if (err && err.code === 'ENOENT' && reason && !metadata.forcePlaceholder) {
                 const parsedMsg2 = {error:'EDELETED', message: reason, channel: channelName, txid: txid};
                 Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(parsedMsg2)]);
                 return;
diff --git a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
index 67d268973..b5a5fc770 100644
--- a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
+++ b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
@@ -1452,8 +1452,10 @@ define([
         }).nThen(function (waitFor) {
             optsPut.metadata.restricted = oldMetadata.restricted;
             optsPut.metadata.allowed = oldMetadata.allowed;
+            if (!newPassword) { optsPut.metadata.forcePlaceholder = true; }
             Crypt.put(newHash, cryptgetVal, waitFor(function (err) {
                 if (err) {
+                    if (err === "EDELETED") { err = "PASSWORD_ALREADY_USED"; }
                     waitFor.abort();
                     return void cb({ error: err });
                 }
diff --git a/www/common/inner/access.js b/www/common/inner/access.js
index 55c07dd16..40240540c 100644
--- a/www/common/inner/access.js
+++ b/www/common/inner/access.js
@@ -929,6 +929,7 @@ define([
                             });
                         }
 
+                        Messages.access_passwordUsed = "This password has already been used for this pad. It can't be used again."; // XXX NEW
                         var href = data.href;
                         var isNotStored = Boolean(data.isNotStored);
                         sframeChan.query(q, {
@@ -939,8 +940,12 @@ define([
                         }, function (err, data) {
                             $(passwordOk).text(Messages.properties_changePasswordButton);
                             pLocked = false;
-                            if (err || data.error) {
-                                console.error(err || data.error);
+                            err = err || data.error;
+                            if (err) {
+                                if (err === "PASSWORD_ALREADY_USED") {
+                                    return void UI.alert(Messages.access_passwordUsed);
+                                }
+                                console.error(err);
                                 return void UI.alert(Messages.properties_passwordError);
                             }
                             UI.findOKButton().click();