diff --git a/src/ChatCommands.cc b/src/ChatCommands.cc
index b38fed46..1d674ea1 100644
--- a/src/ChatCommands.cc
+++ b/src/ChatCommands.cc
@@ -698,6 +698,14 @@ static void server_command_cheat(shared_ptr<Client> c, const std::string&) {
   } else {
     l->toggle_flag(Lobby::Flag::CHEATS_ENABLED);
     send_text_message_printf(l, "Cheat mode %s", l->check_flag(Lobby::Flag::CHEATS_ENABLED) ? "enabled" : "disabled");
+
+    if (!(c->license->flags & License::Flag::CHEAT_ANYWHERE)) {
+      size_t default_min_level = s->default_min_level_for_game(l->base_version, l->episode, l->difficulty);
+      if (l->min_level < default_min_level) {
+        l->min_level = default_min_level;
+        send_text_message_printf(l, "$C6Minimum level set\nto %" PRIu32, l->min_level + 1);
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -985,7 +993,19 @@ static void server_command_min_level(shared_ptr<Client> c, const std::string& ar
   check_is_game(l, true);
   check_is_leader(l, c);
 
-  l->min_level = stoull(args) - 1;
+  size_t new_min_level = stoull(args) - 1;
+
+  auto s = c->require_server_state();
+  bool cheats_allowed = (l->check_flag(Lobby::Flag::CHEATS_ENABLED) || (c->license->flags & License::Flag::CHEAT_ANYWHERE));
+  if (!cheats_allowed) {
+    size_t default_min_level = s->default_min_level_for_game(l->base_version, l->episode, l->difficulty);
+    if (new_min_level < default_min_level) {
+      send_text_message_printf(c, "$C6Cannot set minimum\nlevel below %zu", default_min_level + 1);
+      return;
+    }
+  }
+
+  l->min_level = new_min_level;
   send_text_message_printf(l, "$C6Minimum level set\nto %" PRIu32, l->min_level + 1);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ReceiveCommands.cc b/src/ReceiveCommands.cc
index 1dccabf5..c56503fb 100644
--- a/src/ReceiveCommands.cc
+++ b/src/ReceiveCommands.cc
@@ -3966,31 +3966,7 @@ shared_ptr<Lobby> create_game_generic(
 
   auto current_lobby = c->require_lobby();
 
-  size_t min_level;
-  // A player's actual level is their displayed level - 1, so the minimums for
-  // Episode 1 (for example) are actually 1, 20, 40, 80.
-  switch (episode) {
-    case Episode::EP1: {
-      const auto& min_levels = (c->version() == Version::BB_V4) ? s->min_levels_v4[0] : DEFAULT_MIN_LEVELS_V3;
-      min_level = min_levels[difficulty];
-      break;
-    }
-    case Episode::EP2: {
-      const auto& min_levels = (c->version() == Version::BB_V4) ? s->min_levels_v4[1] : DEFAULT_MIN_LEVELS_V3;
-      min_level = min_levels[difficulty];
-      break;
-    }
-    case Episode::EP3:
-      min_level = 0;
-      break;
-    case Episode::EP4: {
-      const auto& min_levels = (c->version() == Version::BB_V4) ? s->min_levels_v4[2] : DEFAULT_MIN_LEVELS_V3;
-      min_level = min_levels[difficulty];
-      break;
-    }
-    default:
-      throw runtime_error("invalid episode");
-  }
+  size_t min_level = s->default_min_level_for_game(c->version(), episode, difficulty);
 
   auto p = c->character();
   if (!(c->license->flags & License::Flag::FREE_JOIN_GAMES) &&
diff --git a/src/ServerState.cc b/src/ServerState.cc
index 682c2739..b9f5c8e6 100644
--- a/src/ServerState.cc
+++ b/src/ServerState.cc
@@ -342,6 +342,29 @@ shared_ptr<const QuestIndex> ServerState::quest_index(Version version) const {
   return is_ep3(version) ? this->ep3_download_quest_index : this->default_quest_index;
 }
 
+size_t ServerState::default_min_level_for_game(Version version, Episode episode, uint8_t difficulty) const {
+  // A player's actual level is their displayed level - 1, so the minimums for
+  // Episode 1 (for example) are actually 1, 20, 40, 80.
+  switch (episode) {
+    case Episode::EP1: {
+      const auto& min_levels = (version == Version::BB_V4) ? this->min_levels_v4[0] : DEFAULT_MIN_LEVELS_V3;
+      return min_levels.at(difficulty);
+    }
+    case Episode::EP2: {
+      const auto& min_levels = (version == Version::BB_V4) ? this->min_levels_v4[1] : DEFAULT_MIN_LEVELS_V3;
+      return min_levels.at(difficulty);
+    }
+    case Episode::EP3:
+      return 0;
+    case Episode::EP4: {
+      const auto& min_levels = (version == Version::BB_V4) ? this->min_levels_v4[2] : DEFAULT_MIN_LEVELS_V3;
+      return min_levels.at(difficulty);
+    }
+    default:
+      throw runtime_error("invalid episode");
+  }
+}
+
 void ServerState::dispatch_destroy_lobbies(evutil_socket_t, short, void* ctx) {
   reinterpret_cast<ServerState*>(ctx)->lobbies_to_destroy.clear();
 }
diff --git a/src/ServerState.hh b/src/ServerState.hh
index cf6839b2..de1189b6 100644
--- a/src/ServerState.hh
+++ b/src/ServerState.hh
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ struct ServerState : public std::enable_shared_from_this<ServerState> {
   std::shared_ptr<const std::vector<std::string>> information_contents_for_client(std::shared_ptr<const Client> c) const;
   std::shared_ptr<const QuestIndex> quest_index(Version version) const;
 
+  size_t default_min_level_for_game(Version version, Episode episode, uint8_t difficulty) const;
+
   void set_port_configuration(const std::vector<PortConfiguration>& port_configs);
 
   std::shared_ptr<const std::string> load_bb_file(