diff --git a/.claude/CLAUDE.md b/.claude/CLAUDE.md
index e8b0bf3..8ae1696 100644
--- a/.claude/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/.claude/CLAUDE.md
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ Paliad — the patent paladin. All-in-one patent practice platform for HLC (form
 | `SMTP_HOST` / `SMTP_PORT` / `SMTP_USERNAME` / `SMTP_PASSWORD` / `SMTP_FROM` / `SMTP_FROM_NAME` / `SMTP_USE_TLS` | for email | SMTP credentials for Paliad's transactional mail (reminders, invitations). Port 465 uses implicit TLS. `MailService` silently no-ops when any required var is missing — the server still boots for knowledge-platform-only deployments. |
 | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | not used today | Reserved for Phase H (AI Frist-Extraktion) which is deferred per m's 2026-04-16 decision. Do not set. |
 
+> *Note on `DATABASE_URL`:* "Work without DB" ≠ "ungated". All knowledge-platform routes (Kostenrechner, Glossar, Links, Gebührentabellen, Checklisten, Gerichte, Downloads) are still behind the auth gate (302 to `/login` for anon visitors); only `/`, `/login`, `/logout`, and `/assets/*` are public. The `gateOnboarded` middleware additionally blocks unonboarded users from app pages but does NOT gate the knowledge-platform pages.
+
 ## Infrastructure
 
 - **Gitea:** `mAi/paliad` on mgit.msbls.de (renamed from mAi/patholo — auto-redirects)
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index 5359b07..52a669c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ const ICON_USERS = '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" s
 
 interface SidebarProps {
   currentPath: string;
+  // authenticated defaults to true; pass false on anon-facing pages (the
+  // marketing landing) so we don't render auth-only affordances that would
+  // fire 401s. Currently gates only the changelog badge link — the badge
+  // client (sidebar.ts initChangelogBadge) early-returns when the link is
+  // absent, so there is no client change needed.
+  authenticated?: boolean;
 }
 
 function navItem(href: string, icon: string, i18nKey: string, label: string, currentPath: string): string {
@@ -60,7 +66,7 @@ function group(i18nKey: string, label: string, children: string): string {
   );
 }
 
-export function Sidebar({ currentPath }: SidebarProps): string {
+export function Sidebar({ currentPath, authenticated = true }: SidebarProps): string {
   return (
     <Fragment>
       <aside className="sidebar">
@@ -129,11 +135,13 @@ export function Sidebar({ currentPath }: SidebarProps): string {
         <div className="sidebar-spacer" />
 
         <div className="sidebar-bottom">
-          <a href="/changelog" className={`sidebar-item sidebar-changelog${currentPath === "/changelog" ? " active" : ""}`} id="sidebar-changelog-link">
-            <span className="sidebar-icon" dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: ICON_SPARKLE }} />
-            <span className="sidebar-label" data-i18n="nav.neuigkeiten">Neuigkeiten</span>
-            <span className="sidebar-badge" id="sidebar-changelog-badge" style="display:none" aria-hidden="true" />
-          </a>
+          {authenticated ? (
+            <a href="/changelog" className={`sidebar-item sidebar-changelog${currentPath === "/changelog" ? " active" : ""}`} id="sidebar-changelog-link">
+              <span className="sidebar-icon" dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: ICON_SPARKLE }} />
+              <span className="sidebar-label" data-i18n="nav.neuigkeiten">Neuigkeiten</span>
+              <span className="sidebar-badge" id="sidebar-changelog-badge" style="display:none" aria-hidden="true" />
+            </a>
+          ) : ""}
           <button type="button" className="sidebar-item sidebar-invite-btn" id="sidebar-invite-btn">
             <span className="sidebar-icon" dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: ICON_MAIL }} />
             <span className="sidebar-label" data-i18n="invite.button">Kolleg:in einladen</span>
diff --git a/frontend/src/index.tsx b/frontend/src/index.tsx
index d6a0b1e..415ac38 100644
--- a/frontend/src/index.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/index.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export function renderIndex(): string {
         <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/global.css" />
       </head>
       <body className="has-sidebar">
-        <Sidebar currentPath="/" />
+        <Sidebar currentPath="/" authenticated={false} />
 
         <main>
           <section className="hero">