diff --git a/client/javascript/BrokenExternalLinksReport.js b/client/javascript/BrokenExternalLinksReport.js
index de33077..df95640 100644
--- a/client/javascript/BrokenExternalLinksReport.js
+++ b/client/javascript/BrokenExternalLinksReport.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
       },
 
       start: function() {
+        var self = this;
         // initiate a new job
         $('.external-links-report__report-progress')
           .empty()
@@ -25,10 +26,21 @@
         $.ajax({
           url: "admin/externallinks/start",
           async: true,
-          timeout: 3000
-        });
+          timeout: 3000,
+          success: function() {
+            self.poll();
+          },
+          error: function(e) {
+            if (typeof console !== 'undefined') {
+              let message = (e && e.responseText)
+                ? e.responseText
+                : 'You do not have permission to access this resource';
 
-        this.poll();
+              console.error(message);
+            }
+            self.buttonReset();
+          }
+        });
       },
 
       /**
@@ -127,7 +139,10 @@
           },
           error: function(e) {
             if (typeof console !== 'undefined') {
-              console.log(e);
+              let message = (e && e.responseText)
+                ? e.responseText
+                : e;
+              console.error(message);
             }
             self.buttonReset();
           }
diff --git a/src/Controllers/CMSExternalLinksController.php b/src/Controllers/CMSExternalLinksController.php
index a6cae46..fb9fdc2 100644
--- a/src/Controllers/CMSExternalLinksController.php
+++ b/src/Controllers/CMSExternalLinksController.php
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 use SilverStripe\Control\Controller;
 use Symbiote\QueuedJobs\Services\QueuedJobService;
 use SilverStripe\Control\Middleware\HTTPCacheControlMiddleware;
+use SilverStripe\Security\Permission;
+use SilverStripe\Security\Security;
 
 class CMSExternalLinksController extends Controller
 {
@@ -24,22 +26,26 @@ class CMSExternalLinksController extends Controller
      */
     public function getJobStatus()
     {
-        // Set headers
-        HTTPCacheControlMiddleware::singleton()->setMaxAge(0);
-        $this->response
-            ->addHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json')
-            ->addHeader('Content-Encoding', 'UTF-8')
-            ->addHeader('X-Content-Type-Options', 'nosniff');
+        if (Permission::checkMember(Security::getCurrentUser(), ['CMS_ACCESS_CMSMain'])) {
+            // Set headers
+            HTTPCacheControlMiddleware::singleton()->setMaxAge(0);
+            $this->response
+                ->addHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json')
+                ->addHeader('Content-Encoding', 'UTF-8')
+                ->addHeader('X-Content-Type-Options', 'nosniff');
 
-        // Format status
-        $track = BrokenExternalPageTrackStatus::get_latest();
-        if ($track) {
-            return json_encode([
-                'TrackID' => $track->ID,
-                'Status' => $track->Status,
-                'Completed' => $track->getCompletedPages(),
-                'Total' => $track->getTotalPages()
-            ]);
+            // Format status
+            $track = BrokenExternalPageTrackStatus::get_latest();
+            if ($track) {
+                return json_encode([
+                    'TrackID' => $track->ID,
+                    'Status' => $track->Status,
+                    'Completed' => $track->getCompletedPages(),
+                    'Total' => $track->getTotalPages()
+                ]);
+            }
+        } else {
+            return $this->httpError(403, 'You do not have permission to access this resource');
         }
     }
 
@@ -49,24 +55,28 @@ public function getJobStatus()
      */
     public function start()
     {
-        // return if the a job is already running
-        $status = BrokenExternalPageTrackStatus::get_latest();
-        if ($status && $status->Status == 'Running') {
-            return;
-        }
+        if (Permission::checkMember(Security::getCurrentUser(), ['CMS_ACCESS_CMSMain'])) {
+            // return if the a job is already running
+            $status = BrokenExternalPageTrackStatus::get_latest();
+            if ($status && $status->Status == 'Running') {
+                return;
+            }
 
-        // Create a new job
-        if (class_exists(QueuedJobService::class)) {
-            // Force the creation of a new run
-            BrokenExternalPageTrackStatus::create_status();
-            $checkLinks = new CheckExternalLinksJob();
-            singleton(QueuedJobService::class)->queueJob($checkLinks);
+            // Create a new job
+            if (class_exists(QueuedJobService::class)) {
+                // Force the creation of a new run
+                BrokenExternalPageTrackStatus::create_status();
+                $checkLinks = new CheckExternalLinksJob();
+                singleton(QueuedJobService::class)->queueJob($checkLinks);
+            } else {
+                //TODO this hangs as it waits for the connection to be released
+                // should return back and continue processing
+                // http://us3.php.net/manual/en/features.connection-handling.php
+                $task = CheckExternalLinksTask::create();
+                $task->runLinksCheck();
+            }
         } else {
-            //TODO this hangs as it waits for the connection to be released
-            // should return back and continue processing
-            // http://us3.php.net/manual/en/features.connection-handling.php
-            $task = CheckExternalLinksTask::create();
-            $task->runLinksCheck();
+            return $this->httpError(403, 'You do not have permission to access this resource');
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/php/ExternalLinksTest.php b/tests/php/ExternalLinksTest.php
index 433ea5b..5dc0fa6 100644
--- a/tests/php/ExternalLinksTest.php
+++ b/tests/php/ExternalLinksTest.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 namespace SilverStripe\ExternalLinks\Tests;
 
 use SilverStripe\Core\Injector\Injector;
-use SilverStripe\Dev\SapphireTest;
+use SilverStripe\Dev\FunctionalTest;
 use SilverStripe\ExternalLinks\Model\BrokenExternalPageTrackStatus;
 use SilverStripe\ExternalLinks\Reports\BrokenExternalLinksReport;
 use SilverStripe\ExternalLinks\Tasks\CheckExternalLinksTask;
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 use SilverStripe\i18n\i18n;
 use SilverStripe\Reports\Report;
 
-class ExternalLinksTest extends SapphireTest
+class ExternalLinksTest extends FunctionalTest
 {
 
     protected static $fixture_file = 'ExternalLinksTest.yml';
@@ -125,4 +125,30 @@ public function testArchivedPagesAreHiddenFromReport()
         // Ensure report does not list the link associated with an archived page
         $this->assertEquals(3, BrokenExternalLinksReport::create()->sourceRecords()->count());
     }
+
+    public function getJobStatusDataProvider()
+    {
+        return [
+            'ADMIN - valid permission' => ['ADMIN', 200],
+            'CMS_ACCESS_CMSMain - valid permission' => ['CMS_ACCESS_CMSMain', 200],
+            'VIEW_SITE - not enough permission' => ['VIEW_SITE', 403],
+        ];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider getJobStatusDataProvider
+     */
+    public function testGetJobStatus(
+        string $permission,
+        int $expectedResponseCode
+    ) {
+        $this->logOut();
+        $this->logInWithPermission($permission);
+
+        $response = $this->get("admin/externallinks/start", null, ['Accept' => 'application/json']);
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedResponseCode, $response->getStatusCode());
+
+        $response = $this->get("admin/externallinks/getJobStatus", null, ['Accept' => 'application/json']);
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedResponseCode, $response->getStatusCode());
+    }
 }