diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller.rb
index 64a1db58d..3f41eb688 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 class Api::V1::Timelines::TagController < Api::BaseController
+  before_action -> { doorkeeper_authorize! :read, :'read:statuses' }, only: :show, if: :require_auth?
   before_action :load_tag
   after_action :insert_pagination_headers, unless: -> { @statuses.empty? }
 
@@ -11,6 +12,10 @@ class Api::V1::Timelines::TagController < Api::BaseController
 
   private
 
+  def require_auth?
+    !Setting.timeline_preview
+  end
+
   def load_tag
     @tag = Tag.find_normalized(params[:id])
   end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller_spec.rb
index 718911083..d7f41d2f8 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/api/v1/timelines/tag_controller_spec.rb
@@ -5,36 +5,71 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 describe Api::V1::Timelines::TagController do
   render_views
 
-  let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+  let(:user)   { Fabricate(:user) }
+  let(:token)  { Fabricate(:accessible_access_token, resource_owner_id: user.id, scopes: 'read:statuses') }
 
   before do
     allow(controller).to receive(:doorkeeper_token) { token }
   end
 
-  context 'with a user context' do
-    let(:token) { Fabricate(:accessible_access_token, resource_owner_id: user.id) }
+  describe 'GET #show' do
+    subject do
+      get :show, params: { id: 'test' }
+    end
 
-    describe 'GET #show' do
-      before do
-        PostStatusService.new.call(user.account, text: 'It is a #test')
+    before do
+      PostStatusService.new.call(user.account, text: 'It is a #test')
+    end
+
+    context 'when the instance allows public preview' do
+      context 'when the user is not authenticated' do
+        let(:token) { nil }
+
+        it 'returns http success', :aggregate_failures do
+          subject
+
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+          expect(response.headers['Link'].links.size).to eq(2)
+        end
       end
 
-      it 'returns http success' do
-        get :show, params: { id: 'test' }
-        expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
-        expect(response.headers['Link'].links.size).to eq(2)
+      context 'when the user is authenticated' do
+        it 'returns http success', :aggregate_failures do
+          subject
+
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+          expect(response.headers['Link'].links.size).to eq(2)
+        end
       end
     end
-  end
 
-  context 'without a user context' do
-    let(:token) { Fabricate(:accessible_access_token, resource_owner_id: nil) }
+    context 'when the instance does not allow public preview' do
+      around do |example|
+        timeline_preview = Setting.timeline_preview
+        Setting.timeline_preview = false
 
-    describe 'GET #show' do
-      it 'returns http success' do
-        get :show, params: { id: 'test' }
-        expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
-        expect(response.headers['Link']).to be_nil
+        example.run
+
+        Setting.timeline_preview = timeline_preview
+      end
+
+      context 'when the user is not authenticated' do
+        let(:token) { nil }
+
+        it 'returns http unauthorized' do
+          subject
+
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(401)
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when the user is authenticated' do
+        it 'returns http success', :aggregate_failures do
+          subject
+
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+          expect(response.headers['Link'].links.size).to eq(2)
+        end
       end
     end
   end