diff --git a/application/controllers/components/SearchBar.php b/application/controllers/components/SearchBar.php
index dd3c22690..afdc8c4b9 100644
--- a/application/controllers/components/SearchBar.php
+++ b/application/controllers/components/SearchBar.php
@@ -17,11 +17,15 @@ class SearchBar extends FHC_Controller
 	{
 		parent::__construct();
 
-		// Loads the AuthLib and starts the authentication
-		$this->load->library('AuthLib');
+		// Loads the AuthLib _without_ starting the authentication
+		// NOTE: a user must be authenticated via another controller to access this one
+		$this->load->library('AuthLib', array(false));
 		
 		// Load the library SearchBarLib
 		$this->load->library('SearchBarLib');
+
+		// Checks if the user is authenticated, otherwise returns an error code in JSON format
+		if (!isLogged()) $this->terminateWithJsonError(SearchBarLib::ERROR_NOT_AUTH);
 	}
 
 	//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/application/libraries/SearchBarLib.php b/application/libraries/SearchBarLib.php
index 3a9d06d13..751b27145 100644
--- a/application/libraries/SearchBarLib.php
+++ b/application/libraries/SearchBarLib.php
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class SearchBarLib
 	const ERROR_WRONG_SEARCHSTR = 'ERR002';
 	const ERROR_NO_TYPES = 'ERR003';
 	const ERROR_WRONG_TYPES = 'ERR004';
+	const ERROR_NOT_AUTH = 'ERR005';
 
 	// List of allowed types of search
 	const ALLOWED_TYPES = ['mitarbeiter', 'organisationunit', 'raum', 'person', 'student', 'prestudent', 'document', 'cms'];