diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/api-whitelist.json b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/api-whitelist.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8680fbd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/api-whitelist.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+[
+    "add",
+    "block",
+    "cat",
+    "dag",
+    "dht",
+    "dns",
+    "files",
+    "get",
+    "id",
+    "ls",
+    "name.resolve",
+    "object",
+    "pin",
+    "pubsub",
+    "repo",
+    "stats",
+    "swarm",
+    "version"
+]
diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/index.js b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/index.js
index 91dc081dd..423304949 100644
--- a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/index.js
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/index.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 const browser = require('webextension-polyfill')
 const { createProxyServer, closeProxyServer } = require('ipfs-postmsg-proxy')
 const AccessControl = require('./access-control')
+const createPreApiWhitelist = require('./pre-api-whitelist')
 const createPreAcl = require('./pre-acl')
 const createPreMfsScope = require('./pre-mfs-scope')
 const createRequestAccess = require('./request-access')
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ function createIpfsProxy (getIpfs, getState) {
       postMessage: (data) => port.postMessage(data),
       getMessageData: (d) => d,
       pre: (fnName) => [
+        createPreApiWhitelist(fnName),
         createPreAcl(fnName, getState, getScope, accessControl, requestAccess),
         createPreMfsScope(fnName, getScope, getIpfs)
       ]
diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist.js b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..816e985bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Some APIs are too sensitive to be exposed to dapps on every website
+// We follow a safe security practice of denying everything and allowing access
+// to a pre-approved list of known APIs. This way if a new API is added
+// it will be blocked by default, until it is explicitly enabled below.
+const API_WHITELIST = Object.freeze(require('./api-whitelist.json'))
+
+// Creates a "pre" function that is called prior to calling a real function
+// on the IPFS instance. It will throw if access is denied due to API not being whitelisted
+function createPreApiWhitelist (permission) {
+  return async (...args) => {
+    // Fail fast if API or namespace is not explicitly whitelisted
+    const permRoot = permission.split('.')[0]
+    if (!(API_WHITELIST.includes(permRoot) || API_WHITELIST.includes(permission))) {
+      console.log(`[ipfs-companion] Access to ${permission} API over window.ipfs is blocked. If you feel it should be allowed, open an issue at https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/ipfs-companion/issues/new`)
+      const err = new Error(`Access to ${permission} API is globally blocked for window.ipfs`)
+      err.output = { payload: { isIpfsProxyWhitelistError: true, permission } }
+      throw err
+    }
+
+    return args
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = createPreApiWhitelist
diff --git a/test/functional/lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist.test.js b/test/functional/lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5966538d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+'use strict'
+const { describe, it, before, after } = require('mocha')
+const { expect } = require('chai')
+const { URL } = require('url')
+const createPreApiWhitelist = require('../../../../add-on/src/lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist')
+
+describe('lib/ipfs-proxy/pre-api-whitelist', () => {
+  before(() => {
+    global.URL = URL
+  })
+
+  it('should throw early if access was not enabled via global API whitelist', async () => {
+    const permission = 'config.show'
+    const preApiWhitelist = createPreApiWhitelist(permission)
+
+    let error
+
+    try {
+      await preApiWhitelist()
+    } catch (err) {
+      error = err
+    }
+
+    expect(() => { if (error) throw error }).to.throw(`Access to ${permission} API is globally blocked for window.ipfs`)
+  })
+
+  after(() => {
+    delete global.URL
+  })
+})