diff --git a/src/engines/http.ts b/src/engines/http.ts
index c611c121..d3aa54f5 100644
--- a/src/engines/http.ts
+++ b/src/engines/http.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,18 @@ import {
 	type EngineEvents,
 } from "./abstract";
 
+const ALWAYS_ALLOW = new Set([
+	"signin",
+	"signup",
+	"authenticate",
+	"invalidate",
+	"version",
+	"use",
+	"let",
+	"unset",
+	"query",
+]);
+
 export class HttpEngine extends AbstractEngine {
 	connection: {
 		url: URL | undefined;
@@ -67,10 +79,18 @@ export class HttpEngine extends AbstractEngine {
 		Result,
 	>(request: RpcRequest<Method, Params>): Promise<RpcResponse<Result>> {
 		await this.ready;
+
 		if (!this.connection.url) {
 			throw new ConnectionUnavailable();
 		}
 
+		if (
+			(!this.connection.namespace || !this.connection.database) &&
+			!ALWAYS_ALLOW.has(request.method)
+		) {
+			throw new MissingNamespaceDatabase();
+		}
+
 		if (request.method === "use") {
 			const [ns, db] = request.params as [
 				string | null | undefined,
@@ -112,22 +132,27 @@ export class HttpEngine extends AbstractEngine {
 			] as Params;
 		}
 
-		if (!this.connection.namespace || !this.connection.database) {
-			throw new MissingNamespaceDatabase();
+		const id = getIncrementalID();
+		const headers: Record<string, string> = {
+			"Content-Type": "application/cbor",
+			Accept: "application/cbor",
+		};
+
+		if (this.connection.namespace) {
+			headers["Surreal-NS"] = this.connection.namespace;
+		}
+
+		if (this.connection.database) {
+			headers["Surreal-DB"] = this.connection.database;
+		}
+
+		if (this.connection.token) {
+			headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${this.connection.token}`;
 		}
 
-		const id = getIncrementalID();
 		const raw = await fetch(`${this.connection.url}`, {
 			method: "POST",
-			headers: {
-				"Content-Type": "application/cbor",
-				Accept: "application/cbor",
-				"Surreal-NS": this.connection.namespace,
-				"Surreal-DB": this.connection.database,
-				...(this.connection.token
-					? { Authorization: `Bearer ${this.connection.token}` }
-					: {}),
-			},
+			headers,
 			body: this.encodeCbor({ id, ...request }),
 		});
 
diff --git a/src/errors.ts b/src/errors.ts
index 53e77b03..9abe316e 100644
--- a/src/errors.ts
+++ b/src/errors.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export class ConnectionUnavailable extends SurrealDbError {
 
 export class MissingNamespaceDatabase extends SurrealDbError {
 	name = "MissingNamespaceDatabase";
-	message = "There are no namespace and/or database configured.";
+	message = "There is no namespace and/or database selected.";
 }
 
 export class HttpConnectionError extends SurrealDbError {
diff --git a/tests/integration/surreal.ts b/tests/integration/surreal.ts
index c6bee0d7..69e43416 100644
--- a/tests/integration/surreal.ts
+++ b/tests/integration/surreal.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ type CreateSurrealOptions = {
 	protocol?: Protocol;
 	auth?: PremadeAuth;
 	reachable?: boolean;
+	unselected?: boolean;
 };
 
 export async function setupServer(): Promise<{
@@ -61,13 +62,14 @@ export async function setupServer(): Promise<{
 		protocol,
 		auth,
 		reachable,
+		unselected,
 	}: CreateSurrealOptions = {}) {
 		protocol = protocol ? protocol : PROTOCOL;
 		const surreal = new Surreal();
 		const port = reachable === false ? SURREAL_PORT_UNREACHABLE : SURREAL_PORT;
 		await surreal.connect(`${protocol}://127.0.0.1:${port}/rpc`, {
-			namespace: SURREAL_NS,
-			database: SURREAL_DB,
+			namespace: unselected ? undefined : SURREAL_NS,
+			database: unselected ? undefined : SURREAL_DB,
 			auth: createAuth(auth ?? "root"),
 		});
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/tests/connection.test.ts b/tests/integration/tests/connection.test.ts
index b3d38bd0..899e8717 100644
--- a/tests/integration/tests/connection.test.ts
+++ b/tests/integration/tests/connection.test.ts
@@ -25,3 +25,26 @@ describe("version check", async () => {
 		expect(diff).toBeLessThanOrEqual(defaultVersionCheckTimeout + 100); // 100ms margin
 	});
 });
+
+describe("rpc", async () => {
+	test("allowed rpcs without namespace or database", async () => {
+		const surreal = await createSurreal({
+			unselected: true,
+			protocol: "http",
+		});
+
+		await surreal.version();
+		await surreal.invalidate();
+	});
+
+	test("disallowed rpcs without namespace or database", async () => {
+		const surreal = await createSurreal({
+			unselected: true,
+			protocol: "http",
+		});
+
+		expect(async () => {
+			await surreal.query("SELECT * FROM test");
+		}).toThrow();
+	});
+});