diff --git a/common/pb/serverinfo_user.proto b/common/pb/serverinfo_user.proto
index 71e5849e..cb1ea273 100644
--- a/common/pb/serverinfo_user.proto
+++ b/common/pb/serverinfo_user.proto
@@ -24,4 +24,5 @@ message ServerInfo_User {
     optional uint64 accountage_secs = 11;
     optional string email = 12;
     optional string clientid = 13;
+    optional string privlevel = 14;
 }
diff --git a/common/server_protocolhandler.cpp b/common/server_protocolhandler.cpp
index 29bf34fd..1efd1500 100644
--- a/common/server_protocolhandler.cpp
+++ b/common/server_protocolhandler.cpp
@@ -383,14 +383,7 @@ Response::ResponseCode Server_ProtocolHandler::cmdPing(const Command_Ping & /*cm
 
 Response::ResponseCode Server_ProtocolHandler::cmdLogin(const Command_Login &cmd, ResponseContainer &rc)
 {
-    // limit the number of users that can connect to the server based on configuration settings
-    if (server->getMaxUserLimitEnabled()) {
-        if (server->getUsersCount() >= server->getMaxUserLimit()) {
-            qDebug() << "Max Users Total Limit Reached, please increase the max_users_total setting.";
-            return Response::RespServerFull;
-        }
-    }
-
+    
     QString userName = QString::fromStdString(cmd.user_name()).simplified();
     QString clientId = QString::fromStdString(cmd.clientid()).simplified();
     QString clientVersion = QString::fromStdString(cmd.clientver()).simplified();
@@ -447,6 +440,16 @@ Response::ResponseCode Server_ProtocolHandler::cmdLogin(const Command_Login &cmd
         default: authState = res;
     }
 
+    // limit the number of non-privileged users that can connect to the server based on configuration settings
+    if (QString::fromStdString(userInfo->privlevel()).toLower() == "none") {
+        if (server->getMaxUserLimitEnabled()) {
+            if (server->getUsersCount() > server->getMaxUserLimit()) {
+                qDebug() << "Max Users Total Limit Reached, please increase the max_users_total setting.";
+                return Response::RespServerFull;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     userName = QString::fromStdString(userInfo->name());
     Event_ServerMessage event;
     event.set_message(server->getLoginMessage().toStdString());
diff --git a/servatrice/migrations/servatrice_0017_to_0018.sql b/servatrice/migrations/servatrice_0017_to_0018.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b61f9bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/servatrice/migrations/servatrice_0017_to_0018.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+-- Servatrice db migration from version 17 to version 18
+
+alter table cockatrice_users add column privlevel enum("NONE","VIP","DONATOR") NOT NULL;
+
+UPDATE cockatrice_schema_version SET version=18 WHERE version=17;
diff --git a/servatrice/servatrice.sql b/servatrice/servatrice.sql
index f354267d..b09e8de7 100644
--- a/servatrice/servatrice.sql
+++ b/servatrice/servatrice.sql
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `cockatrice_schema_version` (
   PRIMARY KEY  (`version`)
 ) ENGINE=INNODB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
 
-INSERT INTO cockatrice_schema_version VALUES(17);
+INSERT INTO cockatrice_schema_version VALUES(18);
 
 -- users and user data tables
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `cockatrice_users` (
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `cockatrice_users` (
   `active` tinyint(1) NOT NULL,
   `token` binary(16),
   `clientid` varchar(15) NOT NULL,
+  `privlevel` enum("NONE","VIP","DONATOR") NOT NULL,
   PRIMARY KEY  (`id`),
   UNIQUE KEY `name` (`name`),
   KEY `token` (`token`),
diff --git a/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.cpp b/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.cpp
index d29fddad..da35796a 100644
--- a/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.cpp
+++ b/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.cpp
@@ -533,6 +533,10 @@ ServerInfo_User Servatrice_DatabaseInterface::evalUserQueryResult(const QSqlQuer
         const QString clientid = query->value(9).toString();
         if (!clientid.isEmpty())
             result.set_clientid(clientid.toStdString());
+
+        const QString privlevel = query->value(10).toString();
+        if (!privlevel.isEmpty())
+            result.set_privlevel(privlevel.toStdString());
     }
     return result;
 }
@@ -547,7 +551,7 @@ ServerInfo_User Servatrice_DatabaseInterface::getUserData(const QString &name, b
         if (!checkSql())
             return result;
 
-        QSqlQuery *query = prepareQuery("select id, name, admin, country, gender, realname, avatar_bmp, registrationDate, email, clientid from {prefix}_users where name = :name and active = 1");
+        QSqlQuery *query = prepareQuery("select id, name, admin, country, gender, realname, avatar_bmp, registrationDate, email, clientid, privlevel from {prefix}_users where name = :name and active = 1");
         query->bindValue(":name", name);
         if (!execSqlQuery(query))
             return result;
diff --git a/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.h b/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.h
index 3998812a..9bb23e59 100644
--- a/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.h
+++ b/servatrice/src/servatrice_database_interface.h
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include "server.h"
 #include "server_database_interface.h"
 
-#define DATABASE_SCHEMA_VERSION 17
+#define DATABASE_SCHEMA_VERSION 18
 
 class Servatrice;