diff --git a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRank.java b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRank.java
index e05bee9e..496db38d 100644
--- a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRank.java
+++ b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRank.java
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import com.eu.habbo.habbohotel.users.Habbo;
 import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import jakarta.validation.constraints.Positive;
 
+import java.sql.Connection;
+import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
+import java.sql.ResultSet;
+
 public class SetRank extends RCONMessage<SetRank.JSONSetRank> {
 
     public SetRank() {
@@ -13,6 +17,25 @@ public class SetRank extends RCONMessage<SetRank.JSONSetRank> {
 
     @Override
     public void handle(Gson gson, JSONSetRank object) {
+        int maxRank = SetRankRequestGuard.parseMaxRank(
+                Emulator.getConfig().getValue("rcon.setrank.max_rank", String.valueOf(SetRankRequestGuard.DEFAULT_MAX_RANK)));
+        String validationError = SetRankRequestGuard.validate(
+                object.user_id,
+                object.rank,
+                maxRank,
+                rankId -> Emulator.getGameEnvironment().getPermissionsManager().rankExists(rankId));
+        if (validationError != null) {
+            this.status = RCONMessage.STATUS_ERROR;
+            this.message = validationError;
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (!userExists(object.user_id)) {
+            this.status = RCONMessage.HABBO_NOT_FOUND;
+            this.message = "user not found";
+            return;
+        }
+
         try {
             Emulator.getGameEnvironment().getHabboManager().setRank(object.user_id, object.rank);
         } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -30,6 +53,23 @@ public class SetRank extends RCONMessage<SetRank.JSONSetRank> {
         }
     }
 
+    private static boolean userExists(int userId) {
+        Habbo habbo = Emulator.getGameEnvironment().getHabboManager().getHabbo(userId);
+        if (habbo != null) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        try (Connection connection = Emulator.getDatabase().getDataSource().getConnection();
+             PreparedStatement statement = connection.prepareStatement("SELECT id FROM users WHERE id = ? LIMIT 1")) {
+            statement.setInt(1, userId);
+            try (ResultSet set = statement.executeQuery()) {
+                return set.next();
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
     static class JSONSetRank {
 
         @Positive(message = "invalid user")
diff --git a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRankRequestGuard.java b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRankRequestGuard.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aa55344a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRankRequestGuard.java
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package com.eu.habbo.messages.rcon;
+
+import java.util.function.IntPredicate;
+
+public class SetRankRequestGuard {
+    public static final int DEFAULT_MAX_RANK = 12;
+
+    private SetRankRequestGuard() {
+    }
+
+    public static String validate(int userId, int rankId, int maxRank, IntPredicate rankExists) {
+        if (userId <= 0) {
+            return "invalid user";
+        }
+
+        if (rankId <= 0) {
+            return "invalid rank";
+        }
+
+        if (maxRank > 0 && rankId > maxRank) {
+            return "rank exceeds rcon ceiling";
+        }
+
+        if (!rankExists.test(rankId)) {
+            return "invalid rank";
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    public static int parseMaxRank(String rawValue) {
+        try {
+            int value = Integer.parseInt(rawValue);
+            return value > 0 ? value : DEFAULT_MAX_RANK;
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            return DEFAULT_MAX_RANK;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Emulator/src/test/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRankRequestGuardTest.java b/Emulator/src/test/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRankRequestGuardTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4ae0431
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Emulator/src/test/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/rcon/SetRankRequestGuardTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package com.eu.habbo.messages.rcon;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+
+class SetRankRequestGuardTest {
+    @Test
+    void acceptsKnownRanksWithinTheRconCeiling() {
+        assertNull(SetRankRequestGuard.validate(1, 5, 12, rankId -> rankId == 5));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void rejectsInvalidUsersRanksAndUnknownRanks() {
+        assertEquals("invalid user", SetRankRequestGuard.validate(0, 5, 12, rankId -> true));
+        assertEquals("invalid rank", SetRankRequestGuard.validate(1, 0, 12, rankId -> true));
+        assertEquals("invalid rank", SetRankRequestGuard.validate(1, 5, 12, rankId -> false));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void rejectsRanksAboveConfiguredCeiling() {
+        assertEquals("rank exceeds rcon ceiling", SetRankRequestGuard.validate(1, 13, 12, rankId -> true));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void parsesInvalidMaxRankAsDefaultCeiling() {
+        assertEquals(SetRankRequestGuard.DEFAULT_MAX_RANK, SetRankRequestGuard.parseMaxRank(null));
+        assertEquals(SetRankRequestGuard.DEFAULT_MAX_RANK, SetRankRequestGuard.parseMaxRank("0"));
+        assertEquals(7, SetRankRequestGuard.parseMaxRank("7"));
+    }
+}