diff --git a/src/routes/postBranding.ts b/src/routes/postBranding.ts
index 072e51d..003311a 100644
--- a/src/routes/postBranding.ts
+++ b/src/routes/postBranding.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export async function postBranding(req: Request, res: Response) {
         })(), (async () => {
             if (thumbnail) {
                 // ignore original submissions from banned users - hiding those would cause issues
-                if (thumbnail.original && isBanned) return;
+                if (thumbnail.original && (isBanned || !await canSubmitOriginal(hashedUserID, isVip))) return;
 
                 const existingUUID = thumbnail.original
                     ? (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT "UUID" from "thumbnails" where "videoID" = ? AND "original" = 1`, [videoID]))?.UUID
@@ -299,6 +299,14 @@ export async function verifyOldSubmissions(hashedUserID: HashedUserID, verificat
     }
 }
 
+async function canSubmitOriginal(hashedUserID: HashedUserID, isVip: boolean): Promise<boolean> {
+    const upvotedThumbs = (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT count(*) as upvotedThumbs FROM "thumbnails" JOIN "thumbnailVotes" ON "thumbnails"."UUID" = "thumbnailVotes"."UUID" WHERE "thumbnailVotes"."votes" > 0 AND "thumbnails"."original" = 0 AND "thumbnails"."userID" = ?`, [hashedUserID])).upvotedThumbs;
+    const customThumbs = (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT count(*) as customThumbs FROM "thumbnails" JOIN "thumbnailVotes" ON "thumbnails"."UUID" = "thumbnailVotes"."UUID" WHERE "thumbnailVotes"."votes" >= 0 AND "thumbnails"."original" = 0 AND "thumbnails"."userID" = ?`, [hashedUserID])).customThumbs;
+    const originalThumbs = (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT count(*) as originalThumbs FROM "thumbnails" JOIN "thumbnailVotes" ON "thumbnails"."UUID" = "thumbnailVotes"."UUID" WHERE "thumbnailVotes"."votes" >= 0 AND "thumbnails"."original" = 1 AND "thumbnails"."userID" = ?`, [hashedUserID])).originalThumbs;
+
+    return isVip || (upvotedThumbs > 1 && customThumbs > 1 && originalThumbs / customThumbs < 0.4);
+}
+
 async function sendWebhooks(videoID: VideoID, UUID: BrandingUUID, voteType: BrandingVoteType) {
     const currentSubmission = await db.prepare(
         "get",
diff --git a/test/cases/postBranding.ts b/test/cases/postBranding.ts
index c665cfc..7d3d985 100644
--- a/test/cases/postBranding.ts
+++ b/test/cases/postBranding.ts
@@ -49,10 +49,23 @@ describe("postBranding", () => {
         const insertThumbnailQuery = 'INSERT INTO "thumbnails" ("videoID", "original", "userID", "service", "hashedVideoID", "timeSubmitted", "UUID") VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)';
         await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailQuery, ["postBrandLocked1", 0, getHash(userID3), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandLocked1"), Date.now(), "postBrandLocked1"]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailQuery, ["postBrandLocked2", 1, getHash(userID4), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandLocked2"), Date.now(), "postBrandLocked2"]);
+
         const insertThumbnailVotesQuery = 'INSERT INTO "thumbnailVotes" ("UUID", "votes", "locked", "shadowHidden") VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?);';
         await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailVotesQuery, ["postBrandLocked1", 0, 1, 0]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailVotesQuery, ["postBrandLocked2", 0, 1, 0]);
 
+        // Approved original thumbnail submitter
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb", 0, getHash(userID4), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandOriginThumb"), Date.now(), "postBrandOriginThumb"]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb2", 0, getHash(userID4), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandOriginThumb2"), Date.now(), "postBrandOriginThumb2"]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb3", 0, getHash(userID4), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandOriginThumb3"), Date.now(), "postBrandOriginThumb3"]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb4", 0, getHash(userID4), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandOriginThumb4"), Date.now(), "postBrandOriginThumb4"]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb5", 0, getHash(userID4), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandOriginThumb5"), Date.now(), "postBrandOriginThumb5"]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailVotesQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb", 4, 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailVotesQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb2", 1, 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailVotesQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb3", 0, 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailVotesQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb4", 0, 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertThumbnailVotesQuery, ["postBrandOriginThumb5", 0, 0, 0]);
+
         // Testing vip submission removal
         await db.prepare("run", insertTitleQuery, ["postBrandRemoved1", "Some title", 0, getHash(userID1), Service.YouTube, getHash("postBrandRemoved1"), Date.now(), "postBrandRemoved1"]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertTitleVotesQuery, ["postBrandRemoved1", 0, 1, 0, 0]);
@@ -139,7 +152,7 @@ describe("postBranding", () => {
         assert.strictEqual(dbVotes.shadowHidden, 0);
     });
 
-    it("Submit only original thumbnail", async () => {
+    it("Submit only original thumbnail without permission", async () => {
         const videoID = "postBrand3";
         const thumbnail = {
             original: true
@@ -152,6 +165,25 @@ describe("postBranding", () => {
             videoID
         });
 
+        assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+        const dbThumbnail = await queryThumbnailByVideo(videoID);
+
+        assert.strictEqual(dbThumbnail, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it("Submit only original thumbnail with permission", async () => {
+        const videoID = "postBrand3";
+        const thumbnail = {
+            original: true
+        };
+
+        const res = await postBranding({
+            thumbnail,
+            userID: userID4,
+            service: Service.YouTube,
+            videoID
+        });
+
         assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
         const dbThumbnail = await queryThumbnailByVideo(videoID);
         const dbVotes = await queryThumbnailVotesByUUID(dbThumbnail.UUID);
@@ -163,6 +195,30 @@ describe("postBranding", () => {
         assert.strictEqual(dbVotes.shadowHidden, 0);
     });
 
+    it("Submit only original thumbnail as VIP", async () => {
+        const videoID = "postBrandV3";
+        const thumbnail = {
+            original: true
+        };
+
+        const res = await postBranding({
+            thumbnail,
+            userID: vipUser,
+            service: Service.YouTube,
+            videoID
+        });
+
+        assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+        const dbThumbnail = await queryThumbnailByVideo(videoID);
+        const dbVotes = await queryThumbnailVotesByUUID(dbThumbnail.UUID);
+
+        assert.strictEqual(dbThumbnail.original, thumbnail.original ? 1 : 0);
+
+        assert.strictEqual(dbVotes.votes, 0);
+        assert.strictEqual(dbVotes.locked, 1);
+        assert.strictEqual(dbVotes.shadowHidden, 0);
+    });
+
     it("Submit only custom thumbnail", async () => {
         const videoID = "postBrand4";
         const thumbnail = {
@@ -873,7 +929,7 @@ describe("postBranding", () => {
 
         const res = await postBranding({
             thumbnail,
-            userID: userID3,
+            userID: userID4,
             service: Service.YouTube,
             videoID
         });