diff --git a/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_page.dart b/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_page.dart
index f43fa3401..1b8b3848e 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_page.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_page.dart
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/course_plans/courses/course_plan_model.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/course_plans/courses/course_plan_room_extension.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/events/constants/pangea_event_types.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/spaces/client_spaces_extension.dart';
+import 'package:fluffychat/widgets/adaptive_dialogs/show_ok_cancel_alert_dialog.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/widgets/matrix.dart';
 
 enum SelectedCourseMode { launch, addToSpace, join }
@@ -74,7 +75,9 @@ class SelectedCourseController extends State<SelectedCourse>
       case SelectedCourseMode.addToSpace:
         return L10n.of(context).addCoursePlan;
       case SelectedCourseMode.join:
-        return L10n.of(context).joinWithClassCode;
+        return widget.roomChunk?.joinRule == JoinRules.knock.name
+            ? L10n.of(context).knock
+            : L10n.of(context).join;
     }
   }
 
@@ -152,16 +155,36 @@ class SelectedCourseController extends State<SelectedCourse>
     }
 
     final client = Matrix.of(context).client;
-    final roomId = await client.joinRoom(
-      widget.roomChunk!.roomId,
-    );
-
-    final room = client.getRoomById(roomId);
-    if (room == null || room.membership != Membership.join) {
-      await client.waitForRoomInSync(roomId, join: true);
+    final r = client.getRoomById(widget.roomChunk!.roomId);
+    if (r != null && r.membership == Membership.join) {
+      if (mounted) {
+        context.go("/rooms/spaces/${r.id}/details");
+      }
+      return;
     }
 
-    if (client.getRoomById(roomId) == null) {
+    final knock = widget.roomChunk!.joinRule == JoinRules.knock.name;
+    final roomId = widget.roomChunk != null && knock
+        ? await client.knockRoom(widget.roomChunk!.roomId)
+        : await client.joinRoom(widget.roomChunk!.roomId);
+
+    Room? room = client.getRoomById(roomId);
+    if (!knock && room == null) {
+      await client.waitForRoomInSync(roomId);
+      room = client.getRoomById(roomId);
+    }
+
+    if (knock && room == null) {
+      Navigator.of(context).pop();
+      await showOkAlertDialog(
+        context: context,
+        title: L10n.of(context).youHaveKnocked,
+        message: L10n.of(context).pleaseWaitUntilInvited,
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (room == null) {
       throw Exception("Failed to join room");
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_view.dart b/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_view.dart
index 463ceb453..6f54c0363 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_view.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/course_creation/selected_course_view.dart
@@ -283,7 +283,8 @@ class SelectedCourseView extends StatelessWidget {
                                     ),
                                     child: Row(
                                       spacing: 8.0,
-                                      mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
+                                      mainAxisAlignment:
+                                          MainAxisAlignment.center,
                                       children: [
                                         const Icon(Icons.map_outlined),
                                         Text(
diff --git a/lib/pangea/login/pages/public_courses_page.dart b/lib/pangea/login/pages/public_courses_page.dart
index db782fcf4..6ffd606c4 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/login/pages/public_courses_page.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/login/pages/public_courses_page.dart
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/course_plans/courses/get_localized_courses_req
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/languages/language_model.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/spaces/public_course_extension.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/widgets/avatar.dart';
+import 'package:fluffychat/widgets/hover_builder.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/widgets/matrix.dart';
 
 class PublicCoursesPage extends StatefulWidget {
@@ -67,8 +68,7 @@ class PublicCoursesPageState extends State<PublicCoursesPage> {
                         r.id == c.room.roomId &&
                         r.membership == Membership.join,
                   ) &&
-              coursePlans.containsKey(c.courseId) &&
-              c.room.joinRule == 'public',
+              coursePlans.containsKey(c.courseId),
         )
         .toList();
 
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ class PublicCoursesPageState extends State<PublicCoursesPage> {
       ).toList();
     }
 
+    // sort by join rule, with knock rooms at the end
+    filtered.sort((a, b) {
+      final aKnock = a.room.joinRule == JoinRules.knock.name;
+      final bKnock = b.room.joinRule == JoinRules.knock.name;
+      if (aKnock && !bKnock) return 1;
+      if (!aKnock && bKnock) return -1;
+      return 0;
+    });
+
     return filtered;
   }
 
@@ -333,6 +342,39 @@ class PublicCoursesPageState extends State<PublicCoursesPage> {
                                       style: theme.textTheme.bodyMedium,
                                     ),
                                   ],
+                                  const SizedBox(height: 12.0),
+                                  HoverBuilder(
+                                    builder: (context, hovered) =>
+                                        ElevatedButton(
+                                      onPressed: () => context.go(
+                                        '/${widget.route}/course/public/$courseId',
+                                        extra: roomChunk,
+                                      ),
+                                      style: ElevatedButton.styleFrom(
+                                        backgroundColor: theme
+                                            .colorScheme.primaryContainer
+                                            .withAlpha(hovered ? 255 : 200),
+                                        foregroundColor: theme
+                                            .colorScheme.onPrimaryContainer,
+                                        shape: RoundedRectangleBorder(
+                                          borderRadius:
+                                              BorderRadius.circular(12.0),
+                                        ),
+                                      ),
+                                      child: Row(
+                                        mainAxisAlignment:
+                                            MainAxisAlignment.center,
+                                        children: [
+                                          Text(
+                                            roomChunk.joinRule ==
+                                                    JoinRules.knock.name
+                                                ? L10n.of(context).knock
+                                                : L10n.of(context).join,
+                                          ),
+                                        ],
+                                      ),
+                                    ),
+                                  ),
                                 ],
                               ),
                             ),