diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/ListDashboards.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/ListDashboards.java
index 06dbdb029c..3808a2f798 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/ListDashboards.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/ListDashboards.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package com.google.gerrit.server.restapi.project;
 
 import static com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.RefNames.REFS_DASHBOARDS;
 
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.flogger.FluentLogger;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.DashboardInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
@@ -100,15 +101,15 @@ public class ListDashboards implements RestReadView<ProjectResource> {
 
   private List<DashboardInfo> scan(ProjectState state, String project, boolean setDefault)
       throws ResourceNotFoundException, IOException, PermissionBackendException {
+    if (!state.statePermitsRead()) {
+      return ImmutableList.of();
+    }
+
     PermissionBackend.ForProject perm = permissionBackend.currentUser().project(state.getNameKey());
     try (Repository git = gitManager.openRepository(state.getNameKey());
         RevWalk rw = new RevWalk(git)) {
       List<DashboardInfo> all = new ArrayList<>();
       for (Ref ref : git.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefix(REFS_DASHBOARDS)) {
-        if (!state.statePermitsRead()) {
-          continue;
-        }
-
         try {
           perm.ref(ref.getName()).check(RefPermission.READ);
           all.addAll(scanDashboards(state.getProject(), git, rw, ref, project, setDefault));