diff --git a/src/handlers/honeypotHandler.js b/src/handlers/honeypotHandler.js
index 3c0c6c7..482d112 100644
--- a/src/handlers/honeypotHandler.js
+++ b/src/handlers/honeypotHandler.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Events } from "discord.js";
+import { hasAdminRole } from "../config/constants.js";
 
 // Honeypot channel: a hidden channel that real users should never post in.
 // Bots/spam accounts that find it and send a message are banned on sight.
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ const HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID = process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID;
 // across restarts without persisting state.
 const HONEYPOT_MARKER = "<!-- trackerbot-honeypot-message -->";
 
-const HONEYPOT_WARNING = `${HONEYPOT_MARKER}\n**⚠️ Honeypot channel** — do not post here.`;
+const HONEYPOT_WARNING = `${HONEYPOT_MARKER}\n# ⛔️⚠️ DO NOT SEND MESSAGES HERE, YOU WILL BE BANNED INSTANTLY ⚠️⛔️`;
 
 const SIXTEEN_HOURS_MS = 16 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
 const CLEANUP_INTERVAL_MS = 60 * 60 * 1000; // hourly
@@ -52,12 +53,23 @@ export function setupHoneypot(client) {
     if (message.author.bot) return;
 
     try {
-      await message.delete();
+      // Fetch the member when Discord did not hydrate it in the event so the
+      // admin exemption cannot be bypassed by a missing message.member value.
+      const member = message.member ?? await message.guild.members.fetch(message.author.id);
+      if (hasAdminRole(member.roles.cache)) return;
+
+      try {
+        await message.delete();
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error("Failed to delete honeypot trigger message:", err);
+      }
+
+      await punishAuthor(message);
     } catch (err) {
-      console.error("Failed to delete honeypot trigger message:", err);
+      // Fail safe: if member resolution or role inspection fails, do not risk
+      // punishing an administrator.
+      console.error("Failed to handle honeypot message:", err);
     }
-
-    await punishAuthor(message);
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/test/honeypot.test.js b/test/honeypot.test.js
index 3f3c84f..b003d1a 100644
--- a/test/honeypot.test.js
+++ b/test/honeypot.test.js
@@ -9,6 +9,19 @@ async function importHoneypot() {
   return import(url);
 }
 
+function createFakeClient() {
+  const onEvents = {};
+  const onceEvents = {};
+  return {
+    onEvents,
+    onceEvents,
+    client: {
+      on: (evt, fn) => { onEvents[evt] = fn; },
+      once: (evt, fn) => { onceEvents[evt] = fn; }
+    }
+  };
+}
+
 test("setupHoneypot is a no-op when HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID is unset", async () => {
   delete process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID;
   const { setupHoneypot } = await importHoneypot();
@@ -29,14 +42,9 @@ test("setupHoneypot registers listeners when enabled", async () => {
   process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID = "123";
   const { setupHoneypot } = await importHoneypot();
 
-  const onEvents = {};
-  const onceEvents = {};
-  const fakeClient = {
-    on: (evt, fn) => { onEvents[evt] = fn; },
-    once: (evt, fn) => { onceEvents[evt] = fn; }
-  };
+  const { client, onEvents, onceEvents } = createFakeClient();
 
-  setupHoneypot(fakeClient);
+  setupHoneypot(client);
   assert.ok(onEvents.messageCreate, "MessageCreate listener should be registered via .on");
   // ClientReady must be registered via .once (not .on) to avoid timer leaks on reconnect.
   assert.ok(onceEvents.clientReady, "ClientReady handler should be registered via .once");
@@ -44,3 +52,61 @@ test("setupHoneypot registers listeners when enabled", async () => {
 
   delete process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID;
 });
+
+test("honeypot resolves a missing member before enforcing the admin exemption", async () => {
+  process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID = "123";
+  const { adminRoles } = await import("../src/config/constants.js");
+  adminRoles.add("admin");
+  const { setupHoneypot } = await importHoneypot();
+  const { client, onEvents } = createFakeClient();
+  setupHoneypot(client);
+
+  let deleted = false;
+  let banned = false;
+  const adminMember = { roles: { cache: [{ id: "admin" }] } };
+  await onEvents.messageCreate({
+    channelId: "123",
+    author: { id: "user", bot: false },
+    member: null,
+    guild: {
+      members: { fetch: async () => adminMember },
+      bans: { create: async () => { banned = true; } }
+    },
+    delete: async () => { deleted = true; }
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(deleted, false, "admin message should not be deleted");
+  assert.equal(banned, false, "admin should not be banned");
+  adminRoles.delete("admin");
+  delete process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID;
+});
+
+test("honeypot fails safe when a missing member cannot be resolved", async () => {
+  process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID = "123";
+  const { setupHoneypot } = await importHoneypot();
+  const { client, onEvents } = createFakeClient();
+  setupHoneypot(client);
+
+  let deleted = false;
+  let banned = false;
+  const originalConsoleError = console.error;
+  console.error = () => {};
+  try {
+    await onEvents.messageCreate({
+      channelId: "123",
+      author: { id: "user", bot: false },
+      member: null,
+      guild: {
+        members: { fetch: async () => { throw new Error("unavailable"); } },
+        bans: { create: async () => { banned = true; } }
+      },
+      delete: async () => { deleted = true; }
+    });
+  } finally {
+    console.error = originalConsoleError;
+  }
+
+  assert.equal(deleted, false, "message should remain when roles cannot be checked");
+  assert.equal(banned, false, "author should not be punished when roles cannot be checked");
+  delete process.env.HONEYPOT_CHANNEL_ID;
+});