diff --git a/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.module.scss b/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.module.scss
index a79a15eb..119b4c75 100644
--- a/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.module.scss
+++ b/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.module.scss
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ ul.nav_list {
       background: use-rgba-color("silver", 0.5);
     }
 
+    &.disabled,
+    &.disabled:hover {
+      background: use-color("white");
+      color: use-color("base-light");
+      cursor: not-allowed;
+    }
+
     .nav_icon {
       font-size: 2rem;
       width: 100%;
diff --git a/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.test.tsx b/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6f6f4a28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import fetchMock from 'jest-fetch-mock';
+import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
+import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { createTestStore } from '../../app/store';
+import { MfaStatus } from '../../common/types/auth';
+import { TokenInfo } from '../auth/authSlice';
+import LeftNavBar from './LeftNavBar';
+
+const renderNav = (customroles: string[], mfa: MfaStatus) => {
+  fetchMock.mockResponse(async (req) => {
+    if (req.url.includes('/api/V2/me'))
+      return JSON.stringify({ user: 'someuser', roles: [], customroles });
+    return JSON.stringify({ unseen: { global: 0, user: 0 } });
+  });
+  const store = createTestStore({
+    auth: {
+      initialized: true,
+      token: 'sometoken',
+      username: 'someuser',
+      tokenInfo: { mfa } as TokenInfo,
+    },
+  });
+  render(
+    <Provider store={store}>
+      <MemoryRouter>
+        <LeftNavBar />
+      </MemoryRouter>
+    </Provider>
+  );
+};
+
+describe('LeftNavBar Lakehouse item', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    fetchMock.enableMocks();
+    fetchMock.resetMocks();
+  });
+  afterEach(() => {
+    fetchMock.disableMocks();
+  });
+
+  test('is absent without the BERDL_USER role', async () => {
+    renderNav([], 'Used');
+    await screen.findByText('Navigator');
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Lakehouse')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  test('links to the hub redirect for an MFA log in session', async () => {
+    renderNav(['BERDL_USER'], 'Used');
+    const item = await screen.findByText('Lakehouse');
+    expect(item.closest('a')).toHaveAttribute('href', '/lakehouse/redirect');
+    expect(screen.queryByText('alpha')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  test.each<MfaStatus>(['NotUsed', 'Unknown'])(
+    'is disabled for a %s log in session',
+    async (mfa) => {
+      renderNav(['BERDL_USER'], mfa);
+      const item = await screen.findByText('Lakehouse');
+      expect(item.closest('a')).toBeNull();
+      expect(item.closest('[aria-disabled="true"]')).not.toBeNull();
+    }
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.tsx b/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.tsx
index f50c0923..12949145 100644
--- a/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.tsx
+++ b/src/features/layout/LeftNavBar.tsx
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@ import { getFeedsUnseenCount } from '../../common/api/feedsService';
 import { useAppSelector } from '../../common/hooks';
 import { authToken } from '../auth/authSlice';
 import classes from './LeftNavBar.module.scss';
-import { Button, Menu, MenuItem } from '@mui/material';
+import { Button, Menu, MenuItem, Tooltip } from '@mui/material';
 import { getMe } from '../../common/api/authService';
 import { skipToken } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/dist/query';
 
 const LeftNavBar: FC = () => {
   const token = useAppSelector(authToken);
+  const mfa = useAppSelector(({ auth }) => auth.tokenInfo?.mfa);
   const { data: feeds } = getFeedsUnseenCount.useQuery(undefined, {
     skip: !token,
     pollingInterval: 10000,
@@ -70,9 +71,13 @@ const LeftNavBar: FC = () => {
           path={'/lakehouse/redirect'}
           desc="Lakehouse"
           icon={faDatabase}
-          badge={'alpha'}
-          badgeColor={'warning'}
           requiredRole="BERDL_USER"
+          // The hub admits only log in sessions that used a second factor.
+          disabledReason={
+            mfa === 'Used'
+              ? undefined
+              : 'The Lakehouse requires two-factor authentication. Log out, then log in with ORCID using 2FA.'
+          }
         />
       </ul>
       <ul className={classes.nav_list}>
@@ -161,7 +166,17 @@ const NavItem: FC<{
   badge?: number | string;
   badgeColor?: string;
   requiredRole?: string;
-}> = ({ path, onClick, desc, icon, badge, badgeColor, requiredRole }) => {
+  disabledReason?: string;
+}> = ({
+  path,
+  onClick,
+  desc,
+  icon,
+  badge,
+  badgeColor,
+  requiredRole,
+  disabledReason,
+}) => {
   const location = useLocation();
   const token = useAppSelector(authToken);
   const { data: me } = getMe.useQuery(token ? { token } : skipToken);
@@ -174,23 +189,39 @@ const NavItem: FC<{
     itemClasses += ` ${classes.active}`;
   }
   if (requiredRole && !myRoles.has(requiredRole)) return <></>;
+  const content = (
+    <>
+      <FAIcon className={classes.nav_icon} icon={icon} />
+      <span className={classes.nav_desc}>{desc}</span>
+      {badge ? (
+        <span
+          className={[
+            classes.nav_notifs,
+            badgeColor ? classes[`nav_notifs-bg--${badgeColor}`] : '',
+          ].join(' ')}
+        >
+          {badge}
+        </span>
+      ) : (
+        <></>
+      )}
+    </>
+  );
+  if (disabledReason) {
+    return (
+      <li className={`${classes.nav_item} ${classes.disabled}`} key={path}>
+        <Tooltip title={disabledReason} placement="right">
+          <span role="link" aria-disabled="true" tabIndex={0}>
+            {content}
+          </span>
+        </Tooltip>
+      </li>
+    );
+  }
   return (
     <li className={itemClasses} key={path}>
       <Link to={path} onClick={onClick}>
-        <FAIcon className={classes.nav_icon} icon={icon} />
-        <span className={classes.nav_desc}>{desc}</span>
-        {badge ? (
-          <span
-            className={[
-              classes.nav_notifs,
-              badgeColor ? classes[`nav_notifs-bg--${badgeColor}`] : '',
-            ].join(' ')}
-          >
-            {badge}
-          </span>
-        ) : (
-          <></>
-        )}
+        {content}
       </Link>
     </li>
   );