diff --git a/src/routes/getLockReason.ts b/src/routes/getLockReason.ts
index 30d1330..718f54f 100644
--- a/src/routes/getLockReason.ts
+++ b/src/routes/getLockReason.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ import {Request, Response} from "express";
 import { Category, VideoID } from "../types/segments.model";
 import {config} from "../config";
 
+const possibleCategoryList = config.categoryList;
+interface lockArray {
+    category: Category;
+    locked: number,
+    reason: string
+}
+
 export async function getLockCategories(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Response> {
     const videoID = req.query.videoID as VideoID;
     let categories: Category[] = [];
@@ -14,13 +21,15 @@ export async function getLockCategories(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Re
                 ? Array.isArray(req.query.category)
                     ? req.query.category
                     : [req.query.category]
-                : ["sponsor"];
+                : []; // default to empty, will be set to all
         if (!Array.isArray(categories)) {
             return res.status(400).send("Categories parameter does not match format requirements.");
         }
     } catch(error) {
         return res.status(400).send("Bad parameter: categories (invalid JSON)");
     }
+    // only take valid categories
+    const searchCategories = (categories.length === 0 ) ? possibleCategoryList : categories.filter(x => possibleCategoryList.includes(x));
 
     if (videoID == undefined) {
         //invalid request
@@ -32,23 +41,28 @@ export async function getLockCategories(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<Re
         const row = await db.prepare("all", 'SELECT "category", "reason" from "lockCategories" where "videoID" = ?', [videoID]) as {category: Category, reason: string}[];
         // map to object array
         const locks = [];
+        const lockedCategories = [] as string[];
+        // get all locks for video, check if requested later
         for (const lock of row) {
             locks.push({
                 category: lock.category,
                 locked: 1,
                 reason: lock.reason
-            });
+            } as lockArray);
+            lockedCategories.push(lock.category);
         }
-        const notLocked = categories.filter(reqCategory => config.categoryList.includes(reqCategory));
-        for (const noLock of notLocked) {
+        // add empty locks for categories requested but not locked
+        const noLockCategories = searchCategories.filter(x => !lockedCategories.includes(x));
+        for (const noLock of noLockCategories) {
             locks.push({
                 category: noLock,
                 locked: 0,
                 reason: ""
-            });
+            } as lockArray);
         }
-        const filtered = locks.filter(lock => categories.includes(lock.category));
-        return res.send(...filtered, ...notLocked );
+        // return real and fake locks that were requested
+        const filtered = locks.filter(lock => searchCategories.includes(lock.category));
+        return res.send(filtered);
     } catch (err) {
         Logger.error(err as string);
         return res.sendStatus(500);