diff --git a/changes/issue-12633-required-password-reset b/changes/issue-12633-required-password-reset
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..54dc590e69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/issue-12633-required-password-reset
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* Fixed response status code to 403 when a user cannot change their password due to not being requested to by the admin or due to this user having Single-Sign-On (SSO) enabled.
diff --git a/server/service/integration_core_test.go b/server/service/integration_core_test.go
index 4a21685a3c..b1f4e3639a 100644
--- a/server/service/integration_core_test.go
+++ b/server/service/integration_core_test.go
@@ -3360,7 +3360,7 @@ func (s *integrationTestSuite) TestUsers() {
 	s.DoJSON("POST", "/api/latest/fleet/perform_required_password_reset", performRequiredPasswordResetRequest{
 		Password: newRawPwd,
 		ID:       u.ID,
-	}, http.StatusInternalServerError, &perfPwdResetResp) // TODO: should be 40?, see #4406
+	}, http.StatusForbidden, &perfPwdResetResp)
 	s.token = s.getTestAdminToken()
 
 	// login as that user to verify that the new password is active (userRawPwd was updated to the new pwd)
diff --git a/server/service/integration_sso_test.go b/server/service/integration_sso_test.go
index a0c7de1516..ade53abc18 100644
--- a/server/service/integration_sso_test.go
+++ b/server/service/integration_sso_test.go
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/server/datastore/mysql"
 	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/server/datastore/redis/redistest"
 	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/server/fleet"
 	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/server/ptr"
 	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/server/sso"
+	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/server/test"
+	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
@@ -196,6 +199,70 @@ func (s *integrationSSOTestSuite) TestSSOLogin() {
 	})
 }
 
+func (s *integrationSSOTestSuite) TestPerformRequiredPasswordResetWithSSO() {
+	// ensure that on exit, the admin token is used
+	defer func() { s.token = s.getTestAdminToken() }()
+
+	t := s.T()
+
+	// create a non-SSO user
+	var createResp createUserResponse
+	userRawPwd := test.GoodPassword
+	params := fleet.UserPayload{
+		Name:       ptr.String("extra"),
+		Email:      ptr.String("extra@asd.com"),
+		Password:   ptr.String(userRawPwd),
+		GlobalRole: ptr.String(fleet.RoleObserver),
+	}
+	s.DoJSON("POST", "/api/latest/fleet/users/admin", params, http.StatusOK, &createResp)
+	assert.NotZero(t, createResp.User.ID)
+	assert.True(t, createResp.User.AdminForcedPasswordReset)
+	nonSSOUser := *createResp.User
+
+	// enable SSO
+	acResp := appConfigResponse{}
+	s.DoJSON("PATCH", "/api/latest/fleet/config", json.RawMessage(`{
+		"sso_settings": {
+			"enable_sso": true,
+			"entity_id": "https://localhost:8080",
+			"issuer_uri": "http://localhost:8080/simplesaml/saml2/idp/SSOService.php",
+			"idp_name": "SimpleSAML",
+			"metadata_url": "http://localhost:9080/simplesaml/saml2/idp/metadata.php"
+		}
+	}`), http.StatusOK, &acResp)
+	require.NotNil(t, acResp)
+
+	// perform a required password change using the non-SSO user, works
+	s.token = s.getTestToken(nonSSOUser.Email, userRawPwd)
+	perfPwdResetResp := performRequiredPasswordResetResponse{}
+	newRawPwd := "new_password2!"
+	s.DoJSON("POST", "/api/latest/fleet/perform_required_password_reset", performRequiredPasswordResetRequest{
+		Password: newRawPwd,
+		ID:       nonSSOUser.ID,
+	}, http.StatusOK, &perfPwdResetResp)
+	require.False(t, perfPwdResetResp.User.AdminForcedPasswordReset)
+
+	// trick the user into one with SSO enabled (we could create that user but it
+	// won't have a password nor an API token to use for the request, so we mock
+	// it in the DB)
+	mysql.ExecAdhocSQL(t, s.ds, func(db sqlx.ExtContext) error {
+		_, err := db.ExecContext(
+			context.Background(),
+			"UPDATE users SET sso_enabled = 1, admin_forced_password_reset = 1 WHERE id = ?",
+			nonSSOUser.ID,
+		)
+		return err
+	})
+
+	// perform a required password change using the mocked SSO user, disallowed
+	perfPwdResetResp = performRequiredPasswordResetResponse{}
+	newRawPwd = "new_password2!"
+	s.DoJSON("POST", "/api/latest/fleet/perform_required_password_reset", performRequiredPasswordResetRequest{
+		Password: newRawPwd,
+		ID:       nonSSOUser.ID,
+	}, http.StatusForbidden, &perfPwdResetResp)
+}
+
 func inflate(t *testing.T, s string) *sso.AuthnRequest {
 	t.Helper()
 
diff --git a/server/service/users.go b/server/service/users.go
index 9da533673a..f3841fbfdf 100644
--- a/server/service/users.go
+++ b/server/service/users.go
@@ -835,6 +835,7 @@ func (svc *Service) PerformRequiredPasswordReset(ctx context.Context, password s
 		return nil, fleet.ErrNoContext
 	}
 	if !vc.CanPerformPasswordReset() {
+		svc.authz.SkipAuthorization(ctx)
 		return nil, fleet.NewPermissionError("cannot reset password")
 	}
 	user := vc.User
@@ -844,10 +845,16 @@ func (svc *Service) PerformRequiredPasswordReset(ctx context.Context, password s
 	}
 
 	if user.SSOEnabled {
-		return nil, ctxerr.New(ctx, "password reset for single sign on user not allowed")
+		// should never happen because this would get caught by the
+		// CanPerformPasswordReset check above
+		err := fleet.NewPermissionError("password reset for single sign on user not allowed")
+		return nil, ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err)
 	}
 	if !user.IsAdminForcedPasswordReset() {
-		return nil, ctxerr.New(ctx, "user does not require password reset")
+		// should never happen because this would get caught by the
+		// CanPerformPasswordReset check above
+		err := fleet.NewPermissionError("cannot reset password")
+		return nil, ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err)
 	}
 
 	// prevent setting the same password