diff --git a/blocking.py b/blocking.py
index 2902af43f..86a6c052d 100644
--- a/blocking.py
+++ b/blocking.py
@@ -186,12 +186,27 @@ def updateBlockedCache(baseDir: str,
         return blockedCacheLastUpdated
     with open(globalBlockingFilename, 'r') as fpBlocked:
         blockedLines = fpBlocked.readlines()
+        # remove newlines
+        for index in range(len(blockedLines)):
+            blockedLines[index] = blockedLines[index].replace('\n', '')
+        # update the cache
         blockedCache.clear()
-        for line in blockedLines:
-            blockedCache.append(line.replace('\n', ''))
+        blockedCache += blockedLines
     return currTime
 
 
+def _getShortDomain(domain: str) -> str:
+    """ by checking a shorter version we can thwart adversaries
+    who constantly change their subdomain
+    e.g. subdomain123.mydomain.com becomes mydomain.com
+    """
+    sections = domain.split('.')
+    noOfSections = len(sections)
+    if noOfSections > 2:
+        return sections[noOfSections-2] + '.' + sections[-1]
+    return None
+
+
 def isBlockedDomain(baseDir: str, domain: str,
                     blockedCache: [] = None) -> bool:
     """Is the given domain blocked?
@@ -202,13 +217,7 @@ def isBlockedDomain(baseDir: str, domain: str,
     if isEvil(domain):
         return True
 
-    # by checking a shorter version we can thwart adversaries
-    # who constantly change their subdomain
-    sections = domain.split('.')
-    noOfSections = len(sections)
-    shortDomain = None
-    if noOfSections > 2:
-        shortDomain = domain[noOfSections-2] + '.' + domain[noOfSections-1]
+    shortDomain = _getShortDomain(domain)
 
     if not brochModeIsActive(baseDir):
         if blockedCache:
@@ -243,31 +252,58 @@ def isBlockedDomain(baseDir: str, domain: str,
 
 
 def isBlocked(baseDir: str, nickname: str, domain: str,
-              blockNickname: str, blockDomain: str) -> bool:
+              blockNickname: str, blockDomain: str,
+              blockedCache: [] = None) -> bool:
     """Is the given nickname blocked?
     """
     if isEvil(blockDomain):
         return True
-    globalBlockingFilename = baseDir + '/accounts/blocking.txt'
-    if os.path.isfile(globalBlockingFilename):
-        if '*@' + blockDomain in open(globalBlockingFilename).read():
-            return True
-        if blockNickname:
-            blockHandle = blockNickname + '@' + blockDomain
-            if blockHandle in open(globalBlockingFilename).read():
+
+    blockHandle = None
+    if blockNickname and blockDomain:
+        blockHandle = blockNickname + '@' + blockDomain
+
+    if not brochModeIsActive(baseDir):
+        # instance level block list
+        if blockedCache:
+            for blockedStr in blockedCache:
+                if '*@' + domain in blockedStr:
+                    return True
+                if blockHandle:
+                    if blockHandle in blockedStr:
+                        return True
+        else:
+            globalBlockingFilename = baseDir + '/accounts/blocking.txt'
+            if os.path.isfile(globalBlockingFilename):
+                if '*@' + blockDomain in open(globalBlockingFilename).read():
+                    return True
+                if blockHandle:
+                    if blockHandle in open(globalBlockingFilename).read():
+                        return True
+    else:
+        # instance allow list
+        allowFilename = baseDir + '/accounts/allowedinstances.txt'
+        shortDomain = _getShortDomain(blockDomain)
+        if not shortDomain:
+            if blockDomain not in open(allowFilename).read():
                 return True
-    allowFilename = baseDir + '/accounts/' + \
-        nickname + '@' + domain + '/allowedinstances.txt'
+        else:
+            if shortDomain not in open(allowFilename).read():
+                return True
+
+    # account level allow list
+    accountDir = baseDir + '/accounts/' + nickname + '@' + domain
+    allowFilename = accountDir + '/allowedinstances.txt'
     if os.path.isfile(allowFilename):
         if blockDomain not in open(allowFilename).read():
             return True
-    blockingFilename = baseDir + '/accounts/' + \
-        nickname + '@' + domain + '/blocking.txt'
+
+    # account level block list
+    blockingFilename = accountDir + '/blocking.txt'
     if os.path.isfile(blockingFilename):
         if '*@' + blockDomain in open(blockingFilename).read():
             return True
-        if blockNickname:
-            blockHandle = blockNickname + '@' + blockDomain
+        if blockHandle:
             if blockHandle in open(blockingFilename).read():
                 return True
     return False
diff --git a/city.py b/city.py
index 8edf14e1b..1726966d3 100644
--- a/city.py
+++ b/city.py
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ def _getCityPulse(currTimeOfDay, decoySeed: int) -> (float, float):
 def parseNogoString(nogoLine: str) -> []:
     """Parses a line from locations_nogo.txt and returns the polygon
     """
+    nogoLine = nogoLine.replace('\n', '').replace('\r', '')
     polygonStr = nogoLine.split(':', 1)[1]
     if ';' in polygonStr:
         pts = polygonStr.split(';')
diff --git a/daemon.py b/daemon.py
index b53021918..223eace39 100644
--- a/daemon.py
+++ b/daemon.py
@@ -1277,6 +1277,13 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
         beginSaveTime = time.time()
         # save the json for later queue processing
         messageBytesDecoded = messageBytes.decode('utf-8')
+
+        self.server.blockedCacheLastUpdated = \
+            updateBlockedCache(self.server.baseDir,
+                               self.server.blockedCache,
+                               self.server.blockedCacheLastUpdated,
+                               self.server.blockedCacheUpdateSecs)
+
         queueFilename = \
             savePostToInboxQueue(self.server.baseDir,
                                  self.server.httpPrefix,
@@ -1286,7 +1293,8 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                                  messageBytesDecoded,
                                  headersDict,
                                  self.path,
-                                 self.server.debug)
+                                 self.server.debug,
+                                 self.server.blockedCache)
         if queueFilename:
             # add json to the queue
             if queueFilename not in self.server.inboxQueue:
@@ -14833,7 +14841,10 @@ class EpicyonServer(ThreadingHTTPServer):
             if e.errno != errno.ECONNRESET:
                 print('ERROR: (EpicyonServer) ' + str(cls) + ", " + str(e))
             pass
+        elif cls is BrokenPipeError:
+            pass
         else:
+            print('ERROR: (EpicyonServer) ' + str(cls) + ", " + str(e))
             return HTTPServer.handle_error(self, request, client_address)
 
 
diff --git a/inbox.py b/inbox.py
index f73a9eae1..9e9751f26 100644
--- a/inbox.py
+++ b/inbox.py
@@ -353,7 +353,8 @@ def savePostToInboxQueue(baseDir: str, httpPrefix: str,
                          originalPostJsonObject: {},
                          messageBytes: str,
                          httpHeaders: {},
-                         postPath: str, debug: bool) -> str:
+                         postPath: str, debug: bool,
+                         blockedCache: []) -> str:
     """Saves the give json to the inbox queue for the person
     keyId specifies the actor sending the post
     """
@@ -384,7 +385,8 @@ def savePostToInboxQueue(baseDir: str, httpPrefix: str,
                 pprint(postJsonObject)
             print('No post Domain in actor')
             return None
-        if isBlocked(baseDir, nickname, domain, postNickname, postDomain):
+        if isBlocked(baseDir, nickname, domain,
+                     postNickname, postDomain, blockedCache):
             if debug:
                 print('DEBUG: post from ' + postNickname + ' blocked')
             return None
@@ -398,7 +400,7 @@ def savePostToInboxQueue(baseDir: str, httpPrefix: str,
                         postJsonObject['object']['inReplyTo']
                     replyDomain, replyPort = \
                         getDomainFromActor(inReplyTo)
-                    if isBlockedDomain(baseDir, replyDomain):
+                    if isBlockedDomain(baseDir, replyDomain, blockedCache):
                         if debug:
                             print('WARN: post contains reply from ' +
                                   str(actor) +
@@ -409,7 +411,8 @@ def savePostToInboxQueue(baseDir: str, httpPrefix: str,
                             getNicknameFromActor(inReplyTo)
                         if replyNickname and replyDomain:
                             if isBlocked(baseDir, nickname, domain,
-                                         replyNickname, replyDomain):
+                                         replyNickname, replyDomain,
+                                         blockedCache):
                                 if debug:
                                     print('WARN: post contains reply from ' +
                                           str(actor) +