diff --git a/daemon_post.py b/daemon_post.py
index a690f2488..66cb38ae7 100644
--- a/daemon_post.py
+++ b/daemon_post.py
@@ -1232,26 +1232,30 @@ def daemon_http_post(self) -> None:
         nickname = self.path.split('/users/')[1]
         if '/' in nickname:
             nickname = nickname.split('/')[0]
-        if self.server.block_military.get(nickname):
-            if contains_military_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
+        if nickname in self.server.block_military:
+            if self.server.block_military[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_military_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
                 http_400(self)
                 print('BLOCK: blocked military domain')
                 self.server.postreq_busy = False
                 return
-        if self.server.block_government.get(nickname):
-            if contains_government_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
+        if nickname in self.server.block_government:
+            if self.server.block_government[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_government_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
                 http_400(self)
                 print('BLOCK: blocked government domain')
                 self.server.postreq_busy = False
                 return
-        if self.server.block_bluesky.get(nickname):
-            if contains_bluesky_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
+        if nickname in self.server.block_bluesky:
+            if self.server.block_bluesky[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_bluesky_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
                 http_400(self)
                 print('BLOCK: blocked bluesky domain')
                 self.server.postreq_busy = False
                 return
-        if self.server.block_nostr.get(nickname):
-            if contains_nostr_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
+        if nickname in self.server.block_nostr:
+            if self.server.block_nostr[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_nostr_domain(decoded_message_bytes):
                 http_400(self)
                 print('BLOCK: blocked nostr domain')
                 self.server.postreq_busy = False
diff --git a/inbox_receive.py b/inbox_receive.py
index 5e7341806..29f0a8a47 100644
--- a/inbox_receive.py
+++ b/inbox_receive.py
@@ -1870,25 +1870,27 @@ def receive_announce(recent_posts_cache: {},
 
     # Check that the domain of the announced post is not blocked
     handle_nickname = handle.split('@')[0]
-    if block_military.get(handle_nickname):
-        if contains_military_domain(announce_url):
+    if handle_nickname in block_military:
+        if block_military[handle_nickname] is True and \
+           contains_military_domain(announce_url):
             print('BLOCK: ' + handle_nickname +
                   ' blocked military domain announce')
             return False
-    if block_government.get(handle_nickname):
-        if contains_government_domain(announce_url):
+    if handle_nickname in block_government:
+        if block_government[handle_nickname] is True and \
+           contains_government_domain(announce_url):
             print('BLOCK: ' + handle_nickname +
                   ' blocked government domain announce')
             return False
-    print('DEBUG: block_bluesky ' + str(block_bluesky) + ', ' +
-          announce_url)
-    if block_bluesky.get(handle_nickname):
-        if contains_bluesky_domain(announce_url):
+    if handle_nickname in block_bluesky:
+        if block_bluesky[handle_nickname] is True and \
+           contains_bluesky_domain(announce_url):
             print('BLOCK: ' + handle_nickname +
                   ' blocked bluesky domain announce')
             return False
-    if block_nostr.get(handle_nickname):
-        if contains_nostr_domain(announce_url):
+    if handle_nickname in block_nostr:
+        if block_nostr[handle_nickname] is True and \
+           contains_nostr_domain(announce_url):
             print('BLOCK: ' + handle_nickname +
                   ' blocked nostr domain announce')
             return False
diff --git a/posts.py b/posts.py
index e61bd55e8..6686c6137 100644
--- a/posts.py
+++ b/posts.py
@@ -6513,26 +6513,30 @@ def download_announce(session, base_dir: str, http_prefix: str,
             return None
 
         # check for blocked content
-        if block_military.get(nickname):
-            if contains_military_domain(announced_json_str):
+        if nickname in block_military:
+            if block_military[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_military_domain(announced_json_str):
                 _reject_announce(announce_filename,
                                  base_dir, nickname, domain, post_id,
                                  recent_posts_cache, debug)
                 return None
-        if block_government.get(nickname):
-            if contains_government_domain(announced_json_str):
+        if nickname in block_government:
+            if block_government[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_government_domain(announced_json_str):
                 _reject_announce(announce_filename,
                                  base_dir, nickname, domain, post_id,
                                  recent_posts_cache, debug)
                 return None
-        if block_bluesky.get(nickname):
-            if contains_bluesky_domain(announced_json_str):
+        if nickname in block_bluesky:
+            if block_bluesky[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_bluesky_domain(announced_json_str):
                 _reject_announce(announce_filename,
                                  base_dir, nickname, domain, post_id,
                                  recent_posts_cache, debug)
                 return None
-        if block_nostr.get(nickname):
-            if contains_nostr_domain(announced_json_str):
+        if nickname in block_nostr:
+            if block_nostr[nickname] is True and \
+               contains_nostr_domain(announced_json_str):
                 _reject_announce(announce_filename,
                                  base_dir, nickname, domain, post_id,
                                  recent_posts_cache, debug)