diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 9c92daf4..8c169681 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ namespace :justask do
     user.save!
     puts "#{user.screen_name} no longer an admin."
   end
-  
+
   desc "Gives moderator status to an user."
   task :mod, [:screen_name] => :environment do |t, args|
     fail "screen name required" if args[:screen_name].nil?
@@ -90,7 +90,27 @@ namespace :justask do
     fail "user #{args[:screen_name]} not found" if user.nil?
     user.moderator = false
     user.save!
-    puts "#{user.screen_name} no longer an moderator."
+    puts "#{user.screen_name} is no longer an moderator."
+  end
+
+  desc "Hits an user with the banhammer."
+  task :ban, [:screen_name] => :environment do |t, args|
+    fail "screen name required" if args[:screen_name].nil?
+    user = User.find_by_screen_name(args[:screen_name])
+    fail "user #{args[:screen_name]} not found" if user.nil?
+    user.banned = true
+    user.save!
+    puts "#{user.screen_name} got hit by\033[5m YE OLDE BANHAMMER\033[0m!!1!"
+  end
+
+  desc "Removes banned status from an user."
+  task :unban, [:screen_name] => :environment do |t, args|
+    fail "screen name required" if args[:screen_name].nil?
+    user = User.find_by_screen_name(args[:screen_name])
+    fail "user #{args[:screen_name]} not found" if user.nil?
+    user.banned = false
+    user.save!
+    puts "#{user.screen_name} is no longer banned."
   end
 
   desc "Gives supporter status to an user."
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/scss/user.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/scss/user.scss
index 14c314fe..55101e25 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/scss/user.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/scss/user.scss
@@ -120,4 +120,8 @@
 
 .panel-badge-warning {
   background-color: #FF9800;
+}
+
+.user--banned {
+  text-decoration: line-through !important;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index f02cdaa6..42840939 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   protect_from_forgery with: :exception
   
   before_filter :configure_permitted_parameters, if: :devise_controller?
+  before_filter :banned?
+
+  # check if user got hit by the banhammer of doom
+  def banned?
+    if current_user.present? && current_user.banned?
+      name = current_user.screen_name
+      # obligatory '2001: A Space Odyssey' reference
+      flash[:notice] = "I'm sorry, #{name}, I'm afraid I can't do that."
+      sign_out current_user
+      redirect_to new_user_session_path
+    end
+  end
 
   include ApplicationHelper
 
diff --git a/app/helpers/user_helper.rb b/app/helpers/user_helper.rb
index babb3f22..4e3e599d 100644
--- a/app/helpers/user_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/user_helper.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module UserHelper
   def user_screen_name(user, anonymous=false, url=true)
     return APP_CONFIG['anonymous_name'] if user.nil? || anonymous
     name = user.display_name.blank? ? user.screen_name : user.display_name
-    return link_to(name, show_user_profile_path(user.screen_name)) if url
+    return link_to(name, show_user_profile_path(user.screen_name), class: "#{"user--banned" if user.banned?}") if url
     name
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_questionbox.html.haml b/app/views/shared/_questionbox.html.haml
index 89bceb2d..34c79e0a 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/_questionbox.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/shared/_questionbox.html.haml
@@ -6,47 +6,52 @@
       - else
         = @user.motivation_header
   .panel-body
-    - if user_signed_in? or @user.privacy_allow_anonymous_questions?
-      #question-box
-        .row
-          .col-xs-12
-            %textarea.form-control{:name => "qb-question", :placeholder => "Type your question here…"}
-        .row{:style => "padding-top: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"}
-          .col-xs-6
-            - if user_signed_in?
-              - if @user.privacy_allow_anonymous_questions?
-                %input{:name => "qb-anonymous", :type => "checkbox"}/
-                Hide your name
-                %br/
-              - else
-                %input{:name => "qb-anonymous", :type => "hidden", :value => "false"}/
-          .col-xs-6
-            %p.pull-right
-              %input{name: 'qb-to', type: 'hidden', :value => @user.id}/
-              %button.btn.btn-primary{name: 'qb-ask', :type => "button", data: {loading_text: 'Asking...', promote: user_signed_in? ? "false" : "true" }} Ask
-    - unless user_signed_in?
-      - if @user.privacy_allow_anonymous_questions?
-        #question-box-promote.row{:style => "display: none;"}
+    - if @user.banned?
+      .row
+        .col-xs-12.text-center
+          %strong This user got hit with ye olde banhammer.
+    - else
+      - if user_signed_in? or @user.privacy_allow_anonymous_questions?
+        #question-box
           .row
-            .col-xs-12.text-center
-              %strong Your question has been sent.
-          .row
-            .col-sm-1
-            .col-sm-5
-              %button#create-account.btn.btn-block.btn-primary Create an account
-            .col-sm-5
-              %button#new-question.btn.btn-block.btn-default Ask another question
-            .col-sm-1
-          .row
-            .col-sm-1
-            .col-xs-12.col-sm-10
-              %small
-                Join
-                = APP_CONFIG['site_name']
-                today!  You'll be able to follow and ask people you know and a lot more.
-            .col-sm-1
-      - else
-        %p
-          This user does not want to get asked by strangers.  Why don't you
-          = succeed "?" do
-            %a{:href => "{{ url_for('register') }}"} sign up
\ No newline at end of file
+            .col-xs-12
+              %textarea.form-control{:name => "qb-question", :placeholder => "Type your question here…"}
+          .row{:style => "padding-top: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"}
+            .col-xs-6
+              - if user_signed_in?
+                - if @user.privacy_allow_anonymous_questions?
+                  %input{:name => "qb-anonymous", :type => "checkbox"}/
+                  Hide your name
+                  %br/
+                - else
+                  %input{:name => "qb-anonymous", :type => "hidden", :value => "false"}/
+            .col-xs-6
+              %p.pull-right
+                %input{name: 'qb-to', type: 'hidden', :value => @user.id}/
+                %button.btn.btn-primary{name: 'qb-ask', :type => "button", data: {loading_text: 'Asking...', promote: user_signed_in? ? "false" : "true" }} Ask
+      - unless user_signed_in?
+        - if @user.privacy_allow_anonymous_questions?
+          #question-box-promote.row{:style => "display: none;"}
+            .row
+              .col-xs-12.text-center
+                %strong Your question has been sent.
+            .row
+              .col-sm-1
+              .col-sm-5
+                %button#create-account.btn.btn-block.btn-primary Create an account
+              .col-sm-5
+                %button#new-question.btn.btn-block.btn-default Ask another question
+              .col-sm-1
+            .row
+              .col-sm-1
+              .col-xs-12.col-sm-10
+                %small
+                  Join
+                  = APP_CONFIG['site_name']
+                  today!  You'll be able to follow and ask people you know and a lot more.
+              .col-sm-1
+        - else
+          %p
+            This user does not want to get asked by strangers.  Why don't you
+            = succeed "?" do
+              %a{:href => "{{ url_for('register') }}"} sign up
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/user/_profile_info.html.haml b/app/views/user/_profile_info.html.haml
index 01b60fb2..dc310f11 100644
--- a/app/views/user/_profile_info.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/user/_profile_info.html.haml
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
     .profile--panel-badge.panel-badge-warning
       %i.fa.fa-star
       Supporter
+  - if @user.banned?
+    .profile--panel-badge.panel-badge-default
+      %i.fa.fa-ban
+      Banned
   - if @user.following? current_user
     .profile--panel-badge.panel-badge-default
       Follows you
diff --git a/db/migrate/20150112210754_add_banned_to_users.rb b/db/migrate/20150112210754_add_banned_to_users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6b7c65b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20150112210754_add_banned_to_users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddBannedToUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    add_column :users, :banned, :boolean, default: false
+  end
+end