diff --git a/app/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller.rb b/app/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller.rb
index b6c9d9e9..85f23296 100644
--- a/app/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller.rb
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class Ajax::ModerationController < AjaxController
     reason = params[:reason].to_s
     target_user = User.find_by_screen_name!(params[:user])
     unban  = params[:ban] == '0'
-    perma  = params[:duration].nil?
+    perma  = params[:duration].blank?
 
     if !unban && target_user.has_role?(:administrator)
       @response[:status] = :nopriv
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 669e36c1..0581621a 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   # endregion
 
   def banned?
-    self.bans.current.any?
+    self.bans.current.count > 0
   end
 
   def unban
diff --git a/lib/use_case/user/unban.rb b/lib/use_case/user/unban.rb
index d399a940..81c5ca1c 100644
--- a/lib/use_case/user/unban.rb
+++ b/lib/use_case/user/unban.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ module UseCase
 
       def call
         UserBan.current.where(user_id: target_user_id).update_all(
-          expires_at: DateTime.now
+          # -1s to account for flakyness with timings in tests
+          expires_at: DateTime.now - 1.second
         )
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller_spec.rb
index 91edb9e6..7dd713b8 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/ajax/moderation_controller_spec.rb
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ describe Ajax::ModerationController, :ajax_controller, type: :controller do
               before { target_user.ban(nil) }
 
               it "unbans the user" do
-                expect { subject }.to change { target_user.reload.banned? }.from(true).to(false)
+                 expect { subject }.to change { target_user.reload.banned? }.from(true).to(false)
               end
 
               include_examples "returns the expected response"
@@ -443,15 +443,14 @@ describe Ajax::ModerationController, :ajax_controller, type: :controller do
 
       context "when ban = 1" do
         let(:ban) { "1" }
-        let(:duration) { 3 }
-        let(:duration_unit) { 'hours' }
 
         context "when permaban = 0" do
-          let(:permaban) { "0" }
+          let(:duration) { 3 }
+          let(:duration_unit) { 'hours' }
 
           it "bans the user for 3 hours" do
             Timecop.freeze do
-              expect { subject }.to(change { target_user.reload.banned? }.from(false).to(true))
+              expect { subject }.to change { target_user.reload.banned? }.from(false).to(true)
               expect(target_user.bans.current.first.reason).to eq("just a prank, bro")
               expect(target_user.bans.current.first.expires_at.to_i).to eq((Time.now.utc + 3.hours).to_i)
             end