diff --git a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
index 0eed27323..a6c763150 100644
--- a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ class CommentsController < ApplicationController
     @comment.user_id = current_user.id
 
     authorize @comment
+    permit_commentor
 
     if @comment.save
       checked_code_of_conduct = params[:checked_code_of_conduct].present? && !current_user.checked_code_of_conduct
@@ -93,6 +94,8 @@ class CommentsController < ApplicationController
     end
   # See https://github.com/thepracticaldev/dev.to/pull/5485#discussion_r366056925
   # for details as to why this is necessary
+  rescue ModerationUnauthorizedError => e
+    render json: { error: e.message }, status: :unprocessable_entity
   rescue Pundit::NotAuthorizedError, RateLimitChecker::LimitReached
     raise
   rescue StandardError => e
@@ -113,6 +116,7 @@ class CommentsController < ApplicationController
     @comment.user_id = moderator.id
     @comment.body_markdown = response_template.content
     authorize @comment
+    permit_commentor
 
     if @comment.save
       Notification.send_new_comment_notifications_without_delay(@comment)
@@ -126,6 +130,8 @@ class CommentsController < ApplicationController
     else
       render json: { status: @comment&.errors&.full_messages&.to_sentence }, status: :unprocessable_entity
     end
+  rescue ModerationUnauthorizedError => e
+    render json: { error: e.message }, status: :unprocessable_entity
   rescue StandardError => e
     skip_authorization
 
@@ -290,4 +296,16 @@ class CommentsController < ApplicationController
       :comment_creation
     end
   end
+
+  def permit_commentor
+    return unless user_blocked?
+
+    raise ModerationUnauthorizedError, "Not allowed due to moderation action"
+  end
+
+  def user_blocked?
+    return false if current_user.blocked_by_count.zero?
+
+    UserBlock.blocking?(@comment.commentable.user_id, current_user.id)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/errors/moderation_unauthorized_error.rb b/app/errors/moderation_unauthorized_error.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9cd8c26a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/errors/moderation_unauthorized_error.rb
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+class ModerationUnauthorizedError < StandardError; end
diff --git a/app/policies/comment_policy.rb b/app/policies/comment_policy.rb
index c5dfaa8d1..c5ac2623b 100644
--- a/app/policies/comment_policy.rb
+++ b/app/policies/comment_policy.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class CommentPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
   end
 
   def create?
-    !user_suspended? && !user.comment_suspended? && !user_blocked?
+    !user_suspended? && !user.comment_suspended?
   end
 
   def update?
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class CommentPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
   end
 
   def moderator_create?
-    !user_blocked? && (user_moderator? || minimal_admin?)
+    user_moderator? || minimal_admin?
   end
 
   def hide?
@@ -69,12 +69,6 @@ class CommentPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
     record.user_id == user.id
   end
 
-  def user_blocked?
-    return false if user.blocked_by_count.zero?
-
-    UserBlock.blocking?(record.commentable.user_id, user.id)
-  end
-
   def user_commentable_author?
     record.commentable.present? && record.commentable.user_id == user.id
   end
diff --git a/spec/requests/comments_create_spec.rb b/spec/requests/comments_create_spec.rb
index 1cb0c2ff6..fef6ee247 100644
--- a/spec/requests/comments_create_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/comments_create_spec.rb
@@ -67,9 +67,8 @@ RSpec.describe "CommentsCreate", type: :request do
       user.update(blocked_by_count: 1)
       blocker_article = create(:article, user: blocker)
 
-      expect do
-        post comments_path, params: comment_params(commentable_id: blocker_article.id)
-      end.to raise_error(Pundit::NotAuthorizedError)
+      post comments_path, params: comment_params(commentable_id: blocker_article.id)
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
     end
   end