diff --git a/src/kernelbot/api/main.py b/src/kernelbot/api/main.py
index 071a8219..808f5edf 100644
--- a/src/kernelbot/api/main.py
+++ b/src/kernelbot/api/main.py
@@ -426,6 +426,32 @@ async def _stream_submission_response(
                 pass
 
 
+@app.post("/admin/ban/{user_id}")
+async def admin_ban_user(
+    user_id: str,
+    _: Annotated[None, Depends(require_admin)],
+    db_context=Depends(get_db),
+) -> dict:
+    with db_context as db:
+        found = db.ban_user(user_id)
+    if not found:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"User {user_id} not found")
+    return {"status": "ok", "user_id": user_id, "banned": True}
+
+
+@app.delete("/admin/ban/{user_id}")
+async def admin_unban_user(
+    user_id: str,
+    _: Annotated[None, Depends(require_admin)],
+    db_context=Depends(get_db),
+) -> dict:
+    with db_context as db:
+        found = db.unban_user(user_id)
+    if not found:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"User {user_id} not found")
+    return {"status": "ok", "user_id": user_id, "banned": False}
+
+
 @app.post("/{leaderboard_name}/{gpu_type}/{submission_mode}")
 async def run_submission(  # noqa: C901
     leaderboard_name: str,
diff --git a/src/kernelbot/cogs/admin_cog.py b/src/kernelbot/cogs/admin_cog.py
index adce7616..8b21747a 100644
--- a/src/kernelbot/cogs/admin_cog.py
+++ b/src/kernelbot/cogs/admin_cog.py
@@ -123,6 +123,14 @@ def __init__(self, bot: "ClusterBot"):
             name="set-forum-ids", description="Sets forum IDs"
         )(self.set_forum_ids)
 
+        self.ban_user = bot.admin_group.command(
+            name="ban", description="Ban a user from making submissions"
+        )(self.ban_user)
+
+        self.unban_user = bot.admin_group.command(
+            name="unban", description="Unban a user"
+        )(self.unban_user)
+
         self.export_to_hf = bot.admin_group.command(
             name="export-hf", description="Export competition data to Hugging Face dataset"
         )(self.export_to_hf)
@@ -154,6 +162,44 @@ async def is_creator_check(
                 return True
             return False
 
+    @discord.app_commands.describe(user_id="Discord user ID to ban")
+    @with_error_handling
+    async def ban_user(self, interaction: discord.Interaction, user_id: str):
+        if not await self.admin_check(interaction):
+            await send_discord_message(
+                interaction, "You need to have Admin permissions to run this command", ephemeral=True
+            )
+            return
+
+        with self.bot.leaderboard_db as db:
+            if db.ban_user(user_id):
+                await send_discord_message(
+                    interaction, f"User `{user_id}` has been banned.", ephemeral=True
+                )
+            else:
+                await send_discord_message(
+                    interaction, f"User `{user_id}` not found.", ephemeral=True
+                )
+
+    @discord.app_commands.describe(user_id="Discord user ID to unban")
+    @with_error_handling
+    async def unban_user(self, interaction: discord.Interaction, user_id: str):
+        if not await self.admin_check(interaction):
+            await send_discord_message(
+                interaction, "You need to have Admin permissions to run this command", ephemeral=True
+            )
+            return
+
+        with self.bot.leaderboard_db as db:
+            if db.unban_user(user_id):
+                await send_discord_message(
+                    interaction, f"User `{user_id}` has been unbanned.", ephemeral=True
+                )
+            else:
+                await send_discord_message(
+                    interaction, f"User `{user_id}` not found.", ephemeral=True
+                )
+
     @discord.app_commands.describe(
         directory="Directory of the kernel definition. Also used as the leaderboard's name",
         gpu="The GPU to submit to. Leave empty for interactive selection/multiple GPUs",
diff --git a/src/libkernelbot/leaderboard_db.py b/src/libkernelbot/leaderboard_db.py
index c59bc271..650599af 100644
--- a/src/libkernelbot/leaderboard_db.py
+++ b/src/libkernelbot/leaderboard_db.py
@@ -1445,6 +1445,59 @@ def validate_cli_id(self, cli_id: str) -> Optional[dict[str, str]]:
             raise KernelBotError("Error validating CLI ID") from e
 
 
+    def ban_user(self, user_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Ban a user by their ID. Returns True if the user was found and banned."""
+        try:
+            self.cursor.execute(
+                """
+                UPDATE leaderboard.user_info
+                SET is_banned = TRUE
+                WHERE id = %s
+                """,
+                (str(user_id),),
+            )
+            self.connection.commit()
+            return self.cursor.rowcount > 0
+        except psycopg2.Error as e:
+            self.connection.rollback()
+            logger.exception("Error banning user %s", user_id, exc_info=e)
+            raise KernelBotError("Error banning user") from e
+
+    def unban_user(self, user_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Unban a user by their ID. Returns True if the user was found and unbanned."""
+        try:
+            self.cursor.execute(
+                """
+                UPDATE leaderboard.user_info
+                SET is_banned = FALSE
+                WHERE id = %s
+                """,
+                (str(user_id),),
+            )
+            self.connection.commit()
+            return self.cursor.rowcount > 0
+        except psycopg2.Error as e:
+            self.connection.rollback()
+            logger.exception("Error unbanning user %s", user_id, exc_info=e)
+            raise KernelBotError("Error unbanning user") from e
+
+    def is_user_banned(self, user_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Check if a user is banned."""
+        try:
+            self.cursor.execute(
+                """
+                SELECT is_banned FROM leaderboard.user_info
+                WHERE id = %s
+                """,
+                (str(user_id),),
+            )
+            row = self.cursor.fetchone()
+            return row[0] if row else False
+        except psycopg2.Error as e:
+            self.connection.rollback()
+            logger.exception("Error checking ban status for user %s", user_id, exc_info=e)
+            raise KernelBotError("Error checking ban status") from e
+
     def set_rate_limit(self, leaderboard_name: str, mode_category: str, max_per_hour: int) -> RateLimitItem:
         try:
             self.cursor.execute(
diff --git a/src/libkernelbot/submission.py b/src/libkernelbot/submission.py
index 60ecf4e6..69b83b24 100644
--- a/src/libkernelbot/submission.py
+++ b/src/libkernelbot/submission.py
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ def prepare_submission(  # noqa: C901
             "The bot is currently not accepting any new submissions, please try again later."
         )
 
+    with backend.db as db:
+        if db.is_user_banned(str(req.user_id)):
+            raise KernelBotError("You are banned from making submissions.")
+
     if profanity.contains_profanity(req.file_name):
         raise KernelBotError("Please provide a non-rude filename")
 
diff --git a/src/migrations/20260318_01_ban-user.py b/src/migrations/20260318_01_ban-user.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c858a038
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/migrations/20260318_01_ban-user.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+"""
+add_is_banned_to_user_info
+"""
+
+from yoyo import step
+
+__depends__ = {'20260317_01_rate-limits'}
+
+steps = [
+    step(
+        # forward
+        """
+        ALTER TABLE leaderboard.user_info
+        ADD COLUMN is_banned BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT FALSE
+        """,
+        # backward
+        """
+        ALTER TABLE leaderboard.user_info
+        DROP COLUMN is_banned;
+        """
+    )
+]
diff --git a/tests/test_submission.py b/tests/test_submission.py
index e22fcb8e..f2bced05 100644
--- a/tests/test_submission.py
+++ b/tests/test_submission.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ def mock_backend():
         "name": "test_board",
     }
     db_context.get_leaderboard_gpu_types.return_value = ["A100", "V100"]
+    db_context.is_user_banned.return_value = False
 
     return backend