diff --git a/makeuser b/makeuser
index bd58546..79875a8 100755
--- a/makeuser
+++ b/makeuser
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ case $1 in
     usage; error_exit "unknown option $1" ;;
   *)
     [[ $# -ne 3 ]] && error_exit "not enough args"
+    $(sudo grep -qiw $1 $BANNED) && error_exit "$1 is on the ban list!"
      
 	#adding new user
 	makeuser_no_ansible $1 $2
diff --git a/makeuser_no_ansible b/makeuser_no_ansible
index 0caa647..1a15647 100755
--- a/makeuser_no_ansible
+++ b/makeuser_no_ansible
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ case $1 in
     usage; error_exit "unknown option $1" ;;
   *)
     [[ $# -ne 3 ]] && error_exit "not enough args"
+    $(sudo grep -qiw $1 $BANNED) && error_exit "$1 is on the ban list!"
 
 	#adding new user
 	makeuser_no_ansible $1 $2
diff --git a/setenv b/setenv
index a464ce5..2565d8b 100644
--- a/setenv
+++ b/setenv
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ export LIST_NAME="thunix-join@lists.tildeverse.org"
 export EMAIL_TEMPLATE="include/email.tmpl"
 export TILDE_JSON="/var/www/thunix.cf/tilde.json"
 export YAML_FILE="$1.yml"
+export BANNED="/root/users.banned"