diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v1/instances/domain_blocks_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v1/instances/domain_blocks_controller.rb
index c91234e088..16f05c47e8 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v1/instances/domain_blocks_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v1/instances/domain_blocks_controller.rb
@@ -15,16 +15,40 @@ class Api::V1::Instances::DomainBlocksController < Api::BaseController
       cache_if_unauthenticated!
     end
 
-    render json: @domain_blocks, each_serializer: REST::DomainBlockSerializer, with_comment: (Setting.show_domain_blocks_rationale == 'all' || (Setting.show_domain_blocks_rationale == 'users' && user_signed_in?))
+    render json: @domain_blocks, each_serializer: REST::DomainBlockSerializer, with_comment: show_rationale_in_response?
   end
 
   private
 
   def require_enabled_api!
-    head 404 unless Setting.show_domain_blocks == 'all' || (Setting.show_domain_blocks == 'users' && user_signed_in?)
+    head 404 unless api_enabled?
+  end
+
+  def api_enabled?
+    show_domain_blocks_for_all? || show_domain_blocks_to_user?
+  end
+
+  def show_domain_blocks_for_all?
+    Setting.show_domain_blocks == 'all'
+  end
+
+  def show_domain_blocks_to_user?
+    Setting.show_domain_blocks == 'users' && user_signed_in? && current_user.functional_or_moved?
   end
 
   def set_domain_blocks
     @domain_blocks = DomainBlock.with_user_facing_limitations.by_severity
   end
+
+  def show_rationale_in_response?
+    always_show_rationale? || show_rationale_for_user?
+  end
+
+  def always_show_rationale?
+    Setting.show_domain_blocks_rationale == 'all'
+  end
+
+  def show_rationale_for_user?
+    Setting.show_domain_blocks_rationale == 'users' && user_signed_in? && current_user.functional_or_moved?
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/v1/instances/domain_blocks_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/v1/instances/domain_blocks_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..475ae478cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/requests/api/v1/instances/domain_blocks_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+RSpec.describe 'Domain Blocks' do
+  describe 'GET /api/v1/instance/domain_blocks' do
+    let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+    let(:token) { Fabricate(:accessible_access_token, resource_owner_id: user.id).token }
+
+    before { Fabricate(:domain_block) }
+
+    context 'with domain blocks set to all' do
+      before { Setting.show_domain_blocks = 'all' }
+
+      it 'returns http success' do
+        get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path
+
+        expect(response)
+          .to have_http_status(200)
+
+        expect(response.content_type)
+          .to start_with('application/json')
+
+        expect(response.parsed_body)
+          .to be_present
+          .and(be_an(Array))
+          .and(have_attributes(size: 1))
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with domain blocks set to users' do
+      before { Setting.show_domain_blocks = 'users' }
+
+      context 'without authentication token' do
+        it 'returns http not found' do
+          get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path
+
+          expect(response)
+            .to have_http_status(404)
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'with authentication token' do
+        context 'with unapproved user' do
+          before { user.update(approved: false) }
+
+          it 'returns http not found' do
+            get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path, headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token}" }
+
+            expect(response)
+              .to have_http_status(404)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'with unconfirmed user' do
+          before { user.update(confirmed_at: nil) }
+
+          it 'returns http not found' do
+            get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path, headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token}" }
+
+            expect(response)
+              .to have_http_status(404)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'with disabled user' do
+          before { user.update(disabled: true) }
+
+          it 'returns http not found' do
+            get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path, headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token}" }
+
+            expect(response)
+              .to have_http_status(404)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'with suspended user' do
+          before { user.account.update(suspended_at: Time.zone.now) }
+
+          it 'returns http not found' do
+            get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path, headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token}" }
+
+            expect(response)
+              .to have_http_status(403)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'with moved user' do
+          before { user.account.update(moved_to_account_id: Fabricate(:account).id) }
+
+          it 'returns http success' do
+            get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path, headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token}" }
+
+            expect(response)
+              .to have_http_status(200)
+
+            expect(response.content_type)
+              .to start_with('application/json')
+
+            expect(response.parsed_body)
+              .to be_present
+              .and(be_an(Array))
+              .and(have_attributes(size: 1))
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'with normal user' do
+          it 'returns http success' do
+            get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path, headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token}" }
+
+            expect(response)
+              .to have_http_status(200)
+
+            expect(response.content_type)
+              .to start_with('application/json')
+
+            expect(response.parsed_body)
+              .to be_present
+              .and(be_an(Array))
+              .and(have_attributes(size: 1))
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with domain blocks set to disabled' do
+      before { Setting.show_domain_blocks = 'disabled' }
+
+      it 'returns http not found' do
+        get api_v1_instance_domain_blocks_path
+
+        expect(response)
+          .to have_http_status(404)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end