diff --git a/src/ChatManager.cpp b/src/ChatManager.cpp
index 2cf0df6..018eed5 100644
--- a/src/ChatManager.cpp
+++ b/src/ChatManager.cpp
@@ -845,6 +845,86 @@ void unregisterallCommand(std::string full, std::vector<std::string>& args, CNSo
     sock->sendPacket((void*)&resp, P_FE2CL_REP_PC_REGIST_TRANSPORTATION_LOCATION_SUCC, sizeof(sP_FE2CL_REP_PC_REGIST_TRANSPORTATION_LOCATION_SUCC));
 }
 
+void banCommand(std::string full, std::vector<std::string>& args, CNSocket *sock) {
+    Player* plr = PlayerManager::getPlayer(sock);
+
+    if (args.size() < 2) {
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Usage: /ban PlayerID [reason...]");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    char *rest;
+    int playerId = std::strtol(args[1].c_str(), &rest, 10);
+    if (*rest) {
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Invalid PlayerID: " + args[1]);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    std::string reason;
+    if (args.size() == 2) {
+        reason = "no reason given";
+    } else {
+        reason = args[2];
+        for (int i = 3; i < args.size(); i++)
+            reason += " " + args[i];
+    }
+
+    // ban the account that player belongs to
+    if (!Database::banPlayer(playerId, reason)) {
+        // propagating a more descriptive error message from banPlayer() would be too much work
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Failed to ban target player. Check server logs.");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Banned target player.");
+    std::cout << "[INFO] " << PlayerManager::getPlayerName(plr) << " banned player " << playerId << std::endl;
+
+    // if the player is online, kick them
+    CNSocket *otherSock = PlayerManager::getSockFromID(playerId);
+    if (otherSock == nullptr) {
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Player wasn't online. Didn't need to kick.");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    Player *otherPlr = PlayerManager::getPlayer(otherSock);
+
+    INITSTRUCT(sP_FE2CL_REP_PC_EXIT_SUCC, pkt);
+
+    pkt.iID = otherPlr->iID;
+    pkt.iExitCode = 3; // "a GM has terminated your connection"
+
+    // send to target player
+    otherSock->sendPacket((void*)&pkt, P_FE2CL_REP_PC_EXIT_SUCC, sizeof(sP_FE2CL_REP_PC_EXIT_SUCC));
+
+    // ensure that the connection has terminated
+    otherSock->kill();
+
+    ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, PlayerManager::getPlayerName(otherPlr) + " was online. Kicked.");
+}
+
+void unbanCommand(std::string full, std::vector<std::string>& args, CNSocket *sock) {
+    Player* plr = PlayerManager::getPlayer(sock);
+
+    if (args.size() < 2) {
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Usage: /unban PlayerID");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    char *rest;
+    int playerId = std::strtol(args[1].c_str(), &rest, 10);
+    if (*rest) {
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Invalid PlayerID: " + args[1]);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (Database::unbanPlayer(playerId)) {
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Unbanned player.");
+        std::cout << "[INFO] " << PlayerManager::getPlayerName(plr) << " unbanned player " << playerId << std::endl;
+    } else {
+        ChatManager::sendServerMessage(sock, "Failed to unban player. Check server logs.");
+    }
+}
+
 void ChatManager::init() {
     REGISTER_SHARD_PACKET(P_CL2FE_REQ_SEND_FREECHAT_MESSAGE, chatHandler);
     REGISTER_SHARD_PACKET(P_CL2FE_REQ_PC_AVATAR_EMOTES_CHAT, emoteHandler);
@@ -873,6 +953,8 @@ void ChatManager::init() {
     registerCommand("players", 30, playersCommand, "print all players on the server");
     registerCommand("summonGroup", 30, summonGroupCommand, "summon group NPCs");
     registerCommand("summonGroupW", 30, summonGroupCommand, "permanently summon group NPCs");
+    registerCommand("ban", 30, banCommand, "ban the account the given PlayerID belongs to");
+    registerCommand("unban", 30, unbanCommand, "unban the account the given PlayerID belongs to");
     registerCommand("whois", 50, whoisCommand, "describe nearest NPC");
     registerCommand("lair", 50, lairUnlockCommand, "get the required mission for the nearest fusion lair");
     registerCommand("hide", 100, hideCommand, "hide yourself from the global player map");
diff --git a/src/Database.cpp b/src/Database.cpp
index 5d1d3c6..16dff95 100644
--- a/src/Database.cpp
+++ b/src/Database.cpp
@@ -304,24 +304,121 @@ int Database::addAccount(std::string login, std::string password) {
     return sqlite3_last_insert_rowid(db);
 }
 
-void Database::banAccount(int accountId, int days) {
-    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(dbCrit);
-
+// NOTE: internal function; does not lock dbCrit
+bool Database::banAccount(int accountId, int days, std::string& reason) {
     const char* sql = R"(
         UPDATE Accounts SET
             BannedSince = (strftime('%s', 'now')),
-            BannedUntil = (strftime('%s', 'now')) + ?
+            BannedUntil = (strftime('%s', 'now')) + ?,
+            BanReason = ?
         WHERE AccountID = ?;
         )";
     sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
 
     sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
+
     sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 1, days * 86400); // convert days to seconds
-    sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 2, accountId);
+    sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 2, reason.c_str(), -1, NULL);
+    sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 3, accountId);
+
     if (sqlite3_step(stmt) != SQLITE_DONE) {
-        std::cout << "[WARN] Database: failed to ban player: " << sqlite3_errmsg(db) << std::endl;
+        std::cout << "[WARN] Database: failed to ban account: " << sqlite3_errmsg(db) << std::endl;
+        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+        return false;
     }
+
     sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+    return true;
+}
+
+// NOTE: internal function; does not lock dbCrit
+bool Database::unbanAccount(int accountId) {
+    const char* sql = R"(
+        UPDATE Accounts SET
+            BannedSince = 0,
+            BannedUntil = 0,
+            BanReason = ''
+        WHERE AccountID = ?;
+        )";
+    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
+
+    sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
+
+    sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 1, accountId);
+
+    if (sqlite3_step(stmt) != SQLITE_DONE) {
+        std::cout << "[WARN] Database: failed to unban account: " << sqlite3_errmsg(db) << std::endl;
+        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+    return true;
+}
+
+// expressed in days
+#define THIRTY_YEARS 10957
+
+bool Database::banPlayer(int playerId, std::string& reason) {
+    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(dbCrit);
+
+    int accountLevel;
+    int accountId = getAccountIDFromPlayerID(playerId, &accountLevel);
+    if (accountId < 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (accountLevel <= 30) {
+        std::cout << "[WARN] Cannot ban a GM." << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // do the ban
+    if (!banAccount(accountId, THIRTY_YEARS, reason)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool Database::unbanPlayer(int playerId) {
+    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(dbCrit);
+
+    int accountId = getAccountIDFromPlayerID(playerId);
+    if (accountId < 0)
+        return false;
+
+    return unbanAccount(accountId);
+}
+
+int Database::getAccountIDFromPlayerID(int playerId, int *accountLevel) {
+    const char *sql = R"(
+        SELECT Players.AccountID, AccountLevel
+        FROM Players
+        JOIN Accounts ON Players.AccountID = Accounts.AccountID
+        WHERE PlayerID = ?;
+        )";
+    sqlite3_stmt *stmt;
+
+    // get AccountID from PlayerID
+    sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
+    sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 1, playerId);
+
+    if (sqlite3_step(stmt) != SQLITE_ROW) {
+        std::cout << "[WARN] Database: failed to get AccountID from PlayerID: " << sqlite3_errmsg(db) << std::endl;
+        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    int accountId = sqlite3_column_int(stmt, 0);
+
+    // optional secondary return value, for checking GM status
+    if (accountLevel != nullptr)
+        *accountLevel = sqlite3_column_int(stmt, 1);
+
+    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+
+    return accountId;
 }
 
 void Database::updateSelected(int accountId, int slot) {
@@ -1845,7 +1942,7 @@ void Database::postRaceRanking(Database::RaceRanking ranking) {
     sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
 }
 
-bool Database::isCodeRedeemed (int playerId, std::string code) {
+bool Database::isCodeRedeemed(int playerId, std::string code) {
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(dbCrit);
 
     const char* sql = R"(
diff --git a/src/Database.hpp b/src/Database.hpp
index 0cb5628..4b26471 100644
--- a/src/Database.hpp
+++ b/src/Database.hpp
@@ -48,7 +48,12 @@ namespace Database {
     void findAccount(Account* account, std::string login);
     /// returns ID, 0 if something failed
     int addAccount(std::string login, std::string password);
-    void banAccount(int accountId, int days);
+    bool banAccount(int accountId, int days, std::string& reason);
+    bool unbanAccount(int accountId);
+    bool banPlayer(int playerId, std::string& reason);
+    bool unbanPlayer(int playerId);
+
+    int getAccountIDFromPlayerID(int playerId, int *accountLevel=nullptr);
     void updateSelected(int accountId, int playerId);
     
     bool validateCharacter(int characterID, int userID);