diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller.rb
index 5f307ddee..dd3f83389 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller.rb
@@ -13,13 +13,25 @@ module Admin
       authorize :domain_block, :create?
 
       @domain_block = DomainBlock.new(resource_params)
+      existing_domain_block = resource_params[:domain].present? ? DomainBlock.find_by(domain: resource_params[:domain]) : nil
 
-      if @domain_block.save
-        DomainBlockWorker.perform_async(@domain_block.id)
-        log_action :create, @domain_block
-        redirect_to admin_instances_path(limited: '1'), notice: I18n.t('admin.domain_blocks.created_msg')
-      else
+      if existing_domain_block.present? && !@domain_block.stricter_than?(existing_domain_block)
+        @domain_block.save
+        flash[:alert] = I18n.t('admin.domain_blocks.existing_domain_block_html', name: existing_domain_block.domain, unblock_url: admin_domain_block_path(existing_domain_block)).html_safe # rubocop:disable Rails/OutputSafety
+        @domain_block.errors[:domain].clear
         render :new
+      else
+        if existing_domain_block.present?
+          @domain_block = existing_domain_block
+          @domain_block.update(resource_params)
+        end
+        if @domain_block.save
+          DomainBlockWorker.perform_async(@domain_block.id)
+          log_action :create, @domain_block
+          redirect_to admin_instances_path(limited: '1'), notice: I18n.t('admin.domain_blocks.created_msg')
+        else
+          render :new
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/forms.scss b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/forms.scss
index 91888d305..2b8d7a682 100644
--- a/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/forms.scss
+++ b/app/javascript/styles/mastodon/forms.scss
@@ -533,6 +533,17 @@ code {
     color: $error-value-color;
   }
 
+  a {
+    display: inline-block;
+    color: $darker-text-color;
+    text-decoration: none;
+
+    &:hover {
+      color: $primary-text-color;
+      text-decoration: underline;
+    }
+  }
+
   p {
     margin-bottom: 15px;
   }
diff --git a/app/models/domain_block.rb b/app/models/domain_block.rb
index 069cda367..0b12617c6 100644
--- a/app/models/domain_block.rb
+++ b/app/models/domain_block.rb
@@ -29,4 +29,11 @@ class DomainBlock < ApplicationRecord
   def self.blocked?(domain)
     where(domain: domain, severity: :suspend).exists?
   end
+
+  def stricter_than?(other_block)
+    return true if suspend?
+    return false if other_block.suspend? && (silence? || noop?)
+    return false if other_block.silence? && noop?
+    (reject_media || !other_block.reject_media) && (reject_reports || !other_block.reject_reports)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 405b0eda5..6d59411a5 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ en:
       created_msg: Domain block is now being processed
       destroyed_msg: Domain block has been undone
       domain: Domain
+      existing_domain_block_html: You have already imposed stricter limits on %{name}, you need to <a href="%{unblock_url}">unblock it</a> first.
       new:
         create: Create block
         hint: The domain block will not prevent creation of account entries in the database, but will retroactively and automatically apply specific moderation methods on those accounts.
diff --git a/spec/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller_spec.rb
index 129bf8883..2a8675c21 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/admin/domain_blocks_controller_spec.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ RSpec.describe Admin::DomainBlocksController, type: :controller do
     end
 
     it 'renders new when failed to save' do
-      Fabricate(:domain_block, domain: 'example.com')
+      Fabricate(:domain_block, domain: 'example.com', severity: 'suspend')
       allow(DomainBlockWorker).to receive(:perform_async).and_return(true)
 
       post :create, params: { domain_block: { domain: 'example.com', severity: 'silence' } }
@@ -45,6 +45,17 @@ RSpec.describe Admin::DomainBlocksController, type: :controller do
       expect(DomainBlockWorker).not_to have_received(:perform_async)
       expect(response).to render_template :new
     end
+
+    it 'allows upgrading a block' do
+      Fabricate(:domain_block, domain: 'example.com', severity: 'silence')
+      allow(DomainBlockWorker).to receive(:perform_async).and_return(true)
+
+      post :create, params: { domain_block: { domain: 'example.com', severity: 'silence', reject_media: true, reject_reports: true } }
+
+      expect(DomainBlockWorker).to have_received(:perform_async)
+      expect(flash[:notice]).to eq I18n.t('admin.domain_blocks.created_msg')
+      expect(response).to redirect_to(admin_instances_path(limited: '1'))
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'DELETE #destroy' do
diff --git a/spec/models/domain_block_spec.rb b/spec/models/domain_block_spec.rb
index 89cadccfe..0035fd0ff 100644
--- a/spec/models/domain_block_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/domain_block_spec.rb
@@ -36,4 +36,35 @@ RSpec.describe DomainBlock, type: :model do
       expect(DomainBlock.blocked?('domain')).to eq false
     end
   end
+
+  describe 'stricter_than?' do
+    it 'returns true if the new block has suspend severity while the old has lower severity' do
+      suspend = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :suspend)
+      silence = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :silence)
+      noop = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :noop)
+      expect(suspend.stricter_than?(silence)).to be true
+      expect(suspend.stricter_than?(noop)).to be true
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the new block has lower severity than the old one' do
+      suspend = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :suspend)
+      silence = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :silence)
+      noop = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :noop)
+      expect(silence.stricter_than?(suspend)).to be false
+      expect(noop.stricter_than?(suspend)).to be false
+      expect(noop.stricter_than?(silence)).to be false
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the new block does is less strict regarding reports' do
+      older = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :silence, reject_reports: true)
+      newer = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :silence, reject_reports: false)
+      expect(newer.stricter_than?(older)).to be false
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the new block does is less strict regarding media' do
+      older = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :silence, reject_media: true)
+      newer = DomainBlock.new(domain: 'domain', severity: :silence, reject_media: false)
+      expect(newer.stricter_than?(older)).to be false
+    end
+  end
 end