diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApi.java b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApi.java
index b78ad88ae..c24ee2f21 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApi.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApi.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.TimeZone;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 
 import fr.free.nrw.commons.BuildConfig;
@@ -630,8 +631,17 @@ public class ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApi implements MediaWikiApi {
                     .param("uiprop", "blockinfo")
                     .get();
             if(result != null) {
-                // the blockexpiry field will only be present if the user is currently blocked
-                userBlocked = !result.getString("/api/query/userinfo/@blockexpiry").isEmpty();
+                String blockEnd = result.getString("/api/query/userinfo/@blockexpiry");
+                if(blockEnd.equals("infinite"))
+                {
+                    userBlocked = true;
+                }
+                else if (!blockEnd.isEmpty()) {
+                    Date endDate = parseMWDate(blockEnd);
+                    Date current = new Date();
+                    userBlocked = endDate.after(current);
+                }
+
             }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
@@ -642,10 +652,12 @@ public class ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApi implements MediaWikiApi {
 
     private Date parseMWDate(String mwDate) {
         SimpleDateFormat isoFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'", Locale.ENGLISH); // Assuming MW always gives me UTC
+        isoFormat.setTimeZone(TimeZone.getTimeZone("UTC"));
         try {
             return isoFormat.parse(mwDate);
         } catch (ParseException e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
+
 }
diff --git a/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApiTest.kt b/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApiTest.kt
index 6f630ce1a..eea86fd2f 100644
--- a/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApiTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/mwapi/ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApiTest.kt
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import org.robolectric.RobolectricTestRunner
 import org.robolectric.RuntimeEnvironment
 import org.robolectric.annotation.Config
 import java.net.URLDecoder
+import java.text.SimpleDateFormat
 import java.util.*
 
 @RunWith(RobolectricTestRunner::class)
@@ -243,7 +244,11 @@ class ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApiTest {
 
     @Test
     fun isUserBlockedForTimeBlockedUser() {
-        server.enqueue(MockResponse().setBody("<?xml version=\"1.0\"?><api><query><userinfo id=\"1000\" name=\"testusername\" blockid=\"3000\" blockedby=\"blockerusername\" blockedbyid=\"1001\" blockreason=\"testing\" blockedtimestamp=\"2018-05-24T15:32:09Z\" blockexpiry=\"2014-09-18T12:34:56Z\"></userinfo></query></api>"))
+        val currentDate = Date()
+        val expiredDate = Date(currentDate.time + 10000)
+        val dateFormat = SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'")
+        dateFormat.setTimeZone(TimeZone.getTimeZone("UTC"))
+        server.enqueue(MockResponse().setBody("<?xml version=\"1.0\"?><api><query><userinfo id=\"1000\" name=\"testusername\" blockid=\"3000\" blockedby=\"blockerusername\" blockedbyid=\"1001\" blockreason=\"testing\" blockedtimestamp=\"2018-05-24T15:32:09Z\" blockexpiry=\"" + dateFormat.format(expiredDate) + "\"></userinfo></query></api>"))
 
         val result = testObject.isUserBlocked();
 
@@ -259,6 +264,28 @@ class ApacheHttpClientMediaWikiApiTest {
         assertTrue(result)
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun isUserBlockedForExpiredBlockedUser() {
+        val currentDate = Date()
+        val expiredDate = Date(currentDate.time - 10000)
+        val dateFormat = SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z'")
+        dateFormat.setTimeZone(TimeZone.getTimeZone("UTC"))
+        server.enqueue(MockResponse().setBody("<?xml version=\"1.0\"?><api><query><userinfo id=\"1000\" name=\"testusername\" blockid=\"3000\" blockedby=\"blockerusername\" blockedbyid=\"1001\" blockreason=\"testing\" blockedtimestamp=\"2018-05-24T15:32:09Z\" blockexpiry=\"" + dateFormat.format(expiredDate) + "\"></userinfo></query></api>"))
+
+        val result = testObject.isUserBlocked();
+
+        assertBasicRequestParameters(server, "GET").let { userBlockedRequest ->
+            parseQueryParams(userBlockedRequest).let { body ->
+                assertEquals("xml", body["format"])
+                assertEquals("query", body["action"])
+                assertEquals("userinfo", body["meta"])
+                assertEquals("blockinfo", body["uiprop"])
+            }
+        }
+
+        assertFalse(result)
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun isUserBlockedForNotBlockedUser() {
         server.enqueue(MockResponse().setBody("<?xml version=\"1.0\"?><api><query><userinfo id=\"1000\" name=\"testusername\"></userinfo></query></api>"))