diff --git a/backend/src/plugins/ModActions/functions/isBanned.ts b/backend/src/plugins/ModActions/functions/isBanned.ts
index c809a30c..7bcd22d8 100644
--- a/backend/src/plugins/ModActions/functions/isBanned.ts
+++ b/backend/src/plugins/ModActions/functions/isBanned.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,44 @@
 import { GuildPluginData } from "knub";
 import { ModActionsPluginType } from "../types";
-import { isDiscordHTTPError } from "../../../utils";
+import { isDiscordHTTPError, isDiscordRESTError, SECONDS, sleep } from "../../../utils";
+import { LogsPlugin } from "../../Logs/LogsPlugin";
+import { LogType } from "../../../data/LogType";
+import { hasDiscordPermissions } from "../../../utils/hasDiscordPermissions";
+import { Constants } from "eris";
+
+export async function isBanned(
+  pluginData: GuildPluginData<ModActionsPluginType>,
+  userId: string,
+  timeout: number = 5 * SECONDS,
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  const botMember = pluginData.guild.members.get(pluginData.client.user.id);
+  if (botMember && !hasDiscordPermissions(botMember.permissions, Constants.Permissions.banMembers)) {
+    pluginData.getPlugin(LogsPlugin).log(LogType.BOT_ALERT, {
+      body: `Missing "Ban Members" permission to check for existing bans`,
+    });
+    return false;
+  }
 
-export async function isBanned(pluginData: GuildPluginData<ModActionsPluginType>, userId: string): Promise<boolean> {
   try {
-    const bans = await pluginData.guild.getBans();
-    return bans.some(b => b.user.id === userId);
+    const potentialBan = await Promise.race([pluginData.guild.getBan(userId), sleep(timeout)]);
+    return potentialBan != null;
   } catch (e) {
-    if (isDiscordHTTPError(e) && e.code === 500) {
+    if (isDiscordRESTError(e) && e.code === 10026) {
+      // [10026]: Unknown Ban
       return false;
     }
 
+    if (isDiscordHTTPError(e) && e.code === 500) {
+      // Internal server error, ignore
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    if (isDiscordRESTError(e) && e.code === 50013) {
+      pluginData.getPlugin(LogsPlugin).log(LogType.BOT_ALERT, {
+        body: `Missing "Ban Members" permission to check for existing bans`,
+      });
+    }
+
     throw e;
   }
 }