diff --git a/app/Services/MediaBlocklistService.php b/app/Services/MediaBlocklistService.php
index d674b3f2f..cffa8dd00 100644
--- a/app/Services/MediaBlocklistService.php
+++ b/app/Services/MediaBlocklistService.php
@@ -15,18 +15,12 @@ class MediaBlocklistService
 
     public static function exists($hash)
     {
-        $hashes = self::get();
-
-        return in_array($hash, $hashes) == true;
+        return MediaBlocklist::whereSha256($hash)->whereActive(true)->exists();
     }
 
     public static function remove($hash)
     {
-        if (! self::exists($hash)) {
-            return;
-        }
         MediaBlocklist::whereSha256($hash)->delete();
-
     }
 
     public static function add($hash, $metadata)
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Services/MediaBlocklistServiceTest.php b/tests/Feature/Services/MediaBlocklistServiceTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e16d292c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/Services/MediaBlocklistServiceTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Models\MediaBlocklist;
+use App\Services\MediaBlocklistService;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\LazilyRefreshDatabase;
+
+uses(LazilyRefreshDatabase::class);
+
+/*
+|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+| MediaBlocklistService lookups
+|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+|
+| exists() must use a targeted indexed query (only active hashes), and
+| remove() must delete a hash regardless of its active state (previously it
+| early-returned via exists(), so inactive hashes could never be removed).
+|
+*/
+
+function makeBlocklistHash(string $sha256, bool $active): MediaBlocklist
+{
+    $m = new MediaBlocklist;
+    $m->sha256 = $sha256;
+    $m->active = $active;
+    $m->save();
+
+    return $m;
+}
+
+it('reports an active hash as existing', function () {
+    makeBlocklistHash('aaaa1111', true);
+
+    expect(MediaBlocklistService::exists('aaaa1111'))->toBeTrue();
+});
+
+it('does not report an inactive hash as existing', function () {
+    makeBlocklistHash('bbbb2222', false);
+
+    expect(MediaBlocklistService::exists('bbbb2222'))->toBeFalse();
+});
+
+it('reports an unknown hash as not existing', function () {
+    expect(MediaBlocklistService::exists('cccc3333'))->toBeFalse();
+});
+
+it('removes an inactive hash that exists() would not match', function () {
+    makeBlocklistHash('dddd4444', false);
+
+    MediaBlocklistService::remove('dddd4444');
+
+    expect(MediaBlocklist::whereSha256('dddd4444')->exists())->toBeFalse();
+});
+
+it('removes an active hash', function () {
+    makeBlocklistHash('eeee5555', true);
+
+    MediaBlocklistService::remove('eeee5555');
+
+    expect(MediaBlocklist::whereSha256('eeee5555')->exists())->toBeFalse();
+});