diff --git a/src/headless/plugins/blocking/api.js b/src/headless/plugins/blocking/api.js
index 7141629949..0cb9ad2562 100644
--- a/src/headless/plugins/blocking/api.js
+++ b/src/headless/plugins/blocking/api.js
@@ -51,50 +51,52 @@ export default {
      * @method api.handleBlockingStanza
      * @param { Object } [stanza] - The incoming stanza to handle
      */
-    handleBlockingStanza (stanza) {
-        if (stanza.firstElementChild.tagName === 'block') {
-            const users_to_block = sizzle('item', stanza).map((item) => item.getAttribute('jid'));
-            users_to_block.forEach(_converse.blocked.get('set').add, _converse.blocked.get('set'));
-        } else if (stanza.firstElementChild.tagName === 'unblock') {
-            const users_to_unblock = sizzle('item', stanza).map((item) => item.getAttribute('jid'));
-            users_to_unblock.forEach(_converse.blocked.get('set').delete, _converse.blocked.get('set'));
+    handleBlockingStanza ( stanza ) {
+        const action = stanza.firstElementChild.tagName;
+        const items = sizzle('item', stanza).map(item => item.getAttribute('jid'));
+        if (action == 'block') {
+            items.forEach((item) => { _converse.blocked.get('set').add(item)});
+        } else if (action == 'unblock') {
+            items.forEach((item) => { _converse.blocked.get('set').delete(item)});
         } else {
-            log.error('Received blocklist push update but could not interpret it.');
+            log.error("Received a blocklist push update but could not interpret it.");
         }
         // TODO: Fix this to not use the length as an update key, and
         // use a more accurate update method, like a length-extendable hash
         _converse.blocked.set({ 'len': _converse.blocked.get('set').size });
+
+        return true;
     },
 
     /**
-     * Blocks JIDs by sending an IQ stanza
-     * @method api.blockUser
-     *
-     * @param { Array } [jid_list] - The list of JIDs to block
+     * Send block/unblock IQ stanzas to the server for the JID specified
+     * @method api.sendBlockingStanza
+     * @param { String } action - "block" or "unblock"
+     * @param { Array } [jid_list] - The list of JIDs to block or unblock
      */
-    async blockUser (jid_list) {
-        if (!_converse.disco_entities.get(_converse.domain)?.features?.findWhere({ 'var': Strophe.NS.BLOCKING })) {
+    async sendBlockingStanza ( action, jid_list ) {
+        if (!_converse.disco_entities.get(_converse.domain)?.features?.findWhere({'var': Strophe.NS.BLOCKING})) {
+            log.error("block/unblock not supported, aborting");
             return false;
         }
         if (!_converse.connection) {
+            log.error("connection down, cannot block/unblock");
             return false;
         }
 
-        const block_items = jid_list.map((jid) => Strophe.xmlElement('item', { 'jid': jid }));
-        const block_element = Strophe.xmlElement('block', { 'xmlns': Strophe.NS.BLOCKING });
-
-        block_items.forEach(block_element.appendChild, block_element);
+        const element = Strophe.xmlElement(action, {'xmlns': Strophe.NS.BLOCKING});
+        jid_list.forEach((jid) => {
+            const item = Strophe.xmlElement('item', { 'jid': jid });
+            element.append(item);
+        });
 
         const iq = $iq({
-            'type': 'set',
-            'id': u.getUniqueId('block'),
-        }).cnode(block_element);
+                'type': 'set',
+                'id': u.getUniqueId(action)
+            }).cnode(element);
 
-        const result = await api.sendIQ(iq).catch((e) => {
-            log.fatal(e);
-            return false;
-        });
-        const err_msg = `An error occured while trying to block user(s) ${jid_list}`;
+        const result = await api.sendIQ(iq).catch(e => { log.fatal(e); return false });
+        const err_msg = `An error occured while trying to ${action} user(s) ${jid_list}`;
         if (result === null) {
             api.alert('error', __('Error'), err_msg);
             log(err_msg, Strophe.LogLevel.WARN);
@@ -108,43 +110,13 @@ export default {
     },
 
     /**
-     * Unblocks JIDs by sending an IQ stanza to the server JID specified
-     * @method api.unblockUser
-     * @param { Array } [jid_list] - The list of JIDs to unblock
+     * Blocks JIDs by sending an IQ stanza
+     * @method api.blockUser
+     *
+     * @param { Array } [jid_list] - The list of JIDs to block
      */
-    async unblockUser (jid_list) {
-        if (!_converse.disco_entities.get(_converse.domain)?.features?.findWhere({ 'var': Strophe.NS.BLOCKING })) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        if (!_converse.connection) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        const unblock_items = jid_list.map((jid) => Strophe.xmlElement('item', { 'jid': jid }));
-        const unblock_element = Strophe.xmlElement('unblock', { 'xmlns': Strophe.NS.BLOCKING });
-
-        unblock_items.forEach(unblock_element.append, unblock_element);
-
-        const iq = $iq({
-            'type': 'set',
-            'id': u.getUniqueId('block'),
-        }).cnode(unblock_element);
-
-        const result = await api.sendIQ(iq).catch((e) => {
-            log.fatal(e);
-            return false;
-        });
-        const err_msg = `An error occured while trying to unblock user(s) ${jid_list}`;
-        if (result === null) {
-            api.alert('error', __('Error'), err_msg);
-            log(err_msg, Strophe.LogLevel.WARN);
-            return false;
-        } else if (u.isErrorStanza(result)) {
-            log.error(err_msg);
-            log.error(result);
-            return false;
-        }
-        return true;
+    blockUser ( jid_list ) {
+        return api.sendBlockingStanza( "block", jid_list );
     },
 
     /**
@@ -154,4 +126,13 @@ export default {
     blockedUsers () {
         return _converse.blocked.get('set');
     },
-};
+
+    /**
+     * Unblocks JIDs by sending an IQ stanza to the server JID specified
+     * @method api.unblockUser
+     * @param { Array } [jid_list] - The list of JIDs to unblock
+     */
+    unblockUser ( jid_list ) {
+        return api.sendBlockingStanza( "unblock", jid_list );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/headless/plugins/blocking/utils.js b/src/headless/plugins/blocking/utils.js
index f8faedb98c..45312d0ee8 100644
--- a/src/headless/plugins/blocking/utils.js
+++ b/src/headless/plugins/blocking/utils.js
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ const { Strophe } = converse.env;
 
 export function onConnected () {
     api.refreshBlocklist();
-    _converse.connection.addHandler(api.handleBlockingStanza, Strophe.NS.BLOCKING, 'iq', 'set', null, null);
+    _converse.connection.addHandler(api.handleBlockingStanza, Strophe.NS.BLOCKING, 'iq', 'set');
 }