diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/actions/users.js b/client/coral-admin/src/actions/users.js
index 7b05cd0cd..44f0325d9 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/actions/users.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/actions/users.js
@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@ import * as userTypes from '../constants/users';
  */
 // change status of a user
 export const userStatusUpdate = (status, userId, commentId) => {
-  return (dispatch, getState) => {
+  return (dispatch) => {
     dispatch({type: userTypes.UPDATE_STATUS_REQUEST});
-    const _csrf = getState().auth.get('_csrf');
-    return coralApi(`/users/${userId}/status`, {method: 'POST', body: {status: status, comment_id: commentId}, _csrf})
+    return coralApi(`/users/${userId}/status`, {method: 'POST', body: {status: status, comment_id: commentId}})
       .then(res => dispatch({type: userTypes.UPDATE_STATUS_SUCCESS, res}))
       .catch(error => dispatch({type: userTypes.UPDATE_STATUS_FAILURE, error}));
   };
@@ -17,9 +16,8 @@ export const userStatusUpdate = (status, userId, commentId) => {
 
 // change status of a user
 export const sendNotificationEmail = (userId, subject, body) => {
-  return (dispatch, getState) => {
-    const _csrf = getState().auth.get('_csrf');
-    return coralApi(`/users/${userId}/email`, {method: 'POST', body: {subject, body}, _csrf})
+  return (dispatch) => {
+    return coralApi(`/users/${userId}/email`, {method: 'POST', body: {subject, body}})
       .catch(error => dispatch({type: userTypes.USER_EMAIL_FAILURE, error}));
   };
 };
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/components/BanUserDialog.js b/client/coral-admin/src/components/BanUserDialog.js
index b151d3020..f1d289fe6 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/components/BanUserDialog.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/components/BanUserDialog.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const BanUserDialog = ({open, handleClose, onClickBanUser, user = {}}) => (
         <Button cStyle="cancel" className={styles.cancel} onClick={() => handleClose()} full>
           {lang.t('bandialog.cancel')}
         </Button>
-        <Button cStyle="black" onClick={() => onClickBanUser(user.userId, user.commentId)} full>
+        <Button cStyle="black" onClick={() => onClickBanUser('banned', user.userId, user.commentId)} full>
           {lang.t('bandialog.yes_ban_user')}
         </Button>
       </div>
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/components/Comment.js b/client/coral-admin/src/components/Comment.js
index 2304e47c5..6b3baf9b2 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/components/Comment.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/components/Comment.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ const Comment = props => {
 
 // Get the button of the action performed over a comment if any
 const getActionButton = (option, i, props) => {
-  const {comment, author, menuOptionsMap, action} = props;
+  const {comment, author, menuOptionsMap} = props;
   const status = comment.status;
   const flagged = comment.flagged;
   const banned = (author.status === 'banned');
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ const getActionButton = (option, i, props) => {
       cStyle={option}
       icon={menuOption.icon}
       key={i}
-      onClick={() => props.onClickAction(menuOption.status, comment, action)}
+      onClick={() => props.onClickAction(menuOption.status, comment, {item_type: 'comment'})}
     />
   );
 };
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/components/ModerationList.js b/client/coral-admin/src/components/ModerationList.js
index 10d4aa1cc..c1689b18e 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/components/ModerationList.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/components/ModerationList.js
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ export default class ModerationList extends React.Component {
       // If a user bio or name is rejected, bring up a dialog before suspending them.
       if (menuOption === 'rejected') {
         this.setState({suspendUserModal: action});
-      } else {
-        this.props.userStatusUpdate(menuOption, action.item_id);
+      } else if (menuOption === 'accepted') {
+        this.props.userStatusUpdate('active', action.item_id);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/components/UserAction.js b/client/coral-admin/src/components/UserAction.js
index 356628e7a..335529ef0 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/components/UserAction.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/components/UserAction.js
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ const UserAction = props => {
   let userStatus = user.status;
   const links = user.settings.bio ? linkify.getMatches(user.settings.bio) : [];
 
-  return (
+  //Do not display if the user status is 'active'. This means that they have already been reviewed and approved.
+
+  return userStatus !== 'active' &&
     <li tabIndex={props.index} className={`${styles.listItem} ${props.isActive && !props.hideActive ? styles.activeItem : ''}`}>
       <div className={styles.itemHeader}>
         <div className={styles.author}>
@@ -55,8 +57,7 @@ const UserAction = props => {
       <div className={styles.flagCount}>
         {`${action.count} ${action.action_type === 'flag_bio' ? lang.t('user.bio_flags') : lang.t('user.username_flags')}`}
       </div>
-    </li>
-  );
+    </li>;
 };
 
 export default UserAction;
@@ -71,17 +72,14 @@ const getActionButton = (option, i, props) => {
     return null;
   }
   if (option === 'ban') {
-    return (
-      <Button
+    return <Button
         className='ban'
         cStyle='black'
         disabled={banned ? 'disabled' : ''}
         onClick={() => onClickShowBanDialog(user.id, user.displayName)}
-        key={i}
-      >
+        key={i}>
         {lang.t('comment.ban_user')}
-      </Button>
-    );
+      </Button>;
   }
   const menuOption = menuOptionsMap[option];
   return (
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationContainer.js b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationContainer.js
index b3b134460..e56b8cf6e 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationContainer.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationContainer.js
@@ -96,10 +96,9 @@ const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch => {
     fetchModerationQueueComments: () => dispatch(fetchModerationQueueComments()),
     showBanUserDialog: (userId, userName, commentId) => dispatch(showBanUserDialog(userId, userName, commentId)),
     hideBanUserDialog: () => dispatch(hideBanUserDialog(false)),
-    banUser: (userId, commentId) => dispatch(userStatusUpdate('banned', userId, commentId)).then(() => {
+    userStatusUpdate: (status, userId, commentId) => dispatch(userStatusUpdate(status, userId, commentId)).then(() => {
       dispatch(fetchModerationQueueComments());
     }),
-    userStatusUpdate: (status, userId, commentId) => dispatch(userStatusUpdate(status, userId, commentId)),
     suspendUser: (userId, subject, text) => dispatch(userStatusUpdate('suspended', userId))
     .then(() => dispatch(sendNotificationEmail(userId, subject, text)))
     .then(() => dispatch(fetchModerationQueueComments()))
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationQueue.js b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationQueue.js
index 75655c252..853e4a513 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationQueue.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/ModerationQueue/ModerationQueue.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export default (props) => (
         <BanUserDialog
           open={props.comments.showBanUserDialog}
           handleClose={props.hideBanUserDialog}
-          onClickBanUser={props.banUser}
+          onClickBanUser={props.userStatusUpdate}
           user={props.comments.banUser}
         />
       </div>
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export default (props) => (
         <BanUserDialog
           open={props.comments.showBanUserDialog}
           handleClose={props.hideBanUserDialog}
-          onClickBanUser={props.banUser}
+          onClickBanUser={props.userStatusUpdate}
           user={props.comments.banUser}
         />
       </div>
diff --git a/routes/api/users/index.js b/routes/api/users/index.js
index cb73f33b0..9bf7d6b10 100644
--- a/routes/api/users/index.js
+++ b/routes/api/users/index.js
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ router.post('/', (req, res, next) => {
 });
 
 router.post('/:user_id/actions', authorization.needed(), (req, res, next) => {
-
   const {
     action_type,
     metadata
@@ -133,6 +132,16 @@ router.post('/:user_id/actions', authorization.needed(), (req, res, next) => {
 
   User
     .addAction(req.params.user_id, req.user.id, action_type, metadata)
+    .then((action) => {
+
+      // Set the user status to "pending" for review by moderators
+      if (action_type.slice(0, 4) === 'flag') {
+        return User.setStatus(req.user.id, 'pending')
+          .then(() => action);
+      } else {
+        return action;
+      }
+    })
     .then((action) => {
       res.status(201).json(action);
     })