diff --git a/app/storyteller_web/src/http_server/middleware/ip_filter_middleware.rs b/app/storyteller_web/src/http_server/middleware/ip_filter_middleware.rs
index b78c91ffba..015e6b8d14 100644
--- a/app/storyteller_web/src/http_server/middleware/ip_filter_middleware.rs
+++ b/app/storyteller_web/src/http_server/middleware/ip_filter_middleware.rs
@@ -22,9 +22,50 @@ use std::task::{Context, Poll};
 
 use actix_web::dev::{Service, Transform};
 use actix_web::dev::{ServiceRequest, ServiceResponse};
-use actix_web::Error;
+use actix_web::{Error, HttpResponse};
 use futures_util::future::{err, ok, Either, Ready};
 
+use derive_more::{Display, Error as ErrorE};
+use actix_web::{ResponseError, HttpMessage, HttpRequest, HttpResponseBuilder};
+use actix_http::StatusCode;
+use actix_http::{error, body::Body, Response};
+use actix_web::web::{BytesMut, Buf, BufMut};
+use actix_http::http::{header, HeaderMap, HeaderValue};
+use std::io::Write;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Display, ErrorE)]
+pub struct BannedError {
+}
+
+impl ResponseError for BannedError {
+  fn status_code(&self) -> StatusCode {
+    StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED
+  }
+  fn error_response(&self) -> HttpResponse<Body> {
+    // let mut res = Response::new(self.status_code());
+    // res.headers_mut().insert(
+    //     header::CONTENT_TYPE,
+    //     header::HeaderValue::from_static("application/json"),
+    // );
+    // res.set_body(Body::from(self.to_string())).into()
+    /*let mut res = Response::new(self.status_code());
+    let mut buf = BytesMut::new().writer();
+    let _ = write!(buf, "{}", self);
+
+    res.headers_mut().insert(
+      header::CONTENT_TYPE,
+      header::HeaderValue::from_static("application/json"),
+    );
+    res.set_body(Body::from(buf.into_inner())).into()*/
+
+    HttpResponseBuilder::new(self.status_code())
+      .set_header(header::CONTENT_TYPE, "application/json")
+      .body("TODO")
+  }
+}
+
+
+
 // There are two steps in middleware processing.
 // 1. Middleware initialization, middleware factory gets called with
 //    next service in chain as parameter.
@@ -88,6 +129,15 @@ impl<S> Service<ServiceRequest> for IpFilterMiddleware<S>
     // NB: Fail open.
     let is_banned = self.ip_banlist.is_banned(&ip_address).unwrap_or(false);
 
+    if is_banned {
+      let res = req.into_response(
+        HttpResponse::Unauthorized()
+            .finish());
+      //return Either::Right(err(Error::from(error)));
+      //return Err(Error::from(UserError::ValidationError { field: "token invalid".to_string() }));
+      return Either::Right(err(Error::from(BannedError {})))
+    }
+
     Either::Left(self.service.call(req))
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file