diff --git a/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go b/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go
index 5bdd3e33f..f831d6eba 100644
--- a/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go
+++ b/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ var Start action.GTSAction = func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		wellKnownModule   = api.NewWellKnown(processor)                                        // .well-known endpoints
 		nodeInfoModule    = api.NewNodeInfo(processor)                                         // nodeinfo endpoint
 		activityPubModule = api.NewActivityPub(dbService, processor)                           // ActivityPub endpoints
-		webModule         = web.New(processor)                                                 // web pages + user profiles + settings panels etc
+		webModule         = web.New(dbService, processor)                                      // web pages + user profiles + settings panels etc
 	)
 
 	// create required middleware
diff --git a/cmd/gotosocial/action/testrig/testrig.go b/cmd/gotosocial/action/testrig/testrig.go
index 8efc225a5..e3e907442 100644
--- a/cmd/gotosocial/action/testrig/testrig.go
+++ b/cmd/gotosocial/action/testrig/testrig.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ var Start action.GTSAction = func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		wellKnownModule   = api.NewWellKnown(processor)                                        // .well-known endpoints
 		nodeInfoModule    = api.NewNodeInfo(processor)                                         // nodeinfo endpoint
 		activityPubModule = api.NewActivityPub(dbService, processor)                           // ActivityPub endpoints
-		webModule         = web.New(processor)                                                 // web pages + user profiles + settings panels etc
+		webModule         = web.New(dbService, processor)                                      // web pages + user profiles + settings panels etc
 	)
 
 	// these should be routed in order
diff --git a/internal/web/web.go b/internal/web/web.go
index f4529286a..0fc1644c8 100644
--- a/internal/web/web.go
+++ b/internal/web/web.go
@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@
 package web
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"codeberg.org/gruf/go-cache/v3"
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/config"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/db"
 	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/log"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/middleware"
 	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/processing"
 	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/router"
 	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/uris"
@@ -33,10 +37,10 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	confirmEmailPath   = "/" + uris.ConfirmEmailPath
-	profilePath        = "/@:" + usernameKey
-	customCSSPath      = profilePath + "/custom.css"
-	rssFeedPath        = profilePath + "/feed.rss"
-	statusPath         = profilePath + "/statuses/:" + statusIDKey
+	profileGroupPath   = "/@:" + usernameKey
+	statusPath         = "/statuses/:" + statusIDKey // leave out the '/@:username' prefix as this will be served within the profile group
+	customCSSPath      = profileGroupPath + "/custom.css"
+	rssFeedPath        = profileGroupPath + "/feed.rss"
 	assetsPathPrefix   = "/assets"
 	distPathPrefix     = assetsPathPrefix + "/dist"
 	settingsPathPrefix = "/settings"
@@ -57,55 +61,52 @@ const (
 )
 
 type Module struct {
-	processor processing.Processor
-	eTagCache cache.Cache[string, eTagCacheEntry]
+	processor    processing.Processor
+	eTagCache    cache.Cache[string, eTagCacheEntry]
+	isURIBlocked func(context.Context, *url.URL) (bool, db.Error)
 }
 
-func New(processor processing.Processor) *Module {
+func New(db db.DB, processor processing.Processor) *Module {
 	return &Module{
-		processor: processor,
-		eTagCache: newETagCache(),
+		processor:    processor,
+		eTagCache:    newETagCache(),
+		isURIBlocked: db.IsURIBlocked,
 	}
 }
 
 func (m *Module) Route(r router.Router, mi ...gin.HandlerFunc) {
-	// serve static files from assets dir at /assets
-	assetsGroup := r.AttachGroup(assetsPathPrefix)
+	// Group all static files from assets dir at /assets,
+	// so that they can use the same cache control middleware.
 	webAssetsAbsFilePath, err := filepath.Abs(config.GetWebAssetBaseDir())
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Panicf("error getting absolute path of assets dir: %s", err)
 	}
-
 	fs := fileSystem{http.Dir(webAssetsAbsFilePath)}
-
-	// use the cache middleware on all handlers in this group
+	assetsGroup := r.AttachGroup(assetsPathPrefix)
 	assetsGroup.Use(m.assetsCacheControlMiddleware(fs))
 	assetsGroup.Use(mi...)
-
-	// serve static file system in the root of this group,
-	// will end up being something like "/assets/"
 	assetsGroup.StaticFS("/", fs)
 
-	/*
-		Attach individual web handlers which require no specific middlewares
-	*/
+	// handlers that serve profiles and statuses should use the SignatureCheck
+	// middleware, so that requests with content-type application/activity+json
+	// can still be served
+	profileGroup := r.AttachGroup(profileGroupPath)
+	profileGroup.Use(mi...)
+	profileGroup.Use(middleware.SignatureCheck(m.isURIBlocked), middleware.CacheControl("no-store"))
+	profileGroup.Handle(http.MethodGet, "", m.profileGETHandler) // use empty path here since it's the base of the group
+	profileGroup.Handle(http.MethodGet, statusPath, m.threadGETHandler)
 
+	// Attach individual web handlers which require no specific middlewares
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, "/", m.baseHandler) // front-page
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, settingsPathPrefix, m.SettingsPanelHandler)
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, settingsPanelGlob, m.SettingsPanelHandler)
-	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, profilePath, m.profileGETHandler)
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, customCSSPath, m.customCSSGETHandler)
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, rssFeedPath, m.rssFeedGETHandler)
-	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, statusPath, m.threadGETHandler)
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, confirmEmailPath, m.confirmEmailGETHandler)
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, robotsPath, m.robotsGETHandler)
-
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, domainBlockListPath, m.domainBlockListGETHandler)
 
-	/*
-		Attach redirects from old endpoints to current ones for backwards compatibility
-	*/
-
+	// Attach redirects from old endpoints to current ones for backwards compatibility
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, "/auth/edit", func(c *gin.Context) { c.Redirect(http.StatusMovedPermanently, userPanelPath) })
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, "/user", func(c *gin.Context) { c.Redirect(http.StatusMovedPermanently, userPanelPath) })
 	r.AttachHandler(http.MethodGet, "/admin", func(c *gin.Context) { c.Redirect(http.StatusMovedPermanently, adminPanelPath) })