diff --git a/src/chat/distributedchat.cc b/src/chat/distributedchat.cc
index cacd68e08a..d9786eb27e 100644
--- a/src/chat/distributedchat.cc
+++ b/src/chat/distributedchat.cc
@@ -694,11 +694,13 @@ void DistributedChatService::handleRecvChatLobbyEventItem(RsChatLobbyEventItem *
 #endif
 	rstime_t now = time(nullptr);
 
+	bool banned = false;
 	if( rsReputations->overallReputationLevel(item->signature.keyId) ==
 	         RsReputationLevel::LOCALLY_NEGATIVE )
 	{
         	std::cerr << "(WW) Received lobby msg/item from banned identity " << item->signature.keyId << ". Dropping it." << std::endl;
-	        return ;
+	        //return ; // need to go all checks to keep pings passing to gui
+          banned = true;
 	}
 	if(!checkSignature(item,item->PeerId()))	// check the object's signature and possibly request missing keys
 	{
@@ -744,11 +746,14 @@ void DistributedChatService::handleRecvChatLobbyEventItem(RsChatLobbyEventItem *
 		std::cerr << std::endl;
 		return ;
 	}
-	// add a routing clue for this peer/GXSid combination. This is quite reliable since the lobby transport is almost instantaneous
-	rsGRouter->addRoutingClue(GRouterKeyId(item->signature.keyId),item->PeerId()) ;
+  if(!banned)
+  {
+    // add a routing clue for this peer/GXSid combination. This is quite reliable since the lobby transport is almost instantaneous
+    rsGRouter->addRoutingClue(GRouterKeyId(item->signature.keyId),item->PeerId()) ;
     
-	if(! bounceLobbyObject(item,item->PeerId()))
+  if(! bounceLobbyObject(item,item->PeerId()))
 		return ;
+  }
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_CHAT_LOBBIES
 	std::cerr << "  doing specific job for this status item." << std::endl;
@@ -819,7 +824,7 @@ void DistributedChatService::handleRecvChatLobbyEventItem(RsChatLobbyEventItem *
 #endif
 		}
 	}
-
+  if(!banned || item->event_type == RS_CHAT_LOBBY_EVENT_KEEP_ALIVE)
     	RsServer::notify()->notifyChatLobbyEvent(item->lobby_id,item->event_type,item->signature.keyId,item->string1);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/services/p3gxsreputation.cc b/src/services/p3gxsreputation.cc
index 4b7383a936..220414008f 100644
--- a/src/services/p3gxsreputation.cc
+++ b/src/services/p3gxsreputation.cc
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ static const uint32_t UPPER_LIMIT                         = 2;        // used to
 static const int      kMaximumSetSize                     = 100;      // max set of updates to send at once.
 static const int      CLEANUP_PERIOD        = 600 ;     // 10 minutes
 //static const int      ACTIVE_FRIENDS_ONLINE_DELAY         = 86400*7 ; // 1 week.
-static const int      kReputationRequestPeriod            = 600;      // 10 mins
+static const int      kReputationRequestPeriod            = 63;      // 10 mins
 static const int      kReputationStoreWait                = 180;      // 3 minutes.
 //static const float    REPUTATION_ASSESSMENT_THRESHOLD_X1  = 0.5f ;    // reputation under which the peer gets killed. Warning there's a 1 shift with what's shown in GUI. Be careful.
 //static const uint32_t PGP_AUTO_BAN_THRESHOLD_DEFAULT      = 2 ;       // above this, auto ban any GXS id signed by this node