diff --git a/app/hr/templates/hr/index.html b/app/hr/templates/hr/index.html
index 10a3267..e3b5b32 100644
--- a/app/hr/templates/hr/index.html
+++ b/app/hr/templates/hr/index.html
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@
 <h3>Applications</h3>
 <p><a href="{% url hr.views.view_applications %}">View your current open applications</a><br/>
 <a href="{% url hr.views.add_application %}">Create a application</a><br/></p>
+{% if can_recommend %}
 <h3>Recommendations</h3>
 <p>
 <a href="{% url hr.views.view_recommendations %}">View your current open recommendations</a><br/>
 <a href="{% url hr.views.add_recommendation %}">Add a recommendation</a><br/>
 </p>
+{% endif %}
 
 {% if hrstaff %}
 <h3>HR Admin</h3>
diff --git a/app/hr/utils.py b/app/hr/utils.py
index e19ef8c..b514343 100644
--- a/app/hr/utils.py
+++ b/app/hr/utils.py
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@ def installed(value):
     return False
 
 
-def blacklist_values(user):
+def blacklist_values(user, level=BLACKLIST_LEVEL_NOTE):
     """
     Returns a list of blacklist values that apply to the application
     """
 
     blacklist = []
-    bl_items = Blacklist.objects.filter(models.Q(expiry_date__gt=datetime.now()) | models.Q(expiry_date=None))
+    bl_items = Blacklist.objects.filter(level__lte=level, models.Q(expiry_date__gt=datetime.now()) | models.Q(expiry_date=None))
 
     # Check Reddit blacklists
     if installed('reddit'):
diff --git a/app/hr/views.py b/app/hr/views.py
index 5771086..9cb87ed 100644
--- a/app/hr/views.py
+++ b/app/hr/views.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from django.utils import simplejson
-from django.http import HttpResponseRedirect, HttpResponse
+from django.http import HttpResponseRedirect, HttpResponse, Http404
 from django.shortcuts import render_to_response, get_object_or_404, redirect
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.contrib import messages
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from django.template import RequestContext
 from django.template.loader import render_to_string
 from django.conf import settings
 
-from utils import installed
+from utils import installed, blacklist_values
 
 from eve_api.models import EVEAccount, EVEPlayerCorporation, EVEPlayerCharacter
 from hr.forms import CreateRecommendationForm, CreateApplicationForm, NoteForm, BlacklistUserForm, AdminNoteForm
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ def check_permissions(user, application=None):
 @login_required
 def index(request):
     hrstaff = check_permissions(request.user)
+    can_recommend = len(blacklist_values(request.user, BLACKLIST_LEVEL_ADVISORY))
     return render_to_response('hr/index.html', locals(), context_instance=RequestContext(request))
 
 ### Application Management
@@ -135,6 +136,11 @@ def view_recommendations(request):
 
 @login_required
 def add_recommendation(request):
+    """ Add a recommendation to a user's application """
+
+    # If the person has a blacklist, stop recommendations
+    if len(blacklist_values(request.user, BLACKLIST_LEVEL_ADVISORY)):
+        raise Http404
 
     clsform = CreateRecommendationForm(request.user)
     if request.method == 'POST':