diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/user_is_staff_plug.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/user_is_staff_plug.ex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49c2d9ccae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/user_is_staff_plug.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Pleroma: A lightweight social networking server
+# Copyright © 2017-2021 Pleroma Authors <https://pleroma.social/>
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+
+defmodule Pleroma.Web.Plugs.UserIsStaffPlug do
+  import Pleroma.Web.TranslationHelpers
+  import Plug.Conn
+
+  alias Pleroma.User
+
+  def init(options) do
+    options
+  end
+
+  def call(%{assigns: %{user: %User{is_admin: true}}} = conn, _), do: conn
+  def call(%{assigns: %{user: %User{is_moderator: true}}} = conn, _), do: conn
+
+  def call(conn, _) do
+    conn
+    |> render_error(:forbidden, "User is not a staff member.")
+    |> halt()
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
index a35deebe6d..62f98d114c 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
@@ -96,10 +96,14 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Router do
     plug(Pleroma.Web.Plugs.AdminSecretAuthenticationPlug)
     plug(:after_auth)
     plug(Pleroma.Web.Plugs.EnsureAuthenticatedPlug)
-    plug(Pleroma.Web.Plugs.UserIsAdminPlug)
+    plug(Pleroma.Web.Plugs.UserIsStaffPlug)
     plug(Pleroma.Web.Plugs.IdempotencyPlug)
   end
 
+  pipeline :require_admin do
+    plug(Pleroma.Web.Plugs.UserIsAdminPlug)
+  end
+
   pipeline :mastodon_html do
     plug(:browser)
     plug(:authenticate)
@@ -159,12 +163,11 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Router do
     post("/uploader_callback/:upload_path", UploaderController, :callback)
   end
 
+  # AdminAPI: only admins can perform these actions
   scope "/api/v1/pleroma/admin", Pleroma.Web.AdminAPI do
-    pipe_through(:admin_api)
+    pipe_through([:admin_api, :require_admin])
 
     put("/users/disable_mfa", AdminAPIController, :disable_mfa)
-    put("/users/tag", AdminAPIController, :tag_users)
-    delete("/users/tag", AdminAPIController, :untag_users)
 
     get("/users/:nickname/permission_group", AdminAPIController, :right_get)
     get("/users/:nickname/permission_group/:permission_group", AdminAPIController, :right_get)
@@ -187,34 +190,17 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Router do
 
     post("/users/follow", UserController, :follow)
     post("/users/unfollow", UserController, :unfollow)
-    delete("/users", UserController, :delete)
     post("/users", UserController, :create)
-    patch("/users/:nickname/toggle_activation", UserController, :toggle_activation)
-    patch("/users/activate", UserController, :activate)
-    patch("/users/deactivate", UserController, :deactivate)
-    patch("/users/approve", UserController, :approve)
 
     get("/relay", RelayController, :index)
     post("/relay", RelayController, :follow)
     delete("/relay", RelayController, :unfollow)
 
-    post("/users/invite_token", InviteController, :create)
-    get("/users/invites", InviteController, :index)
-    post("/users/revoke_invite", InviteController, :revoke)
-    post("/users/email_invite", InviteController, :email)
-
     get("/users/:nickname/password_reset", AdminAPIController, :get_password_reset)
     patch("/users/force_password_reset", AdminAPIController, :force_password_reset)
     get("/users/:nickname/credentials", AdminAPIController, :show_user_credentials)
     patch("/users/:nickname/credentials", AdminAPIController, :update_user_credentials)
 
-    get("/users", UserController, :list)
-    get("/users/:nickname", UserController, :show)
-    get("/users/:nickname/statuses", AdminAPIController, :list_user_statuses)
-    get("/users/:nickname/chats", AdminAPIController, :list_user_chats)
-
-    get("/instances/:instance/statuses", AdminAPIController, :list_instance_statuses)
-
     get("/instance_document/:name", InstanceDocumentController, :show)
     patch("/instance_document/:name", InstanceDocumentController, :update)
     delete("/instance_document/:name", InstanceDocumentController, :delete)
@@ -222,6 +208,57 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Router do
     patch("/users/confirm_email", AdminAPIController, :confirm_email)
     patch("/users/resend_confirmation_email", AdminAPIController, :resend_confirmation_email)
 
+    get("/config", ConfigController, :show)
+    post("/config", ConfigController, :update)
+    get("/config/descriptions", ConfigController, :descriptions)
+    get("/need_reboot", AdminAPIController, :need_reboot)
+    get("/restart", AdminAPIController, :restart)
+
+    get("/oauth_app", OAuthAppController, :index)
+    post("/oauth_app", OAuthAppController, :create)
+    patch("/oauth_app/:id", OAuthAppController, :update)
+    delete("/oauth_app/:id", OAuthAppController, :delete)
+
+    get("/media_proxy_caches", MediaProxyCacheController, :index)
+    post("/media_proxy_caches/delete", MediaProxyCacheController, :delete)
+    post("/media_proxy_caches/purge", MediaProxyCacheController, :purge)
+
+    get("/frontends", FrontendController, :index)
+    post("/frontends/install", FrontendController, :install)
+
+    post("/backups", AdminAPIController, :create_backup)
+
+    get("/email_list/subscribers.csv", EmailListController, :subscribers)
+    get("/email_list/unsubscribers.csv", EmailListController, :unsubscribers)
+    get("/email_list/combined.csv", EmailListController, :combined)
+  end
+
+  # AdminAPI: admins and mods (staff) can perform these actions
+  scope "/api/v1/pleroma/admin", Pleroma.Web.AdminAPI do
+    pipe_through(:admin_api)
+
+    put("/users/tag", AdminAPIController, :tag_users)
+    delete("/users/tag", AdminAPIController, :untag_users)
+
+    patch("/users/:nickname/toggle_activation", UserController, :toggle_activation)
+    patch("/users/activate", UserController, :activate)
+    patch("/users/deactivate", UserController, :deactivate)
+    patch("/users/approve", UserController, :approve)
+
+    delete("/users", UserController, :delete)
+
+    post("/users/invite_token", InviteController, :create)
+    get("/users/invites", InviteController, :index)
+    post("/users/revoke_invite", InviteController, :revoke)
+    post("/users/email_invite", InviteController, :email)
+
+    get("/users", UserController, :list)
+    get("/users/:nickname", UserController, :show)
+    get("/users/:nickname/statuses", AdminAPIController, :list_user_statuses)
+    get("/users/:nickname/chats", AdminAPIController, :list_user_chats)
+
+    get("/instances/:instance/statuses", AdminAPIController, :list_instance_statuses)
+
     get("/reports", ReportController, :index)
     get("/reports/:id", ReportController, :show)
     patch("/reports", ReportController, :update)
@@ -233,38 +270,14 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Router do
     delete("/statuses/:id", StatusController, :delete)
     get("/statuses", StatusController, :index)
 
-    get("/config", ConfigController, :show)
-    post("/config", ConfigController, :update)
-    get("/config/descriptions", ConfigController, :descriptions)
-    get("/need_reboot", AdminAPIController, :need_reboot)
-    get("/restart", AdminAPIController, :restart)
-
     get("/moderation_log", AdminAPIController, :list_log)
 
     post("/reload_emoji", AdminAPIController, :reload_emoji)
     get("/stats", AdminAPIController, :stats)
 
-    get("/oauth_app", OAuthAppController, :index)
-    post("/oauth_app", OAuthAppController, :create)
-    patch("/oauth_app/:id", OAuthAppController, :update)
-    delete("/oauth_app/:id", OAuthAppController, :delete)
-
-    get("/media_proxy_caches", MediaProxyCacheController, :index)
-    post("/media_proxy_caches/delete", MediaProxyCacheController, :delete)
-    post("/media_proxy_caches/purge", MediaProxyCacheController, :purge)
-
     get("/chats/:id", ChatController, :show)
     get("/chats/:id/messages", ChatController, :messages)
     delete("/chats/:id/messages/:message_id", ChatController, :delete_message)
-
-    get("/frontends", FrontendController, :index)
-    post("/frontends/install", FrontendController, :install)
-
-    post("/backups", AdminAPIController, :create_backup)
-
-    get("/email_list/subscribers.csv", EmailListController, :subscribers)
-    get("/email_list/unsubscribers.csv", EmailListController, :unsubscribers)
-    get("/email_list/combined.csv", EmailListController, :combined)
   end
 
   scope "/api/v1/pleroma/emoji", Pleroma.Web.PleromaAPI do
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/report_controller_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/report_controller_test.exs
index 6a2986b5ff..8102845d57 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/report_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/report_controller_test.exs
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ test "returns 403 when requested by a non-admin" do
         |> get("/api/pleroma/admin/reports")
 
       assert json_response(conn, :forbidden) ==
-               %{"error" => "User is not an admin."}
+               %{"error" => "User is not a staff member."}
     end
 
     test "returns 403 when requested by anonymous" do
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/plugs/user_is_staff_plug_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/plugs/user_is_staff_plug_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a0c4061dba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/plugs/user_is_staff_plug_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Pleroma: A lightweight social networking server
+# Copyright © 2017-2021 Pleroma Authors <https://pleroma.social/>
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+
+defmodule Pleroma.Web.Plugs.UserIsStaffPlugTest do
+  use Pleroma.Web.ConnCase, async: true
+
+  alias Pleroma.Web.Plugs.UserIsStaffPlug
+  import Pleroma.Factory
+
+  test "accepts a user that is an admin" do
+    user = insert(:user, is_admin: true)
+
+    conn = assign(build_conn(), :user, user)
+
+    ret_conn = UserIsStaffPlug.call(conn, %{})
+
+    assert conn == ret_conn
+  end
+
+  test "accepts a user that is a moderator" do
+    user = insert(:user, is_moderator: true)
+
+    conn = assign(build_conn(), :user, user)
+
+    ret_conn = UserIsStaffPlug.call(conn, %{})
+
+    assert conn == ret_conn
+  end
+
+  test "denies a user that isn't a staff member" do
+    user = insert(:user)
+
+    conn =
+      build_conn()
+      |> assign(:user, user)
+      |> UserIsStaffPlug.call(%{})
+
+    assert conn.status == 403
+  end
+
+  test "denies when a user isn't set" do
+    conn = UserIsStaffPlug.call(build_conn(), %{})
+
+    assert conn.status == 403
+  end
+end