diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py
index 2753104b2..a365f4cc0 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py
@@ -173,35 +173,17 @@ class Reject(Verb):
     def action(self, allow_external_connections=True):
         """reject a follow or follow request"""
 
-        if self.object.type == "Follow":
-            model = apps.get_model("bookwyrm.UserFollowRequest")
-            obj = self.object.to_model(
+        for model_name in ["UserFollowRequest", "UserFollows", None]:
+            model = apps.get_model(f"bookwyrm.{model_name}") if model_name else None
+            if obj := self.object.to_model(
                 model=model,
                 save=False,
                 allow_create=False,
                 allow_external_connections=allow_external_connections,
-            )
-            if not obj:
-                # This is a deletion (soft-block) of an accepted follow
-                model = apps.get_model("bookwyrm.UserFollows")
-                obj = self.object.to_model(
-                    model=model,
-                    save=False,
-                    allow_create=False,
-                    allow_external_connections=allow_external_connections,
-                )
-        else:
-            # it's something else
-            obj = self.object.to_model(
-                model=model,
-                save=False,
-                allow_create=False,
-                allow_external_connections=allow_external_connections,
-            )
-        if not obj:
-            # if we don't have the object, we can't reject it.
-            return
-        obj.reject()
+            ):
+                # Reject the first model that can be built.
+                obj.reject()
+                break
 
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js b/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js
index 7093219e5..dcde9cc72 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js
+++ b/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js
@@ -330,30 +330,17 @@ let BookWyrm = new (class {
 
         const bookwyrm = this;
         const form = event.currentTarget;
-        const formAction = event.submitter.getAttribute("formaction") || form.action;
         const relatedforms = document.querySelectorAll(`.${form.dataset.id}`);
 
-        // Toggle class on all related forms.
-        if (formAction == "/remove-follow") {
-            // Remove ALL follow/unfollow/remote buttons
-            relatedforms.forEach((relatedForm) => relatedForm.classList.add("is-hidden"));
+        relatedforms.forEach((relatedForm) =>
+            bookwyrm.addRemoveClass(
+                relatedForm,
+                "is-hidden",
+                relatedForm.className.indexOf("is-hidden") == -1
+            )
+        );
 
-            // Remove orphaned user-options dropdown
-            const parent = form.parentElement;
-            const next = parent.nextElementSibling;
-
-            next.classList.add("is-hidden");
-        } else {
-            relatedforms.forEach((relatedForm) =>
-                bookwyrm.addRemoveClass(
-                    relatedForm,
-                    "is-hidden",
-                    relatedForm.className.indexOf("is-hidden") == -1
-                )
-            );
-        }
-
-        this.ajaxPost(formAction, form).catch((error) => {
+        this.ajaxPost(form).catch((error) => {
             // @todo Display a notification in the UI instead.
             console.warn("Request failed:", error);
         });
@@ -365,8 +352,8 @@ let BookWyrm = new (class {
      * @param  {object} form - Form to be submitted
      * @return {Promise}
      */
-    ajaxPost(target, form) {
-        return fetch(target, {
+    ajaxPost(form) {
+        return fetch(form.action, {
             method: "POST",
             body: new FormData(form),
             headers: {
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/follow_button.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/follow_button.html
index 5c0839065..28b979987 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/follow_button.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/follow_button.html
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 <div class="field{% if not minimal %} has-addons{% else %} mb-0{% endif %}">
     <div class="control">
-        {% if not followers_page %}
         <form action="{% url 'follow' %}" method="POST" class="interaction follow_{{ user.id }} {% if relationship.is_following or relationship.is_follow_pending %}is-hidden{%endif %}" data-id="follow_{{ user.id }}">
             {% csrf_token %}
             <input type="hidden" name="user" value="{{ user.username }}">
@@ -24,22 +23,13 @@
                 {% endif %}
             </button>
         </form>
-        {% endif %}
-        <form action="{% url 'unfollow' %}" method="POST" class="interaction follow_{{ user.id }}" data-id="follow_{{ user.id }}">
+        <form action="{% url 'unfollow' %}" method="POST" class="interaction follow_{{ user.id }} {% if not relationship.is_following and not relationship.is_follow_pending %}is-hidden{%endif %}" data-id="follow_{{ user.id }}">
             {% csrf_token %}
             <input type="hidden" name="user" value="{{ user.username }}">
             {% if relationship.is_follow_pending %}
             <button class="button is-small is-danger is-light" type="submit">
                 {% trans "Undo follow request" %}
             </button>
-            {% elif followers_page %}
-            <button class="button is-small is-danger is-light" type="submit" formaction="{% url 'remove-follow' %}">
-                {% if show_username %}
-                {% blocktrans with username=user.localname %}Remove @{{ username }}{% endblocktrans %}
-                {% else %}
-                {% trans "Remove" %}
-                {% endif %}
-            </button>
             {% else %}
             <button class="button is-small is-danger is-light" type="submit">
                 {% if show_username %}
@@ -53,7 +43,7 @@
     </div>
     {% if not minimal %}
     <div class="control">
-        {% include 'snippets/user_options.html' with user=user class="is-small" %}
+        {% include 'snippets/user_options.html' with user=user followers_page=followers_page class="is-small" %}
     </div>
     {% endif %}
 </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/remove_follower_button.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/remove_follower_button.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..28bef6842
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/remove_follower_button.html
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{% load i18n %}
+<form name="remove" method="post" action="/remove-follow/{{ user.id }}">
+    {% csrf_token %}
+    <button class="button is-danger is-light is-small {{ class }}" type="submit">{% trans "Remove" %}</button>
+</form>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html
index 35abc98c2..ab028a494 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/user_options.html
@@ -20,4 +20,9 @@
 <li role="menuitem">
     {% include 'snippets/block_button.html' with user=user class="is-fullwidth" blocks=False %}
 </li>
+{% if followers_page %}
+<li role="menuitem">
+    {% include 'snippets/remove_follower_button.html' with user=user class="is-fullwidth" blocks=False %}
+</li>
+{% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_follow.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_follow.py
index d18e24f89..8d73a666c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_follow.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_follow.py
@@ -180,6 +180,18 @@ class FollowViews(TestCase):
         # follow relationship should not exist
         self.assertEqual(models.UserFollows.objects.filter(id=rel.id).count(), 0)
 
+    def test_handle_reject_existing(self, *_):
+        """reject a follow previously approved"""
+        request = self.factory.post("", {"user": self.remote_user.username})
+        request.user = self.local_user
+        rel = models.UserFollows.objects.create(
+            user_subject=self.remote_user, user_object=self.local_user
+        )
+        with patch("bookwyrm.models.activitypub_mixin.broadcast_task.apply_async"):
+            views.remove_follow(request, self.remote_user.id)
+        # follow relationship should not exist
+        self.assertEqual(models.UserFollows.objects.filter(id=rel.id).count(), 0)
+
     def test_ostatus_follow_request(self, *_):
         """check ostatus subscribe template loads"""
         request = self.factory.get(
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index ab1dca378..41eff3b8c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -763,7 +763,9 @@ urlpatterns = [
     # following
     re_path(r"^follow/?$", views.follow, name="follow"),
     re_path(r"^unfollow/?$", views.unfollow, name="unfollow"),
-    re_path(r"^remove-follow/?$", views.remove_follow, name="remove-follow"),
+    re_path(
+        r"^remove-follow/(?P<user_id>\d+)/?$", views.remove_follow, name="remove-follow"
+    ),
     re_path(r"^accept-follow-request/?$", views.accept_follow_request),
     re_path(r"^delete-follow-request/?$", views.delete_follow_request),
     re_path(r"^ostatus_follow/?$", views.remote_follow, name="remote-follow"),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/follow.py b/bookwyrm/views/follow.py
index f9a09e2c9..dcb1c695c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/follow.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/follow.py
@@ -71,11 +71,10 @@ def unfollow(request):
 
 @login_required
 @require_POST
-def remove_follow(request):
+def remove_follow(request, user_id):
     """remove a previously approved follower without blocking them"""
 
-    username = request.POST["user"]
-    to_remove = get_user_from_username(request.user, username)
+    to_remove = get_object_or_404(models.User, id=user_id)
 
     try:
         models.UserFollows.objects.get(
@@ -93,8 +92,8 @@ def remove_follow(request):
 
     if is_api_request(request):
         return HttpResponse()
-    # this is handled with ajax so it shouldn't really matter
-    return redirect("/")
+
+    return redirect(f"{request.user.local_path}/followers")
 
 
 @login_required
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ def delete_follow_request(request):
     )
     follow_request.raise_not_deletable(request.user)
 
-    follow_request.delete()
+    follow_request.reject()
     return redirect(f"/user/{request.user.localname}")