diff --git a/contracts/contracts/MACI.sol b/contracts/contracts/MACI.sol
index c00223c5a1..4b1d31b70f 100644
--- a/contracts/contracts/MACI.sol
+++ b/contracts/contracts/MACI.sol
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ contract MACI is IMACI, Params, Utilities, Ownable {
   /// @notice A mapping of poll IDs to Poll contracts.
   mapping(uint256 => address) public polls;
 
+  /// @notice Whether the subtrees have been merged (can merge root before new signup)
+  bool public subtreesMerged;
+
   /// @notice The number of signups
   uint256 public numSignUps;
 
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ contract MACI is IMACI, Params, Utilities, Ownable {
   error MaciPubKeyLargerThanSnarkFieldSize();
   error PreviousPollNotCompleted(uint256 pollId);
   error PollDoesNotExist(uint256 pollId);
+  error SignupTemporaryBlocked();
 
   /// @notice Create a new instance of the MACI contract.
   /// @param _pollFactory The PollFactory contract
@@ -153,6 +157,9 @@ contract MACI is IMACI, Params, Utilities, Ownable {
     bytes memory _signUpGatekeeperData,
     bytes memory _initialVoiceCreditProxyData
   ) public virtual {
+    // prevent new signups until we merge the roots (possible DoS)
+    if (subtreesMerged) revert SignupTemporaryBlocked();
+
     // ensure we do not have more signups than what the circuits support
     if (numSignUps >= uint256(TREE_ARITY) ** uint256(stateTreeDepth)) revert TooManySignups();
 
@@ -247,10 +254,18 @@ contract MACI is IMACI, Params, Utilities, Ownable {
   /// @inheritdoc IMACI
   function mergeStateAqSubRoots(uint256 _numSrQueueOps, uint256 _pollId) public onlyPoll(_pollId) {
     stateAq.mergeSubRoots(_numSrQueueOps);
+
+    // if we have merged all subtrees then put a block
+    if (stateAq.subTreesMerged()) {
+      subtreesMerged = true;
+    }
   }
 
   /// @inheritdoc IMACI
   function mergeStateAq(uint256 _pollId) public onlyPoll(_pollId) returns (uint256 root) {
+    // remove block
+    subtreesMerged = false;
+
     root = stateAq.merge(stateTreeDepth);
   }
 
diff --git a/contracts/contracts/Poll.sol b/contracts/contracts/Poll.sol
index dc0e05a9b2..a6560f9da7 100644
--- a/contracts/contracts/Poll.sol
+++ b/contracts/contracts/Poll.sol
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ contract Poll is Params, Utilities, SnarkCommon, Ownable, EmptyBallotRoots, IPol
     // deadline
     if (stateAqMerged) revert StateAqAlreadyMerged();
 
+    // set merged to true so it cannot be called again
     stateAqMerged = true;
 
     // the subtrees must have been merged first
diff --git a/contracts/tests/MACI.test.ts b/contracts/tests/MACI.test.ts
index 6343576dc6..854fba5c69 100644
--- a/contracts/tests/MACI.test.ts
+++ b/contracts/tests/MACI.test.ts
@@ -248,18 +248,30 @@ describe("MACI", () => {
       ).to.be.revertedWithCustomError(maciContract, "CallerMustBePoll");
     });
 
-    it("should allow a Poll contract to merge the signUp AccQueue", async () => {
+    it("should prevent a new user from signin up after the accQueue subtrees have been merged", async () => {
       await timeTravel(signer.provider as unknown as EthereumProvider, Number(duration) + 1);
-      let tx = await pollContract.mergeMaciStateAqSubRoots(0, pollId, {
+
+      const tx = await pollContract.mergeMaciStateAqSubRoots(0, pollId, {
         gasLimit: 3000000,
       });
-      let receipt = await tx.wait();
+      const receipt = await tx.wait();
       expect(receipt?.status).to.eq(1);
 
-      tx = await pollContract.mergeMaciStateAq(pollId, {
+      await expect(
+        maciContract.signUp(
+          users[0].pubKey.asContractParam(),
+          AbiCoder.defaultAbiCoder().encode(["uint256"], [1]),
+          AbiCoder.defaultAbiCoder().encode(["uint256"], [0]),
+          signUpTxOpts,
+        ),
+      ).to.be.revertedWithCustomError(maciContract, "SignupTemporaryBlocked");
+    });
+
+    it("should allow a Poll contract to merge the signUp AccQueue", async () => {
+      const tx = await pollContract.mergeMaciStateAq(pollId, {
         gasLimit: 3000000,
       });
-      receipt = await tx.wait();
+      const receipt = await tx.wait();
       expect(receipt?.status).to.eq(1);
     });
 
@@ -268,13 +280,40 @@ describe("MACI", () => {
       maciState.polls.get(pollId)?.updatePoll(await pollContract.numSignups());
       expect(onChainStateRoot.toString()).to.eq(maciState.polls.get(pollId)?.stateTree?.root.toString());
     });
-  });
 
-  describe("getStateAqRoot", () => {
-    it("should return the correct state root", async () => {
+    it("should get the correct state root with getStateAqRoot", async () => {
       const onChainStateRoot = await maciContract.getStateAqRoot();
       expect(onChainStateRoot.toString()).to.eq(maciState.polls.get(pollId)?.stateTree?.root.toString());
     });
+
+    it("should allow a user to signup after the signUp AccQueue was merged", async () => {
+      const tx = await maciContract.signUp(
+        users[0].pubKey.asContractParam(),
+        AbiCoder.defaultAbiCoder().encode(["uint256"], [1]),
+        AbiCoder.defaultAbiCoder().encode(["uint256"], [0]),
+        signUpTxOpts,
+      );
+      const receipt = await tx.wait();
+      expect(receipt?.status).to.eq(1);
+
+      const iface = maciContract.interface;
+
+      // Store the state index
+      const log = receipt!.logs[receipt!.logs.length - 1];
+      const event = iface.parseLog(log as unknown as { topics: string[]; data: string }) as unknown as {
+        args: {
+          _stateIndex: BigNumberish;
+          _voiceCreditBalance: BigNumberish;
+          _timestamp: BigNumberish;
+        };
+      };
+
+      maciState.signUp(
+        users[0].pubKey,
+        BigInt(event.args._voiceCreditBalance.toString()),
+        BigInt(event.args._timestamp.toString()),
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe("getPoll", () => {