diff --git a/denylist.go b/denylist.go
index b6ba739..ec0a835 100644
--- a/denylist.go
+++ b/denylist.go
@@ -544,6 +544,32 @@ func (dl *Denylist) IsIPNSPathBlocked(name, subpath string) StatusResponse {
 	c, err := cid.Decode(key)
 	if err == nil {
 		key = c.Hash().B58String()
+	} else if !strings.ContainsRune(key, '.') {
+		// not a CID. It must be a ipns-dnslink name if it does not
+		// contain ".", maybe they got replaced by "-"
+		// https://specs.ipfs.tech/http-gateways/subdomain-gateway/#host-request-header
+		var result strings.Builder
+		for i := 0; i < len(key); i++ {
+			char := rune(key[i])
+			nextChar := rune(0)
+			if i < len(key)-1 {
+				nextChar = rune(key[i+1])
+			}
+
+			if char == '-' && nextChar == '-' {
+				result.WriteRune('-')
+				i++
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if char == '-' {
+				result.WriteRune('.')
+				continue
+			}
+
+			result.WriteRune(char)
+		}
+		key = result.String()
 	}
 	logger.Debugf("IsIPNSPathBlocked load: %s %s", key, subpath)
 	entries, _ := dl.IPNSBlocksDB.Load(key)
diff --git a/tester/tester.go b/tester/tester.go
index 4cee1c1..faa5c69 100644
--- a/tester/tester.go
+++ b/tester/tester.go
@@ -265,10 +265,12 @@ func (s *Suite) testIPNSPath() error {
 	// rule6
 	rule6 := []string{
 		"/ipns/domain.example",
+		"/ipns/domain-example",
 	}
 	rule6allowed := []string{
 		"/ipns/domainaefa.example",
 		"/ipns/domain.example/path",
+		"/ipns/domain--example",
 	}
 
 	if err := s.testPaths(rule6, n, "rule6", false); err != nil {