diff --git a/cmd/indexd/main.go b/cmd/indexd/main.go
index dc182c13e..2f98cd015 100644
--- a/cmd/indexd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/indexd/main.go
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ var cfg = config.Config{
 		Address: "127.0.0.1:9980",
 	},
 	ApplicationAPI: config.ApplicationAPI{
-		Address: ":9982",
+		Address:   ":9982",
+		RateLimit: true,
 	},
 	Syncer: config.Syncer{
 		Address:   ":9981",
diff --git a/cmd/indexd/run.go b/cmd/indexd/run.go
index 029ecd1ee..9da013ed1 100644
--- a/cmd/indexd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/indexd/run.go
@@ -315,8 +315,10 @@ func runRootCmd(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Config, walletKey types.PrivateK
 
 	appAPIOpts := []app.Option{
 		app.WithLogger(log.Named("api.application")),
+	}
+	if cfg.ApplicationAPI.RateLimit {
 		// rate limit /auth/connect to 1 req/min with burst of 10, pruned after 10 minutes
-		app.WithRateLimiter(api.NewIPRateLimiter(time.Minute, 10, 10*time.Minute)),
+		appAPIOpts = append(appAPIOpts, app.WithRateLimiter(api.NewIPRateLimiter(time.Minute, 10, 10*time.Minute)))
 	}
 
 	advertiseURL := cfg.ApplicationAPI.AdvertiseURL
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 36c2a50d5..4d50d6efe 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ type (
 		// the hostname that is valid for signed
 		// requests.
 		AdvertiseURL string `yaml:"advertiseURL"`
+		// RateLimit enables or disables the per-IP rate limiter
+		// on the /auth/connect endpoint.
+		RateLimit bool `yaml:"rateLimit"`
 	}
 
 	// Syncer contains the configuration for the p2p syncer.