diff --git a/tildes/tildes/__init__.py b/tildes/tildes/__init__.py
index 7be2000..aaa7300 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/__init__.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/__init__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Optional
 
 from paste.deploy.config import PrefixMiddleware
 from pyramid.config import Configurator
+from pyramid.httpexceptions import HTTPTooManyRequests
 from pyramid.registry import Registry
 from pyramid.request import Request
 from redis import StrictRedis
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ def main(global_config: Dict[str, str], **settings: str) -> PrefixMiddleware:
     # pylint: enable=unnecessary-lambda
 
     config.add_request_method(check_rate_limit, "check_rate_limit")
+    config.add_request_method(apply_rate_limit, "apply_rate_limit")
 
     config.add_request_method(current_listing_base_url, "current_listing_base_url")
     config.add_request_method(current_listing_normal_url, "current_listing_normal_url")
@@ -120,6 +122,13 @@ def check_rate_limit(request: Request, action_name: str) -> RateLimitResult:
     return RateLimitResult.merged_result(results)
 
 
+def apply_rate_limit(request: Request, action_name: str) -> None:
+    """Check the rate limit for an action, and raise HTTP 429 if it's exceeded."""
+    result = request.check_rate_limit(action_name)
+    if not result.is_allowed:
+        raise result.add_headers_to_response(HTTPTooManyRequests())
+
+
 def current_listing_base_url(
     request: Request, query: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None
 ) -> str:
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/lib/ratelimit.py b/tildes/tildes/lib/ratelimit.py
index 96661b7..7046736 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/lib/ratelimit.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/lib/ratelimit.py
@@ -281,6 +281,8 @@ _RATE_LIMITED_ACTIONS = (
     RateLimitedAction("login", timedelta(hours=1), 20),
     RateLimitedAction("login_two_factor", timedelta(hours=1), 20),
     RateLimitedAction("register", timedelta(hours=1), 50),
+    RateLimitedAction("topic_post", timedelta(hours=1), 6, max_burst=4),
+    RateLimitedAction("comment_post", timedelta(hours=1), 30, max_burst=20),
 )
 
 # (public) dict to be able to look up the actions by name
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py
index 84ee5f5..e17fc41 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from tildes.models.comment import Comment, CommentNotification, CommentTag, Comm
 from tildes.models.topic import TopicVisit
 from tildes.schemas.comment import CommentSchema, CommentTagSchema
 from tildes.views import IC_NOOP
-from tildes.views.decorators import ic_view_config
+from tildes.views.decorators import ic_view_config, rate_limit_view
 
 
 def _increment_topic_comments_seen(request: Request, comment: Comment) -> None:
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ def _increment_topic_comments_seen(request: Request, comment: Comment) -> None:
     permission="comment",
 )
 @use_kwargs(CommentSchema(only=("markdown",)))
+@rate_limit_view("comment_post")
 def post_toplevel_comment(request: Request, markdown: str) -> dict:
     """Post a new top-level comment on a topic with Intercooler."""
     topic = request.context
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ def post_toplevel_comment(request: Request, markdown: str) -> dict:
     permission="reply",
 )
 @use_kwargs(CommentSchema(only=("markdown",)))
+@rate_limit_view("comment_post")
 def post_comment_reply(request: Request, markdown: str) -> dict:
     """Post a reply to a comment with Intercooler."""
     parent_comment = request.context
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/decorators.py b/tildes/tildes/views/decorators.py
index e8b3042..c0b0a6f 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/decorators.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/decorators.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
-from pyramid.httpexceptions import HTTPFound, HTTPTooManyRequests
+from pyramid.httpexceptions import HTTPFound
 from pyramid.request import Request
 from pyramid.view import view_config
 
@@ -35,10 +35,8 @@ def rate_limit_view(action_name: str) -> Callable:
     def decorator(func: Callable) -> Callable:
         def wrapper(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
             request = args[0]
-            result = request.check_rate_limit(action_name)
 
-            if not result.is_allowed:
-                raise result.add_headers_to_response(HTTPTooManyRequests())
+            request.apply_rate_limit(action_name)
 
             return func(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py b/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py
index 46e4539..5156272 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from tildes.schemas.comment import CommentSchema
 from tildes.schemas.fields import Enum, ShortTimePeriod
 from tildes.schemas.topic import TopicSchema
 from tildes.schemas.topic_listing import TopicListingSchema
+from tildes.views.decorators import rate_limit_view
 
 
 DefaultSettings = namedtuple("DefaultSettings", ["order", "period"])
@@ -64,6 +65,8 @@ def post_group_topics(
     except ValidationError:
         raise ValidationError({"tags": ["Invalid tags"]})
 
+    request.apply_rate_limit("topic_post")
+
     request.db_session.add(new_topic)
 
     request.db_session.add(LogTopic(LogEventType.TOPIC_POST, request, new_topic))
@@ -225,6 +228,7 @@ def get_topic(request: Request, comment_order: CommentSortOption) -> dict:
 
 @view_config(route_name="topic", request_method="POST", permission="comment")
 @use_kwargs(CommentSchema(only=("markdown",)))
+@rate_limit_view("comment_post")
 def post_comment_on_topic(request: Request, markdown: str) -> HTTPFound:
     """Post a new top-level comment on a topic."""
     topic = request.context