diff --git a/lib/admin_constraint.rb b/lib/admin_constraint.rb
index 1d0291cd7f1..3b9e0530577 100644
--- a/lib/admin_constraint.rb
+++ b/lib/admin_constraint.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ class AdminConstraint
 
   def matches?(request)
     return false if @require_master && RailsMultisite::ConnectionManagement.current_db != "default"
-    provider = Discourse.current_user_provider.new(request.env)
+    provider = Discourse.current_user_provider.new(request.env, rate_limit: false)
+
     provider.current_user &&
       provider.current_user.admin? &&
       custom_admin_check(request)
diff --git a/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb b/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb
index e91cd59630a..fa795cd6095 100644
--- a/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb
+++ b/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ class Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider
   BAD_TOKEN ||= "_DISCOURSE_BAD_TOKEN"
 
   # do all current user initialization here
-  def initialize(env)
+  def initialize(env, rate_limit: true)
     @env = env
     @request = Rack::Request.new(env)
+    @rate_limit = rate_limit
   end
 
   # our current user, return nil if none is found
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ class Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider
       if !current_user
         @env[BAD_TOKEN] = true
         begin
-          limiter.performed!
+          limiter.performed! if @rate_limit
         rescue RateLimiter::LimitExceeded
           raise Discourse::InvalidAccess.new(
             'Invalid Access',
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ class Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider
       # we do not run this rate limiter while profiling
       if Rails.env != "profile"
         limiter_min = RateLimiter.new(nil, "admin_api_min_#{api_key}", GlobalSetting.max_admin_api_reqs_per_key_per_minute, 60)
-        limiter_min.performed!
+        limiter_min.performed! if @rate_limit
       end
     end
 
@@ -96,19 +97,19 @@ class Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider
       limiter_day = RateLimiter.new(nil, "user_api_day_#{user_api_key}", GlobalSetting.max_user_api_reqs_per_day, 86400)
 
       unless limiter_day.can_perform?
-        limiter_day.performed!
+        limiter_day.performed! if @rate_limit
       end
 
       unless  limiter_min.can_perform?
-        limiter_min.performed!
+        limiter_min.performed! if @rate_limit
       end
 
       current_user = lookup_user_api_user_and_update_key(user_api_key, @env[USER_API_CLIENT_ID])
       raise Discourse::InvalidAccess unless current_user
       raise Discourse::InvalidAccess if current_user.suspended? || !current_user.active
 
-      limiter_min.performed!
-      limiter_day.performed!
+      limiter_min.performed! if @rate_limit
+      limiter_day.performed! if @rate_limit
 
       @env[USER_API_KEY_ENV] = true
     end
diff --git a/lib/staff_constraint.rb b/lib/staff_constraint.rb
index 7572ada16c0..a833ed56d81 100644
--- a/lib/staff_constraint.rb
+++ b/lib/staff_constraint.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ require_dependency 'current_user'
 class StaffConstraint
 
   def matches?(request)
-    provider = Discourse.current_user_provider.new(request.env)
+    provider = Discourse.current_user_provider.new(request.env, rate_limit: false)
+
     provider.current_user &&
       provider.current_user.staff? &&
       custom_staff_check(request)
diff --git a/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb b/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
index 20cf716d964..29934674db1 100644
--- a/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
@@ -2,18 +2,19 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 require_dependency 'auth/default_current_user_provider'
 
 describe Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider do
+  let(:rate_limit) { true }
 
   class TestProvider < Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider
     attr_reader :env
-    def initialize(env)
-      super(env)
+    def initialize(env, rate_limit: true)
+      super(env, rate_limit: rate_limit)
     end
   end
 
   def provider(url, opts = nil)
     opts ||= { method: "GET" }
     env = Rack::MockRequest.env_for(url, opts)
-    TestProvider.new(env)
+    TestProvider.new(env, rate_limit: rate_limit)
   end
 
   it "can be used to pretend that a user doesn't exist" do
@@ -145,6 +146,26 @@ describe Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider do
         provider("/?api_key=#{key}&api_username=#{user.username.downcase}").current_user
 
       end
+
+      describe 'when rate limit is disabled' do
+        let(:rate_limit) { false }
+
+        it 'should not raise any rate limit errors' do
+          global_setting :max_admin_api_reqs_per_key_per_minute, 1
+
+          freeze_time
+
+          key = SecureRandom.hex
+          api_key = ApiKey.create!(key: key, created_by_id: -1)
+
+          2.times do
+            provider(
+              "/?api_key=#{key}&api_username=system",
+              nil
+            ).current_user
+          end
+        end
+      end
     end
 
   end