diff --git a/lib/api/api.js b/lib/api/api.js
index 7e59581270..195441c3fe 100644
--- a/lib/api/api.js
+++ b/lib/api/api.js
@@ -363,10 +363,15 @@ const api = {
         });
         }; // End of processRequest helper function
 
-        // Cache-only rate limit check (fast path, no metadata fetch)
-        // If config is cached, apply rate limiting now
-        // If not cached, metadata validation functions will handle it
-        if (request.bucketName && config.rateLimiting?.enabled && !rateLimitApiActions.includes(apiMethod)) {
+        const applyRateLimit = request.bucketName
+            && config.rateLimiting?.enabled
+            && !rateLimitApiActions.includes(apiMethod) // Don't limit any rate limit admin actions
+            && !request.isInternalServiceRequest;       // Don't limit any calls from internal services
+
+        if (applyRateLimit) {
+            // Cache-only rate limit check (fast path, no metadata fetch)
+            // If config is cached, apply rate limiting now
+            // If not cached, metadata validation functions will handle it
             const cachedConfig = getRateLimitFromCache(request.bucketName);
 
             if (cachedConfig !== undefined) {
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadataUtils.js b/lib/metadata/metadataUtils.js
index e9055f3894..38b39315a3 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadataUtils.js
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadataUtils.js
@@ -226,7 +226,8 @@ function checkRateLimitIfNeeded(bucket, bucketName, request, log, callback) {
     // Skip if already checked or not enabled
     if (request.rateLimitAlreadyChecked
         || !config.rateLimiting?.enabled
-        || rateLimitApiActions.includes(request.apiMethod)) {
+        || rateLimitApiActions.includes(request.apiMethod)
+        || request.isInternalServiceRequest) {
         return process.nextTick(callback, null);
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index df5850fbb7..3ac1d0a297 100644
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ class S3Server {
      * @returns {undefined}
      */
     internalRouteRequest(req, res) {
+        req.isInternalServiceRequest = true; // eslint-disable-line no-param-reassign
         req.bypassUserBucketPolicies = true; // eslint-disable-line no-param-reassign
         return this.routeRequest(req, res);
     }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d6865f5772..73fb2eb689 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@zenko/cloudserver",
-  "version": "9.2.11",
+  "version": "9.2.12",
   "description": "Zenko CloudServer, an open-source Node.js implementation of a server handling the Amazon S3 protocol",
   "main": "index.js",
   "engines": {