diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index a631d4a1a2..cf2e488ece 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -153,4 +153,4 @@ IMPORT_TIME_LIMIT=600
 IMPORT_MEMORY_LIMIT=500M
 REPORT_TIME_LIMIT=12000
 REQUIRE_SAML=false
-
+API_THROTTLE_PER_MINUTE=120
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/Exceptions/Handler.php b/app/Exceptions/Handler.php
index 3b396ee7c7..ced68c5bfd 100644
--- a/app/Exceptions/Handler.php
+++ b/app/Exceptions/Handler.php
@@ -84,10 +84,12 @@ class Handler extends ExceptionHandler
                 switch ($e->getStatusCode()) {
                     case '404':
                        return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, $statusCode . ' endpoint not found'), 404);
-                    case '405':
+                    case '429':
+                        return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, 'Too many requests'), 429);
+                     case '405':
                         return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, 'Method not allowed'), 405);
                     default:
-                        return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, $statusCode), 405);
+                        return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, $statusCode), $statusCode);
 
                 }
             }
diff --git a/app/Http/Kernel.php b/app/Http/Kernel.php
index 69afddc74f..f94d390d76 100644
--- a/app/Http/Kernel.php
+++ b/app/Http/Kernel.php
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ class Kernel extends HttpKernel
         ],
 
         'api' => [
-            'throttle:120,1',
             'auth:api',
         ],
     ];
diff --git a/config/app.php b/config/app.php
index f08334a6e4..f0e61c548c 100755
--- a/config/app.php
+++ b/config/app.php
@@ -425,4 +425,15 @@ return [
 
     ],
 
+    /*
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    | API Throttling
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    |
+    | This value determines the number of API requests permitted per minute
+    |
+    */
+
+    'api_throttle_per_minute' => env('API_THROTTLE_PER_MINUTE', 120),
+
 ];
diff --git a/routes/api.php b/routes/api.php
index 398af78bce..eec8920d63 100644
--- a/routes/api.php
+++ b/routes/api.php
@@ -11,10 +11,14 @@ use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 | routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
 | is assigned the "api" middleware group. Enjoy building your API!
 |
+| We *could* put the middleware speficication in the RouteServiceProvider's mapApiRoutes() 
+| method, but we felt it was clearer to keep it here, since we look at the api routes for more
+| often than we look at the RouteServiceProvider. - @snipe
+| 
 */
 
 
-Route::group(['prefix' => 'v1','namespace' => 'Api', 'middleware' => 'auth:api'], function () {
+Route::group(['prefix' => 'v1','namespace' => 'Api', 'middleware' => ['api', 'throttle:'.config('app.api_throttle_per_minute').',1']], function () {
 
 
     Route::get('/', function() {