diff --git a/plugin.go b/plugin.go
index 2c639ab..7fc6807 100644
--- a/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ package rfc2136
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin"
 	"github.com/miekg/dns"
@@ -62,6 +64,11 @@ type RFC2136 struct {
 	// zones holds per-zone file handlers, keyed by canonical zone name.
 	// Populated in setup; mutexes live inside each zoneFile.
 	zones map[string]*zoneFile
+
+	// rateLimit caps UPDATE traffic per TSIG key (Hamilton M8). nil
+	// disables rate limiting (test mode, or insecure deployments).
+	// Populated in setup() once TSIG keys are known.
+	rateLimit *rateLimiter
 }
 
 // Name implements plugin.Handler.
@@ -88,6 +95,19 @@ func (p *RFC2136) ServeDNS(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg
 			_ = w.WriteMsg(resp)
 			return dns.RcodeRefused, nil
 		}
+		// Hamilton M8: per-key rate limit. TSIG just authenticates the
+		// sender — it doesn't prove the sender's behavior is sane. A
+		// compromised key or a runaway client must not be able to
+		// exhaust disk/git/serial-counter resources.
+		if p.rateLimit != nil {
+			if tsig := r.IsTsig(); tsig != nil && !p.rateLimit.allow(strings.ToLower(tsig.Hdr.Name), time.Now()) {
+				log.Warningf("UPDATE rate-limited for key %q", tsig.Hdr.Name)
+				resp := new(dns.Msg)
+				resp.SetRcode(r, dns.RcodeRefused)
+				_ = w.WriteMsg(resp)
+				return dns.RcodeRefused, nil
+			}
+		}
 		return p.handleUpdate(w, r, true)
 	}
 	return plugin.NextOrFailure(p.Name(), p.Next, ctx, w, r)
diff --git a/ratelimit.go b/ratelimit.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d59db1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ratelimit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package rfc2136
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Per-key token bucket. Hamilton M8: a compromised TSIG key — or a
+// misconfigured client retrying forever — must not be able to drive
+// unbounded UPDATE traffic. Each UPDATE costs disk IOPS, a git commit,
+// and a slot in the SOA serial counter (9999/day per zone). 100
+// UPDATEs/minute per key is well above any legitimate ACME workflow
+// (a full renewal storm across our ~84 zones might emit ~200 UPDATEs
+// total over several minutes); anything beyond is suspicious.
+const (
+	defaultRateBurst  = 100        // max tokens
+	defaultRatePeriod = time.Minute // refill window
+)
+
+// rateLimiter is a goroutine-safe per-key token bucket. The zero value
+// is unusable; construct via newRateLimiter.
+type rateLimiter struct {
+	mu      sync.Mutex
+	buckets map[string]*bucket
+	burst   float64       // max tokens
+	period  time.Duration // time to fully refill
+}
+
+type bucket struct {
+	tokens     float64
+	lastRefill time.Time
+}
+
+func newRateLimiter(burst int, period time.Duration) *rateLimiter {
+	if burst <= 0 {
+		burst = defaultRateBurst
+	}
+	if period <= 0 {
+		period = defaultRatePeriod
+	}
+	return &rateLimiter{
+		buckets: make(map[string]*bucket),
+		burst:   float64(burst),
+		period:  period,
+	}
+}
+
+// allow attempts to take one token for `key`. Returns true if a token
+// was available, false otherwise. New keys start full (burst tokens).
+//
+// Refill is continuous: tokens accumulate at burst/period per second.
+// The bucket caps at burst tokens.
+func (rl *rateLimiter) allow(key string, now time.Time) bool {
+	rl.mu.Lock()
+	defer rl.mu.Unlock()
+
+	b, ok := rl.buckets[key]
+	if !ok {
+		// First time we see this key — start the bucket full so
+		// legitimate clients don't see refill delays at boot.
+		rl.buckets[key] = &bucket{
+			tokens:     rl.burst - 1,
+			lastRefill: now,
+		}
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// Refill: tokens earned since last access.
+	elapsed := now.Sub(b.lastRefill).Seconds()
+	earned := elapsed * (rl.burst / rl.period.Seconds())
+	b.tokens += earned
+	if b.tokens > rl.burst {
+		b.tokens = rl.burst
+	}
+	b.lastRefill = now
+
+	if b.tokens >= 1.0 {
+		b.tokens -= 1.0
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/ratelimit_test.go b/ratelimit_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..317c78c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ratelimit_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package rfc2136
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestRateLimiter_FirstCallAllowed(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newRateLimiter(5, time.Minute)
+	now := time.Now()
+	if !rl.allow("key-a", now) {
+		t.Errorf("first call for new key must be allowed")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRateLimiter_BurstExhausts(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newRateLimiter(3, time.Minute)
+	now := time.Now()
+	// First 3 calls succeed.
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		if !rl.allow("key-a", now) {
+			t.Fatalf("call %d should be allowed (burst=3)", i+1)
+		}
+	}
+	// 4th immediately after burst should be denied (no time elapsed
+	// for refill).
+	if rl.allow("key-a", now) {
+		t.Errorf("4th call exceeded burst; should be denied")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRateLimiter_RefillsOverTime(t *testing.T) {
+	// burst=2, period=1s → refill rate is 2 tokens/sec.
+	rl := newRateLimiter(2, time.Second)
+	t0 := time.Now()
+	if !rl.allow("k", t0) {
+		t.Fatal("call 1")
+	}
+	if !rl.allow("k", t0) {
+		t.Fatal("call 2")
+	}
+	if rl.allow("k", t0) {
+		t.Fatal("call 3 should be denied; bucket empty")
+	}
+	// Advance time by 500ms — should refill ~1 token.
+	if !rl.allow("k", t0.Add(500*time.Millisecond)) {
+		t.Errorf("expected refill after 500ms")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRateLimiter_PerKeyIsolation(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newRateLimiter(2, time.Minute)
+	now := time.Now()
+	// Exhaust key-a.
+	rl.allow("key-a", now)
+	rl.allow("key-a", now)
+	if rl.allow("key-a", now) {
+		t.Fatal("key-a still has tokens; setup wrong")
+	}
+	// key-b is independent — must still be allowed.
+	if !rl.allow("key-b", now) {
+		t.Errorf("key-b was rate-limited despite no prior use")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRateLimiter_DoesNotOverflow guards against refill math
+// accumulating beyond burst (which would let an attacker burst more
+// after a long idle period than the configured cap).
+func TestRateLimiter_DoesNotOverflow(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newRateLimiter(5, time.Second)
+	t0 := time.Now()
+	rl.allow("k", t0) // create bucket
+	// Advance time 1 hour. Refill should cap at burst=5.
+	tFuture := t0.Add(time.Hour)
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		if !rl.allow("k", tFuture) {
+			t.Fatalf("post-idle call %d should be allowed (cap=5)", i+1)
+		}
+	}
+	if rl.allow("k", tFuture) {
+		t.Errorf("post-idle call 6 should be denied; cap exceeded")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/setup.go b/setup.go
index e048d57..c92a94f 100644
--- a/setup.go
+++ b/setup.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/caddy"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/core/dnsserver"
@@ -164,6 +165,13 @@ func parse(c *caddy.Controller) (*RFC2136, error) {
 	// Per-zone git author overrides. Defaults are applied later.
 	var gitAuthorName, gitAuthorEmail string
 
+	// Rate-limit config (Hamilton M8). Defaults are
+	// defaultRateBurst/defaultRatePeriod from ratelimit.go; an explicit
+	// `rate-limit <burst> <period-seconds>` directive overrides.
+	rateBurst := defaultRateBurst
+	ratePeriod := defaultRatePeriod
+	rateLimitEnabled := true
+
 	for c.Next() {
 		args := c.RemainingArgs()
 		if len(args) < 1 {
@@ -235,6 +243,30 @@ func parse(c *caddy.Controller) (*RFC2136, error) {
 				gitAuthorName = gArgs[0]
 				gitAuthorEmail = gArgs[1]
 
+			case "rate-limit":
+				rArgs := c.RemainingArgs()
+				switch len(rArgs) {
+				case 1:
+					if rArgs[0] == "off" || rArgs[0] == "false" || rArgs[0] == "no" {
+						rateLimitEnabled = false
+						break
+					}
+					return nil, c.Errf("rate-limit single-arg form must be 'off'; for limits use 'rate-limit <burst> <period-seconds>'")
+				case 2:
+					b, err := strconv.ParseUint(rArgs[0], 10, 31)
+					if err != nil || b < 1 {
+						return nil, c.Errf("rate-limit burst must be positive integer, got %q", rArgs[0])
+					}
+					pSec, err := strconv.ParseUint(rArgs[1], 10, 31)
+					if err != nil || pSec < 1 {
+						return nil, c.Errf("rate-limit period must be positive integer seconds, got %q", rArgs[1])
+					}
+					rateBurst = int(b)
+					ratePeriod = time.Duration(pSec) * time.Second
+				default:
+					return nil, c.Errf("rate-limit takes 'off' OR '<burst> <period-seconds>', got %d args", len(rArgs))
+				}
+
 			default:
 				return nil, c.Errf("unknown directive: %s", c.Val())
 			}
@@ -248,6 +280,11 @@ func parse(c *caddy.Controller) (*RFC2136, error) {
 		return nil, c.Err("zones-dir is required")
 	}
 
+	// Construct rate limiter if enabled.
+	if rateLimitEnabled {
+		p.rateLimit = newRateLimiter(rateBurst, ratePeriod)
+	}
+
 	// Build zoneFile handles for each declared zone.
 	p.zones = make(map[string]*zoneFile, len(p.Zones))
 	for _, z := range p.Zones {