diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/config.d.ts b/packages/backend-app-api/config.d.ts
index 2371623b82..3625e9323f 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/config.d.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/config.d.ts
@@ -34,16 +34,20 @@ export interface Config {
        * unless you configure credentials for service calls.
        */
       dangerouslyDisableDefaultAuthPolicy?: boolean;
-      rateLimit?: {
-        /**
-         * Limit each IP to max requests per window
-         */
-        max?: number;
-        /**
-         * The duration for which the rate limit is enforced
-         */
-        window?: HumanDuration;
-      };
+      rateLimit?:
+        | false
+        | {
+            /**
+             * Limit each IP to max requests per window
+             */
+            max?: number;
+            /**
+             * The duration for which the rate limit is enforced
+             */
+            window?: HumanDuration;
+
+            disable?: true;
+          };
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.test.ts b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.test.ts
index e28179e1ad..94109ccfc0 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.test.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,8 @@ it('do not limit authenticated requests', async () => {
       .send()
       .expect(200);
   }
+
+  jest.useRealTimers();
 });
 
 it('limit the number of unauthenticated requests', async () => {
@@ -302,3 +304,62 @@ it('limit the number of unauthenticated requests', async () => {
 
   jest.useRealTimers();
 });
+
+it('skip limiting requests when the rate limit is disabled', async () => {
+  const now = Date.now();
+  jest.useFakeTimers({ now });
+  const max = 2;
+  const cacheMock = mockServices.cache.mock();
+  const twoMinutesInMilliseconds = 2 * 60 * 1000;
+  const resetTime = now + twoMinutesInMilliseconds;
+
+  // Simulate that the totalHits exceeds the configured max value
+  cacheMock.get.mockResolvedValue({ totalHits: max + 1, resetTime });
+
+  const { app: app1, barrier: barrier1 } = setup({
+    cache: cacheMock,
+    config: {
+      backend: {
+        auth: {
+          rateLimit: {
+            max,
+            window: { minutes: 2 },
+            disabled: true,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  });
+
+  barrier1.addAuthPolicy({ allow: 'unauthenticated', path: '/public' });
+
+  // exceed the rate limit for authenticated requests
+  for (let i = 0; i < max + 1; i += 1) {
+    await request(app1)
+      .get('/public')
+      .set('authorization', mockCredentials.user.header())
+      .send()
+      .expect(200);
+  }
+
+  // Simulate that the totalHits exceeds the default max value
+  cacheMock.get.mockResolvedValue({ totalHits: 61, resetTime });
+
+  const { app: app2, barrier: barrier2 } = setup({
+    cache: cacheMock,
+    config: {
+      backend: {
+        auth: {
+          rateLimit: false,
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  });
+
+  barrier2.addAuthPolicy({ allow: 'unauthenticated', path: '/public' });
+
+  // exceed the rate limit for authenticated requests
+  await request(app2).get('/public').send().expect(200);
+
+  jest.useRealTimers();
+});
diff --git a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.ts b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.ts
index 16e0203155..aca7838804 100644
--- a/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-app-api/src/services/implementations/httpRouter/createCredentialsBarrier.ts
@@ -65,24 +65,39 @@ export function createCredentialsBarrier(options: {
   const unauthenticatedPredicates = new Array<(path: string) => boolean>();
   const cookiePredicates = new Array<(path: string) => boolean>();
 
-  // Default rate limit is 60 requests per 1 minute
-  const max = config?.has('backend.auth.rateLimit.max')
-    ? config.getNumber('backend.auth.rateLimit.max')
-    : 60;
+  const rateLimitConfig = config.getOptional('backend.auth.rateLimit');
 
-  const duration = config?.has('backend.auth.rateLimit.window')
-    ? readDurationFromConfig(config.getConfig('backend.auth.rateLimit.window'))
-    : undefined;
+  const disabled =
+    rateLimitConfig === false ||
+    (typeof rateLimitConfig === 'object' &&
+      config?.getOptionalBoolean('backend.auth.rateLimit.disabled') === true);
+
+  const duration =
+    typeof rateLimitConfig === 'object' &&
+    config?.has('backend.auth.rateLimit.window')
+      ? readDurationFromConfig(
+          config.getConfig('backend.auth.rateLimit.window'),
+        )
+      : undefined;
 
-  // Default rate limit window is 1 minute
   const windowMs = duration ? durationToMilliseconds(duration) : 1 * 60 * 1000;
 
+  const max =
+    typeof rateLimitConfig === 'object' &&
+    config?.has('backend.auth.rateLimit.max')
+      ? config.getNumber('backend.auth.rateLimit.max')
+      : 60;
+
+  // Default rate limit is 60 requests per 1 minute
   const limiter = rateLimit({
     windowMs,
-    max,
+    limit: max,
     standardHeaders: true, // Return rate limit info in the `RateLimit-*` headers
     legacyHeaders: false, // Disable the `X-RateLimit-*` headers,
     store: RateLimitStore.fromOptions({ cache }),
+    skip() {
+      return disabled;
+    },
   });
 
   const middleware: RequestHandler = (req, res, next) => {