diff --git a/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/__tests__/route.test.ts b/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/__tests__/route.test.ts
index 728fc42eb..54f10d451 100644
--- a/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/__tests__/route.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/__tests__/route.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 /**
  * POST /api/notifications/action/{token} — a quick answer from a
- * notification. Pins the order of the gates and every refusal class: rate
- * limit before the token is read, then signature, expiry, account, module,
- * and the single-use write.
+ * notification. Pins the order of the gates and every refusal class: the
+ * signature (an HMAC, no database read), then the rate limit (per account for
+ * a genuine token, per address in a bucket of its own for any other), expiry,
+ * account, module, and the single-use write.
  */
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { NextRequest } from "next/server";
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/db", () => ({
 vi.mock("@/lib/auth/session", () => ({ getSession: vi.fn() }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/rate-limit", () => ({
   checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit: vi.fn(),
+  checkRateLimit: vi.fn(),
   rateLimitHeaders: vi.fn(() => ({ "Retry-After": "60" })),
 }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/modules/gate", () => ({ isModuleEnabled: vi.fn() }));
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/db-compat", () => ({
 
 import { POST } from "../route";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
-import { checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit } from "@/lib/rate-limit";
+import { checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit, checkRateLimit } from "@/lib/rate-limit";
 import { isModuleEnabled } from "@/lib/modules/gate";
 import { logTelegramMood } from "@/lib/mood/create-from-telegram";
 import {
@@ -65,6 +67,12 @@ beforeEach(() => {
     resetAt: new Date(),
     ip: "203.0.113.5",
   } as never);
+  vi.mocked(checkRateLimit).mockResolvedValue({
+    allowed: true,
+    limit: 20,
+    remaining: 19,
+    resetAt: Date.now(),
+  });
   vi.mocked(prisma.user.findUnique).mockResolvedValue({
     id: "user-1",
     timezone: "Europe/Berlin",
@@ -98,17 +106,39 @@ describe("POST /api/notifications/action/{token}", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("is rate-limited before the token is read", async () => {
+  it("limits a genuine token per account, before any database read", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(checkRateLimit).mockResolvedValue({
+      allowed: false,
+      limit: 20,
+      remaining: 0,
+      resetAt: Date.now(),
+    });
+    const res = await call(token());
+    expect(res.status).toBe(429);
+    expect(vi.mocked(checkRateLimit).mock.calls[0]![0]).toBe(
+      "notification-action:user:user-1",
+    );
+    expect(prisma.user.findUnique).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(logTelegramMood).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("charges junk to a bucket of its own, so it cannot hold genuine answers back", async () => {
+    // The junk bucket is spent, as it is for everyone when the address
+    // cannot be read and all junk lands in one bucket.
     vi.mocked(checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit).mockResolvedValue({
       allowed: false,
       remaining: 0,
       resetAt: new Date(),
-      ip: "203.0.113.5",
+      ip: null,
     } as never);
-    const res = await call(token());
-    expect(res.status).toBe(429);
-    expect(prisma.user.findUnique).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(logTelegramMood).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const junk = await call("hla_not-a-token");
+    expect(junk.status).toBe(429);
+    expect(vi.mocked(checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit).mock.calls[0]![1]).toBe(
+      "notification-action-invalid",
+    );
+
+    const genuine = await call(token());
+    expect(genuine.status).toBe(200);
   });
 
   it("refuses a tampered token with 401 and writes nothing", async () => {
diff --git a/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/route.ts b/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/route.ts
index d74b5fc1f..150f1b68a 100644
--- a/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/notifications/action/[token]/route.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ import {
   quickActionExternalId,
   verifyActionToken,
 } from "@/lib/notifications/action-token";
-import { checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit, rateLimitHeaders } from "@/lib/rate-limit";
+import {
+  checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit,
+  checkRateLimit,
+  rateLimitHeaders,
+} from "@/lib/rate-limit";
 
 export const dynamic = "force-dynamic";
 
@@ -64,12 +68,27 @@ export const POST = apiHandler(
   async (request: NextRequest, context: RouteContext) => {
     annotate({ action: { name: "notification.action.invoke" } });
 
-    const rl = await checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit(
-      request,
-      "notification-action",
-      RATE_LIMIT,
-      RATE_WINDOW_MS,
-    );
+    // The token is verified first: it is an HMAC, so checking it costs one
+    // hash and no database read. A forged or stale token is limited per
+    // address in a bucket of its own, and a genuine one per account. The one
+    // shared bucket this used to charge first, keyed on the address, became
+    // a single bucket for everyone whenever the address could not be read,
+    // and a couple of junk requests a minute switched off every person's
+    // quick answers.
+    const { token } = await context.params;
+    const verdict = verifyActionToken(token);
+    const rl = verdict.ok
+      ? await checkRateLimit(
+          `notification-action:user:${verdict.userId}`,
+          RATE_LIMIT,
+          RATE_WINDOW_MS,
+        )
+      : await checkAuthSurfaceRateLimit(
+          request,
+          "notification-action-invalid",
+          RATE_LIMIT,
+          RATE_WINDOW_MS,
+        );
     if (!rl.allowed) {
       annotate({
         action: { name: "notification.action.refused" },
@@ -82,8 +101,6 @@ export const POST = apiHandler(
       return response;
     }
 
-    const { token } = await context.params;
-    const verdict = verifyActionToken(token);
     if (!verdict.ok) {
       annotate({
         action: { name: "notification.action.refused" },