diff --git a/standalone/src/auth.js b/standalone/src/auth.js
index c96b75c..1c9b77f 100644
--- a/standalone/src/auth.js
+++ b/standalone/src/auth.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const auth = new Elysia({
   .use(
     rateLimit({
       duration: 30_000,
-      max: 20_000,
+      max: 200, // this is intentionally permissive 
       scoping: "scoped",
       generator: ratelimitGenerator,
     }),
diff --git a/standalone/src/cap.js b/standalone/src/cap.js
index 9872e41..ca8d95b 100644
--- a/standalone/src/cap.js
+++ b/standalone/src/cap.js
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ export const capServer = new Elysia({
   .use(
     rateLimit({
       scoping: "scoped",
-      max: 45,
+      max: 30,
       duration: 5_000,
       generator: ratelimitGenerator,
     }),
diff --git a/standalone/src/db.js b/standalone/src/db.js
index 02f7f2e..8cab1cd 100644
--- a/standalone/src/db.js
+++ b/standalone/src/db.js
@@ -63,12 +63,6 @@ async function initDb() {
     primary key (siteKey, token)
   )`.simple();
 
-  await db`create table if not exists ip_bans (
-    ip text primary key not null,
-    reason text not null,
-    expires integer not null
-  )`.simple();
-
   await db`create table if not exists api_keys (
     id text not null,
     name text not null,
@@ -84,7 +78,6 @@ async function initDb() {
       await db`delete from sessions where expires < ${now}`;
       await db`delete from tokens where expires < ${now}`;
       await db`delete from challenge_blocklist where expires < ${now}`;
-      await db`delete from ip_bans where expires < ${now}`;
     } catch (e) {
       console.error("failed to cleanup:", e);
     }
@@ -95,7 +88,6 @@ async function initDb() {
   await db`delete from sessions where expires < ${now}`;
   await db`delete from tokens where expires < ${now}`;
   await db`delete from challenge_blocklist where expires < ${now}`;
-  await db`delete from ip_bans where expires < ${now}`;
 
   return db;
 }
diff --git a/standalone/src/server.js b/standalone/src/server.js
index 23c2aaf..ae408f1 100644
--- a/standalone/src/server.js
+++ b/standalone/src/server.js
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import { randomBytes } from "node:crypto";
 import { Elysia, t } from "elysia";
-import { rateLimit } from "elysia-rate-limit";
 import { authBeforeHandle } from "./auth.js";
 import { db } from "./db.js";
-import { ratelimitGenerator } from "./ratelimit.js";
 
 const keyDefaults = {
   difficulty: 4,
@@ -23,14 +21,6 @@ export const server = new Elysia({
     ],
   },
 })
-  .use(
-    rateLimit({
-      scoping: "scoped",
-      max: 150,
-      duration: 10_000,
-      generator: ratelimitGenerator,
-    }),
-  )
   .onBeforeHandle(authBeforeHandle)
   .get(
     "/keys",
diff --git a/standalone/src/siteverify.js b/standalone/src/siteverify.js
index a61a3c7..5675c06 100644
--- a/standalone/src/siteverify.js
+++ b/standalone/src/siteverify.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { cors } from "@elysiajs/cors";
 import { Elysia } from "elysia";
 
 import { db } from "./db.js";
-import { ratelimitGenerator } from "./ratelimit.js";
 
 export const siteverifyServer = new Elysia({
   detail: {
@@ -15,27 +14,7 @@ export const siteverifyServer = new Elysia({
       methods: ["POST"],
     }),
   )
-  .post("/:siteKey/siteverify", async ({ body, set, params, request, server }) => {
-    const ip = ratelimitGenerator(request, server);
-    const now = Date.now();
-
-    if (ip) {
-      const [ban] = await db`SELECT * FROM ip_bans WHERE ip = ${ip} AND expires > ${now}`;
-      if (ban) {
-        const retryAfter = Math.ceil((ban.expires - now) / 1000);
-        set.status = 429;
-        set.headers["Retry-After"] = retryAfter.toString();
-        set.headers["X-RateLimit-Limit"] = "1";
-        set.headers["X-RateLimit-Remaining"] = "0";
-        set.headers["X-RateLimit-Reset"] = Math.ceil(ban.expires / 1000).toString();
-        return {
-          success: false,
-          error:
-            "You were temporarily blocked for using an invalid secret key. Please try again later.",
-        };
-      }
-    }
-
+  .post("/:siteKey/siteverify", async ({ body, set, params }) => {
     const sitekey = params.siteKey;
     const { secret, response } = body;
 
@@ -54,15 +33,6 @@ export const siteverifyServer = new Elysia({
     const isValidSecret = await Bun.password.verify(secret, keyHash);
 
     if (!isValidSecret) {
-      if (ip) {
-        const banExpires = now + 1_000;
-        await db`
-					INSERT INTO ip_bans (ip, reason, expires)
-					VALUES (${ip}, ${"invalid_secret"}, ${banExpires})
-					ON CONFLICT (ip)
-					DO UPDATE SET reason = ${"invalid_secret"}, expires = ${banExpires}
-				`;
-      }
       set.status = 403;
       return { success: false, error: "Invalid site key or secret" };
     }