diff --git a/crates/defguard_common/src/config.rs b/crates/defguard_common/src/config.rs
index 63f85cce5..586d5098b 100644
--- a/crates/defguard_common/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/defguard_common/src/config.rs
@@ -195,12 +195,12 @@ pub struct DefGuardConfig {
 
     /// Maximum number of requests per second per client IP before rate limiting kicks in.
     /// Set to 0 to disable rate limiting.
-    #[arg(long, env = "DEFGUARD_RATELIMIT_PERSECOND", default_value_t = 10)]
+    #[arg(long, env = "DEFGUARD_RATELIMIT_PERSECOND", default_value_t = 100)]
     pub rate_limit_per_second: u64,
 
     /// Maximum burst size for the rate limiter (token bucket capacity per client IP).
     /// Set to 0 to disable rate limiting.
-    #[arg(long, env = "DEFGUARD_RATELIMIT_BURST", default_value_t = 100)]
+    #[arg(long, env = "DEFGUARD_RATELIMIT_BURST", default_value_t = 1000)]
     pub rate_limit_burst: u32,
 }
 
@@ -302,8 +302,8 @@ impl DefGuardConfig {
             grpc_bind_address: None,
             adopt_gateway: None,
             adopt_edge: None,
-            rate_limit_per_second: 10,
-            rate_limit_burst: 100,
+            rate_limit_per_second: 0,
+            rate_limit_burst: 0,
         };
 
         config
diff --git a/crates/defguard_core/src/lib.rs b/crates/defguard_core/src/lib.rs
index de625351d..49f52dc10 100644
--- a/crates/defguard_core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/defguard_core/src/lib.rs
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
     incompatible_components: Arc<RwLock<IncompatibleComponents>>,
     proxy_control_tx: tokio::sync::mpsc::Sender<ProxyControlMessage>,
     tls_active: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    server_config: &DefGuardConfig,
 ) -> Router {
     let webapp: Router<AppState> = Router::new()
         .route("/", get(index))
@@ -270,7 +271,8 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
         .route("/svg/{*path}", get(svg))
         .fallback_service(get(handle_404));
 
-    let webapp = webapp.nest(
+    // Collect all API routes into a single router so the rate-limiter can be scoped to API routes only
+    let api_router: Router<AppState> = Router::new().nest(
         "/api/v1",
         Router::new()
             .route("/health", get(health_check))
@@ -430,7 +432,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
     );
 
     // Enterprise features
-    let webapp = webapp.nest(
+    let api_router = api_router.nest(
         "/api/v1/openid",
         Router::new()
             .route(
@@ -448,7 +450,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
             .route("/auth_info", get(get_auth_info)),
     );
 
-    let webapp = webapp.nest(
+    let api_router = api_router.nest(
         "/api/v1",
         Router::new()
             .route("/enterprise_info", get(check_enterprise_info))
@@ -456,7 +458,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
     );
 
     // activity log stream
-    let webapp = webapp.nest(
+    let api_router = api_router.nest(
         "/api/v1/activity_log_stream",
         Router::new()
             .route(
@@ -469,7 +471,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
             ),
     );
 
-    let webapp = webapp
+    let api_router = api_router
         .nest(
             "/api/v1/oauth",
             Router::new()
@@ -491,7 +493,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
             get(openid_configuration),
         );
 
-    let webapp = webapp.nest(
+    let api_router = api_router.nest(
         "/api/v1/acl",
         Router::new()
             .route("/rule", get(list_acl_rules).post(create_acl_rule))
@@ -526,7 +528,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
             .route("/destination/apply", put(apply_acl_destinations)),
     );
 
-    let webapp = webapp.nest(
+    let api_router = api_router.nest(
         "/api/v1",
         Router::new()
             // FIXME: Conflict; change /device/{device_id} to /device/{username}.
@@ -623,7 +625,7 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
             .route("/license/check", post(license_check)),
     );
 
-    let webapp = webapp.nest(
+    let api_router = api_router.nest(
         "/api/v1/worker",
         Router::new()
             .route("/job", post(create_job))
@@ -633,6 +635,49 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
             .layer(Extension(worker_state)),
     );
 
+    // Setup rate limiter
+    debug!(
+        "Configuring rate limiter, per_second: {}, burst: {}",
+        server_config.rate_limit_per_second, server_config.rate_limit_burst
+    );
+    let governor_config = GovernorConfigBuilder::default()
+        .key_extractor(SmartIpKeyExtractor)
+        .per_second(server_config.rate_limit_per_second)
+        .burst_size(server_config.rate_limit_burst)
+        .finish();
+    let governor_config = if let Some(conf) = governor_config {
+        let governor_limiter = conf.limiter().clone();
+        spawn(async move {
+            loop {
+                sleep(RATE_LIMITER_CLEANUP_PERIOD).await;
+                debug!(
+                    "Cleaning-up rate limiter storage, current size: {}",
+                    governor_limiter.len()
+                );
+                governor_limiter.retain_recent();
+            }
+        });
+        info!(
+            "Rate limiter configured: {} req/s per IP, burst {}",
+            server_config.rate_limit_per_second, server_config.rate_limit_burst
+        );
+        Some(Arc::new(conf))
+    } else {
+        info!("Rate limiting disabled (per_second or burst is 0)");
+        None
+    };
+
+    // Apply rate-limiter to API routes only, leaving static asset routes unaffected.
+    // Use Arc::clone so the same underlying limiter is shared with the SSE routes below.
+    let api_router = if let Some(ref conf) = governor_config {
+        api_router.layer(GovernorLayer::new(Arc::clone(conf)))
+    } else {
+        api_router
+    };
+
+    // Merge rate-limited API routes into the static-assets webapp.
+    let webapp = webapp.merge(api_router);
+
     // SSE routes are long-lived connections; they must not be wrapped by the
     // request timeout. They are merged in after TimeoutLayer is applied to the
     // main router so that they bypass the timeout while still receiving all
@@ -647,6 +692,11 @@ pub fn build_webapp(
                 get(setup_gateway_tls_stream),
             ),
     );
+    let sse_routes = if let Some(conf) = governor_config {
+        sse_routes.layer(GovernorLayer::new(conf))
+    } else {
+        sse_routes
+    };
 
     let app_state = AppState::new(
         pool.clone(),
@@ -735,7 +785,9 @@ pub async fn run_web_server(
 
     let tls_active = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
 
-    let mut webapp = build_webapp(
+    let server_config = server_config();
+
+    let webapp = build_webapp(
         webhook_tx,
         webhook_rx,
         wireguard_tx,
@@ -748,43 +800,11 @@ pub async fn run_web_server(
         incompatible_components,
         proxy_control_tx,
         Arc::clone(&tls_active),
+        server_config,
     );
     info!("Started web services");
-    let server_config = server_config();
-
-    // Setup rate limiter. Both fields default to non-zero so limiting is on by default;
-    // operators can set either env var to 0 to disable.
-    debug!(
-        "Configuring rate limiter, per_second: {}, burst: {}",
-        server_config.rate_limit_per_second, server_config.rate_limit_burst
-    );
-    let governor_conf = GovernorConfigBuilder::default()
-        .key_extractor(SmartIpKeyExtractor)
-        .per_second(server_config.rate_limit_per_second)
-        .burst_size(server_config.rate_limit_burst)
-        .finish();
-    if let Some(conf) = governor_conf {
-        let governor_limiter = conf.limiter().clone();
-        spawn(async move {
-            loop {
-                sleep(RATE_LIMITER_CLEANUP_PERIOD).await;
-                debug!(
-                    "Cleaning-up rate limiter storage, current size: {}",
-                    governor_limiter.len()
-                );
-                governor_limiter.retain_recent();
-            }
-        });
-        info!(
-            "Rate limiter configured: {} req/s per IP, burst {}",
-            server_config.rate_limit_per_second, server_config.rate_limit_burst
-        );
-        webapp = webapp.layer(GovernorLayer::new(conf));
-    } else {
-        info!("Rate limiting disabled (per_second or burst is 0)");
-    }
 
-    webapp = apply_security_layers(webapp, Arc::clone(&tls_active));
+    let webapp = apply_security_layers(webapp, Arc::clone(&tls_active));
 
     let addr = SocketAddr::new(
         server_config
diff --git a/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/common/mod.rs b/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/common/mod.rs
index f628aafe6..aef405fbe 100644
--- a/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/common/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/common/mod.rs
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn make_base_client(
         Arc::default(),
         proxy_control_tx,
         Arc::clone(&tls_active),
+        &config,
     );
     let webapp = apply_security_layers(webapp, tls_active);
 
diff --git a/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/proxy_certs.rs b/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/proxy_certs.rs
index 5f0fb378b..7a05f98c6 100644
--- a/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/proxy_certs.rs
+++ b/crates/defguard_core/tests/integration/api/proxy_certs.rs
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ async fn make_test_client_with_proxy_rx(
         .await
         .expect("Could not bind ephemeral socket");
     let port = listener.local_addr().unwrap().port();
-    let _config = init_config(Some(&format!("http://localhost:{port}")), &pool).await;
+    let config = init_config(Some(&format!("http://localhost:{port}")), &pool).await;
     initialize_users(&pool).await;
     initialize_current_settings(&pool)
         .await
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ async fn make_test_client_with_proxy_rx(
         Arc::default(),
         proxy_control_tx,
         Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)),
+        &config,
     );
 
     let client = TestClient::new(webapp, listener, api_event_rx);