diff --git a/include/cgimap/rate_limiter.hpp b/include/cgimap/rate_limiter.hpp
index 96b9dafe..562e977c 100644
--- a/include/cgimap/rate_limiter.hpp
+++ b/include/cgimap/rate_limiter.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class memcached_rate_limiter : public rate_limiter {
   void update(const std::string &key, int bytes, bool moderator) override;
 
 private:
-  memcached_st *ptr;
+  memcached_st *ptr = nullptr;
 
   struct state;
 };
diff --git a/src/rate_limiter.cpp b/src/rate_limiter.cpp
index 78c7a69f..8b300a3a 100644
--- a/src/rate_limiter.cpp
+++ b/src/rate_limiter.cpp
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@
  */
 
 #include <vector>
+#include <fmt/core.h>
 #include <libmemcached/memcached.h>
 
+#include "cgimap/logger.hpp"
 #include "cgimap/options.hpp"
 #include "cgimap/rate_limiter.hpp"
 
@@ -28,21 +30,23 @@ struct memcached_rate_limiter::state {
 
 memcached_rate_limiter::memcached_rate_limiter(
     const boost::program_options::variables_map &options) {
-  if (options.count("memcache") && (ptr = memcached_create(nullptr)) != nullptr) {
-    memcached_server_st *server_list;
+
+  if (!options.count("memcache"))
+    return;
+
+  if ((ptr = memcached_create(nullptr)) != nullptr) {
 
     memcached_behavior_set(ptr, MEMCACHED_BEHAVIOR_NO_BLOCK, 1);
     memcached_behavior_set(ptr, MEMCACHED_BEHAVIOR_BINARY_PROTOCOL, 1);
     // memcached_behavior_set(ptr, MEMCACHED_BEHAVIOR_SUPPORT_CAS, 1);
 
-    server_list =
-        memcached_servers_parse(options["memcache"].as<std::string>().c_str());
+    const auto server = options["memcache"].as<std::string>();
 
+    memcached_server_st * server_list = memcached_servers_parse(server.c_str());
     memcached_server_push(ptr, server_list);
-
     memcached_server_list_free(server_list);
-  } else {
-    ptr = nullptr;
+
+    logger::message(fmt::format("memcached rate limiting enabled ({})", server));
   }
 }
 
@@ -52,22 +56,22 @@ memcached_rate_limiter::~memcached_rate_limiter() {
 }
 
 std::tuple<bool, int> memcached_rate_limiter::check(const std::string &key, bool moderator) {
+
   uint32_t bytes_served = 0;
-  std::string mc_key;
   state *sp;
   size_t length;
   uint32_t flags;
-  memcached_return error;
+  memcached_return_t error;
 
-  mc_key = "cgimap:" + key;
-  auto bytes_per_sec = global_settings::get_ratelimiter_ratelimit(moderator);
+  const auto mc_key = "cgimap:" + key;
+  const auto bytes_per_sec = global_settings::get_ratelimiter_ratelimit(moderator);
 
   if (ptr &&
       (sp = (state *)memcached_get(ptr, mc_key.data(), mc_key.size(), &length,
                                    &flags, &error)) != nullptr) {
     assert(length == sizeof(state));
 
-    int64_t elapsed = time(nullptr) - sp->last_update;
+    const int64_t elapsed = time(nullptr) - sp->last_update;
 
     if (elapsed * bytes_per_sec < sp->bytes_served) {
       bytes_served = sp->bytes_served - elapsed * bytes_per_sec;
@@ -76,7 +80,7 @@ std::tuple<bool, int> memcached_rate_limiter::check(const std::string &key, bool
     free(sp);
   }
 
-  auto max_bytes = global_settings::get_ratelimiter_maxdebt(moderator);
+  const auto max_bytes = global_settings::get_ratelimiter_maxdebt(moderator);
   if (bytes_served < max_bytes) {
     return {false, 0};
   } else {
@@ -86,51 +90,63 @@ std::tuple<bool, int> memcached_rate_limiter::check(const std::string &key, bool
 }
 
 void memcached_rate_limiter::update(const std::string &key, int bytes, bool moderator) {
-  if (ptr) {
-    time_t now = time(nullptr);
-    std::string mc_key;
-    state *sp;
-    size_t length;
-    uint32_t flags;
-    memcached_return error;
 
-    mc_key = "cgimap:" + key;
-    auto bytes_per_sec = global_settings::get_ratelimiter_ratelimit(moderator);
+  if (!ptr)
+    return;
 
-  retry:
+  const auto now = time(nullptr);
 
-    if (ptr &&
-        (sp = (state *)memcached_get(ptr, mc_key.data(), mc_key.size(), &length,
-                                     &flags, &error)) != nullptr) {
-      assert(length == sizeof(state));
+  state *sp;
+  size_t length;
+  uint32_t flags;
+  memcached_return_t error;
 
-      int64_t elapsed = now - sp->last_update;
+  const auto mc_key = "cgimap:" + key;
+  const auto bytes_per_sec = global_settings::get_ratelimiter_ratelimit(moderator);
 
-      sp->last_update = now;
+  // upper limit in memcached for relative TTL values
+  // anything bigger is considered as absolute timestamp
+  constexpr auto REALTIME_MAXDELTA = 60L*60L*24L*30L;
 
-      if (elapsed * bytes_per_sec < sp->bytes_served) {
-        sp->bytes_served = sp->bytes_served - elapsed * bytes_per_sec + bytes;
-      } else {
-        sp->bytes_served = bytes;
-      }
+  // calculate number of seconds after which the memcached entry is guaranteed
+  // to be irrelevant (adding a bit of headroom).
+  const auto memcached_expiration = std::min(REALTIME_MAXDELTA,
+      2L * global_settings::get_ratelimiter_maxdebt(moderator) / bytes_per_sec);
 
-      // should use CAS but it's a right pain so we'll wing it for now...
-      memcached_replace(ptr, mc_key.data(), mc_key.size(), (char *)sp,
-                        sizeof(state), 0, 0);
+retry:
 
-      free(sp);
+  if (!ptr)
+    return;
+
+  if ((sp = (state *)memcached_get(ptr, mc_key.data(), mc_key.size(), &length,
+                                   &flags, &error)) != nullptr) {
+    assert(length == sizeof(state));
+
+    const int64_t elapsed = now - sp->last_update;
+
+    sp->last_update = now;
+
+    if (elapsed * bytes_per_sec < sp->bytes_served) {
+      sp->bytes_served = sp->bytes_served - elapsed * bytes_per_sec + bytes;
     } else {
-      state s;
+      sp->bytes_served = bytes;
+    }
 
-      s.last_update = now;
-      s.bytes_served = bytes;
+    // should use CAS but it's a right pain so we'll wing it for now...
+    auto rc = memcached_replace(ptr, mc_key.data(), mc_key.size(), (char *)sp,
+                      sizeof(state), memcached_expiration, 0);
+    free(sp);
 
-      if (memcached_add(ptr, mc_key.data(), mc_key.size(), (char *)&s,
-                        sizeof(state), 0, 0) == MEMCACHED_NOTSTORED) {
-        goto retry;
-      }
+  } else {
+    state s;
+
+    s.last_update = now;
+    s.bytes_served = bytes;
+
+    auto rc = memcached_add(ptr, mc_key.data(), mc_key.size(), (char *)&s, sizeof(state), memcached_expiration, 0);
+
+    if (rc == MEMCACHED_NOTSTORED) {
+      goto retry;
     }
   }
-
-  return;
 }