diff --git a/crates/api_crud/src/site/create.rs b/crates/api_crud/src/site/create.rs
index 162f5a355..fa630b2f1 100644
--- a/crates/api_crud/src/site/create.rs
+++ b/crates/api_crud/src/site/create.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use super::not_zero;
 use crate::site::{application_question_check, site_default_post_listing_type_check};
 use activitypub_federation::{config::Data, http_signatures::generate_actor_keypair};
 use actix_web::web::Json;
@@ -116,17 +117,17 @@ pub async fn create_site(
 
   let local_site_rate_limit_form = LocalSiteRateLimitUpdateForm {
     message: data.rate_limit_message,
-    message_per_second: data.rate_limit_message_per_second,
+    message_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_message_per_second),
     post: data.rate_limit_post,
-    post_per_second: data.rate_limit_post_per_second,
+    post_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_post_per_second),
     register: data.rate_limit_register,
-    register_per_second: data.rate_limit_register_per_second,
+    register_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_register_per_second),
     image: data.rate_limit_image,
-    image_per_second: data.rate_limit_image_per_second,
+    image_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_image_per_second),
     comment: data.rate_limit_comment,
-    comment_per_second: data.rate_limit_comment_per_second,
+    comment_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_comment_per_second),
     search: data.rate_limit_search,
-    search_per_second: data.rate_limit_search_per_second,
+    search_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_search_per_second),
     ..Default::default()
   };
 
diff --git a/crates/api_crud/src/site/mod.rs b/crates/api_crud/src/site/mod.rs
index 0bf7cc279..462d2f072 100644
--- a/crates/api_crud/src/site/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/api_crud/src/site/mod.rs
@@ -40,12 +40,19 @@ pub fn application_question_check(
   }
 }
 
+fn not_zero(val: Option<i32>) -> Option<i32> {
+  match val {
+    Some(0) => None,
+    v => v,
+  }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 #[allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
 #[allow(clippy::indexing_slicing)]
 mod tests {
 
-  use crate::site::{application_question_check, site_default_post_listing_type_check};
+  use crate::site::{application_question_check, not_zero, site_default_post_listing_type_check};
   use lemmy_db_schema::{ListingType, RegistrationMode};
 
   #[test]
@@ -93,4 +100,11 @@ mod tests {
       RegistrationMode::RequireApplication
     );
   }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_not_zero() {
+    assert_eq!(None, not_zero(None));
+    assert_eq!(None, not_zero(Some(0)));
+    assert_eq!(Some(5), not_zero(Some(5)));
+  }
 }
diff --git a/crates/api_crud/src/site/update.rs b/crates/api_crud/src/site/update.rs
index 1ae531bb7..daa0bc49e 100644
--- a/crates/api_crud/src/site/update.rs
+++ b/crates/api_crud/src/site/update.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use super::not_zero;
 use crate::site::{application_question_check, site_default_post_listing_type_check};
 use activitypub_federation::config::Data;
 use actix_web::web::Json;
@@ -129,17 +130,17 @@ pub async fn update_site(
 
   let local_site_rate_limit_form = LocalSiteRateLimitUpdateForm {
     message: data.rate_limit_message,
-    message_per_second: data.rate_limit_message_per_second,
+    message_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_message_per_second),
     post: data.rate_limit_post,
-    post_per_second: data.rate_limit_post_per_second,
+    post_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_post_per_second),
     register: data.rate_limit_register,
-    register_per_second: data.rate_limit_register_per_second,
+    register_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_register_per_second),
     image: data.rate_limit_image,
-    image_per_second: data.rate_limit_image_per_second,
+    image_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_image_per_second),
     comment: data.rate_limit_comment,
-    comment_per_second: data.rate_limit_comment_per_second,
+    comment_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_comment_per_second),
     search: data.rate_limit_search,
-    search_per_second: data.rate_limit_search_per_second,
+    search_per_second: not_zero(data.rate_limit_search_per_second),
     ..Default::default()
   };