diff --git a/backend/requirements.txt b/backend/requirements.txt
index fa6e10273..f51c43dfc 100644
--- a/backend/requirements.txt
+++ b/backend/requirements.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ click==8.1.7
 cryptography==42.0.7
 dnspython==2.6.1
 fastapi==0.110.2
+fastapi_limiter==0.1.6
 fuzzywuzzy==0.18.0
 h11==0.14.0
 hypothesis==6.61.0
diff --git a/backend/server/routers/auth.py b/backend/server/routers/auth.py
index 57e6c637f..f73f6b580 100644
--- a/backend/server/routers/auth.py
+++ b/backend/server/routers/auth.py
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 from typing import Annotated, Dict, Optional, Tuple, Union, cast
 from secrets import token_hex, token_urlsafe
 from time import time
-from fastapi import APIRouter, Cookie, HTTPException, Response, Security
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Cookie, Depends, HTTPException, Response, Security
+from fastapi_limiter.depends import RateLimiter # type: ignore
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from starlette.status import HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED, HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST, HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
 
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ def _try_get_session_info_for_logout(session_token: SessionToken, refresh_token:
 
 
 
-@router.post('/guest_login')
+@router.post('/guest_login', dependencies=[Depends(RateLimiter(times=1, hours=1))])
 def create_guest_session(res: Response) -> IdentityPayload:
     # create new login session for user in db, generating new tokens
     uid = insert_new_guest_user()
diff --git a/backend/server/server.py b/backend/server/server.py
index 2898a2dd4..b600ce80b 100644
--- a/backend/server/server.py
+++ b/backend/server/server.py
@@ -3,14 +3,19 @@
 """
 
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+
+from fastapi_limiter import FastAPILimiter # type: ignore
+import redis
+import redis.asyncio
 from data.config import LIVE_YEAR
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 from fastapi.middleware.cors import CORSMiddleware
 from server.routers import auth, courses, followups, planner, programs, specialisations, user
+from server.db.redis.conn import sdb
 
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def on_setup_and_shutdown(_app: FastAPI):
-    # TODO-OLLI(pm): actually use these
+    await FastAPILimiter.init(redis.asyncio.Redis(**sdb.get_connection_kwargs()))
     print("\n\nstartup\n\n")
     yield
     print("\n\nshutdown\n\n")
diff --git a/backend/server/tests/courses/test_search_course.py b/backend/server/tests/courses/test_search_course.py
index 916364245..56babc732 100644
--- a/backend/server/tests/courses/test_search_course.py
+++ b/backend/server/tests/courses/test_search_course.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import requests
 
-from server.tests.user.utility import get_token, get_token_headers
+from server.tests.user.utility import clear, get_token, get_token_headers
 
 with open("./algorithms/tests/exampleUsers.json", encoding="utf8") as f:
     USER = json.load(f)["user_degree_wizard"]
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 
 def test_search_course():
+    clear()
     token = get_token()
     headers = get_token_headers(token)
     requests.post('http://127.0.0.1:8000/user/setupDegreeWizard', headers=headers, json=USER)
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ def test_search_course():
 
 
 def test_search_archives():
+    clear()
     token = get_token()
     headers = get_token_headers(token)
     requests.post('http://127.0.0.1:8000/user/setupDegreeWizard', headers=headers, json=USER)
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ def test_search_archives():
 
 
 def test_search_title():
+    clear()
     token = get_token()
     headers = get_token_headers(token)
     requests.post('http://127.0.0.1:8000/user/setupDegreeWizard', headers=headers, json=USER)
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ def test_search_title():
 
 
 def test_search_minor():
+    clear()
     token = get_token()
     headers = get_token_headers(token)
     requests.post('http://127.0.0.1:8000/user/setupDegreeWizard', headers=headers, json=USER)
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx
index ba1fd0622..8fde235d6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
 import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { guestLogin as guestLoginRequest, initiateCSEAuth } from 'utils/api/authApi';
+import openNotification from 'utils/openNotification';
 import BackButton from 'assets/back.svg';
 import SplashArt from 'assets/splashart.svg';
 import PageTemplate from 'components/PageTemplate';
@@ -23,7 +24,18 @@ const Login = () => {
   // - quick api call before login, although this is probs BAD
   // -- can just check if a refresh token is given at the login routes
   const guestLogin = useCallback(async () => {
-    const res = await guestLoginRequest();
+    let res;
+    try {
+      res = await guestLoginRequest();
+    } catch (_) {
+      openNotification({
+        type: 'error',
+        message: "Can't log in",
+        description:
+          'If you attempted to continue as guest, you may have hit a timeout. Either log in with your zID or wait until the timeout has cleared. Otherwise, there may be an issue with your user.'
+      });
+      return;
+    }
 
     queryClient.clear();
     dispatch(updateIdentityWithAPIRes(res));