diff --git a/pkg/puller/puller.go b/pkg/puller/puller.go
index dc0965aa868..b25acdc3dc2 100644
--- a/pkg/puller/puller.go
+++ b/pkg/puller/puller.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethersphere/bee/pkg/storer"
 	"github.com/ethersphere/bee/pkg/swarm"
 	"github.com/ethersphere/bee/pkg/topology"
+	ratelimit "golang.org/x/time/rate"
 )
 
 // loggerName is the tree path name of the logger for this package.
@@ -65,6 +66,8 @@ type Puller struct {
 	rate *rate.Rate // rate of historical syncing
 
 	start sync.Once
+
+	limiter *ratelimit.Limiter
 }
 
 func New(
@@ -92,6 +95,7 @@ func New(
 		blockLister: blockLister,
 		rate:        rate.New(DefaultHistRateWindow),
 		cancel:      func() { /* Noop, since the context is initialized in the Start(). */ },
+		limiter:     ratelimit.NewLimiter(ratelimit.Every(time.Second), int(swarm.MaxBins)), // allows for 1 sync per second, max bins bursts
 	}
 
 	return p
@@ -301,6 +305,11 @@ func (p *Puller) syncWorker(ctx context.Context, peer swarm.Address, bin uint8,
 
 	for {
 
+		// rate limit within neighborhood
+		if bin >= p.radius.StorageRadius() {
+			_ = p.limiter.Wait(ctx)
+		}
+
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			loggerV2.Debug("syncWorker context cancelled", "peer_address", peer, "bin", bin)
@@ -308,8 +317,6 @@ func (p *Puller) syncWorker(ctx context.Context, peer swarm.Address, bin uint8,
 		default:
 		}
 
-		p.metrics.SyncWorkerIterCounter.Inc()
-
 		s, _, _, err := p.nextPeerInterval(peer, bin)
 		if err != nil {
 			p.metrics.SyncWorkerErrCounter.Inc()