diff --git a/pkg/rclone/rcserver/rcconfigguard.go b/pkg/rclone/rcserver/rcconfigguard.go
index 7cb7c7b12..e9eb4a843 100644
--- a/pkg/rclone/rcserver/rcconfigguard.go
+++ b/pkg/rclone/rcserver/rcconfigguard.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package rcserver
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"slices"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -26,16 +27,12 @@ type configGuard struct {
 	initialized atomic.Bool
 
 	defaultTransfers int
-	transfers        int
-	bandwidthLimit   string
 }
 
 func (cg *configGuard) init() {
 	if cg.initialized.CompareAndSwap(false, true) {
 		defaultTransfers := fs.GetConfig(context.Background()).Transfers
 		cg.defaultTransfers = defaultTransfers
-		cg.transfers = defaultTransfers
-		cg.bandwidthLimit = ""
 	}
 }
 
@@ -55,15 +52,11 @@ func SetTransfers(transfers int) error {
 	}
 	// Returns global config
 	ci := fs.GetConfig(context.Background())
-	if transfers == globalConfigGuard.transfers {
-		// Safety check in case configguard is not in sync with global config
-		if transfers == ci.Transfers {
-			// Transfers are already set to specified value
-			return nil
-		}
+	if transfers == ci.Transfers {
+		// Transfers are already set to specified value
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	globalConfigGuard.transfers = transfers
 	ci.Transfers = transfers
 	// The amount of transfers impacts fs.Fs initialization (e.g. pool.Pool and fs.Pacer),
 	// so fs.Fs cache should be cleared on transfers count change.
@@ -77,16 +70,76 @@ func SetBandwidthLimit(limit string) error {
 	defer globalConfigGuard.mu.Unlock()
 	globalConfigGuard.init()
 
-	if limit == globalConfigGuard.bandwidthLimit {
+	currLimit, err := getBandwidthLimit()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	eq, err := equalBandwidths(limit, currLimit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if eq {
+		// Bandwidth limit is already set to specified value
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	in := rc.Params{
 		"rate": limit,
 	}
-	_, err := rcCalls.Get("core/bwlimit").Fn(context.Background(), in)
+	// Uses *tokenBucket.rcBwlimit method
+	_, err = rcCalls.Get("core/bwlimit").Fn(context.Background(), in)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "set bandwidth to %s", limit)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func getBandwidthLimit() (string, error) {
+	// Uses *tokenBucket.rcBwlimit method
+	out, err := rcCalls.Get("core/bwlimit").Fn(context.Background(), make(rc.Params))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "get bandwidth")
+	}
+	limit, err := out.GetString("rate")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "parse current bandwidth")
+	}
+	return limit, err
+}
+
+func equalBandwidths(limit1, limit2 string) (bool, error) {
+	bws1, err := parseBandwidth(limit1)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	bws2, err := parseBandwidth(limit2)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return slices.EqualFunc(bws1, bws2, func(s1 fs.BwTimeSlot, s2 fs.BwTimeSlot) bool {
+		if s1.HHMM != s2.HHMM || s1.DayOfTheWeek != s2.DayOfTheWeek {
+			return false
+		}
+		// Unlimited bandwidth can be described by any number <= 0
+		if s1.Bandwidth.Tx > 0 || s2.Bandwidth.Tx > 0 {
+			if s1.Bandwidth.Tx != s2.Bandwidth.Tx {
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+		if s1.Bandwidth.Rx > 0 || s2.Bandwidth.Rx > 0 {
+			if s1.Bandwidth.Rx != s2.Bandwidth.Rx {
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+		return true
+	}), nil
+}
+
+func parseBandwidth(limit string) (fs.BwTimetable, error) {
+	var bws fs.BwTimetable
+	err := bws.Set(limit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "parse limit: %s", limit)
+	}
+	return bws, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/scyllaclient/client_rclone.go b/pkg/scyllaclient/client_rclone.go
index 8b8ae6854..c8750ff84 100644
--- a/pkg/scyllaclient/client_rclone.go
+++ b/pkg/scyllaclient/client_rclone.go
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ import (
 // transfers performed under current client session.
 // Limit is expressed in MiB per second.
 // To turn off limitation set it to 0.
+//
+// Note that it's safer to set bandwidth limit as a parameter of given Rclone call
+// (e.g. RcloneMoveDir or RcloneCopyPaths) as it's resistant to agent restarts
+// or some other process modifying Rclone bandwidth limit in the meantime.
+// Because of that, this method should be used in tests only.
 func (c *Client) RcloneSetBandwidthLimit(ctx context.Context, host string, limit int) error {
 	p := operations.CoreBwlimitParams{
 		Context:       forceHost(ctx, host),
diff --git a/pkg/service/backup/worker_deduplicate.go b/pkg/service/backup/worker_deduplicate.go
index 82cdf59ec..e3b5fdc2a 100644
--- a/pkg/service/backup/worker_deduplicate.go
+++ b/pkg/service/backup/worker_deduplicate.go
@@ -56,10 +56,6 @@ func (w *worker) deduplicateHost(ctx context.Context, h hostInfo) error {
 		}(w.hostSnapshotDirs(h))
 	}
 
-	if err := w.setRateLimit(ctx, h); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "set rate limit")
-	}
-
 	dirs := w.hostSnapshotDirs(h)
 	f := func(i int) (err error) {
 		d := &dirs[i]
diff --git a/pkg/service/backup/worker_upload.go b/pkg/service/backup/worker_upload.go
index d57a57c07..23a76955f 100644
--- a/pkg/service/backup/worker_upload.go
+++ b/pkg/service/backup/worker_upload.go
@@ -32,10 +32,6 @@ func (w *worker) Upload(ctx context.Context, hosts []hostInfo, limits []DCLimit)
 }
 
 func (w *worker) uploadHost(ctx context.Context, h hostInfo) error {
-	if err := w.setRateLimit(ctx, h); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "set rate limit")
-	}
-
 	dirs := w.hostSnapshotDirs(h)
 
 	f := func(i int) (err error) {
@@ -151,11 +147,6 @@ func (w *worker) snapshotJobID(ctx context.Context, d snapshotDir) int64 {
 	return 0
 }
 
-func (w *worker) setRateLimit(ctx context.Context, h hostInfo) error {
-	w.Logger.Info(ctx, "Setting rate limit", "host", h.IP, "limit", h.RateLimit.Limit)
-	return w.Client.RcloneSetBandwidthLimit(ctx, h.IP, h.RateLimit.Limit)
-}
-
 func (w *worker) uploadSnapshotDir(ctx context.Context, h hostInfo, d snapshotDir) error {
 	w.Logger.Info(ctx, "Uploading table snapshot",
 		"host", h.IP,