diff --git a/appview/config/config.go b/appview/config/config.go
index 92b10219..1c93b366 100644
--- a/appview/config/config.go
+++ b/appview/config/config.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ type CoreConfig struct {
 	AppviewName             string `env:"APPVIEW_Name, default=Tangled"`
 	Dev                     bool   `env:"DEV, default=false"`
 	DisallowedNicknamesFile string `env:"DISALLOWED_NICKNAMES_FILE"`
-	RateLimitBypass         string `env:"PDS_RATE_LIMIT_BYPASS"`
 
 	// temporarily, to add users to default knot and spindle
 	AppPassword string `env:"APP_PASSWORD"`
diff --git a/appview/oauth/handler.go b/appview/oauth/handler.go
index 66ca626a..15e8b2f8 100644
--- a/appview/oauth/handler.go
+++ b/appview/oauth/handler.go
@@ -247,14 +247,13 @@ func (o *OAuth) ensureTangledProfile(sessData *oauth.ClientSessionData) {
 
 // create a AppPasswordSession using apppasswords
 type AppPasswordSession struct {
-	AccessJwt       string `json:"accessJwt"`
-	PdsEndpoint     string
-	Did             string
-	RateLimitBypass string
-	Logger          *slog.Logger
+	AccessJwt   string `json:"accessJwt"`
+	PdsEndpoint string
+	Did         string
+	Logger      *slog.Logger
 }
 
-func CreateAppPasswordSession(res *idresolver.Resolver, appPassword, did, rateLimitBypass string, logger *slog.Logger) (*AppPasswordSession, error) {
+func CreateAppPasswordSession(res *idresolver.Resolver, appPassword, did string, logger *slog.Logger) (*AppPasswordSession, error) {
 	if appPassword == "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no app password configured")
 	}
@@ -284,9 +283,6 @@ func CreateAppPasswordSession(res *idresolver.Resolver, appPassword, did, rateLi
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create session request: %v", err)
 	}
 	sessionReq.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
-	if rateLimitBypass != "" {
-		sessionReq.Header.Set("x-ratelimit-bypass", rateLimitBypass)
-	}
 
 	logger.Debug("creating app password session", "url", sessionURL, "headers", sessionReq.Header)
 
@@ -308,7 +304,6 @@ func CreateAppPasswordSession(res *idresolver.Resolver, appPassword, did, rateLi
 
 	session.PdsEndpoint = pdsEndpoint
 	session.Did = did
-	session.RateLimitBypass = rateLimitBypass
 	session.Logger = logger
 
 	return &session, nil
@@ -340,9 +335,6 @@ func (s *AppPasswordSession) putRecord(record any, collection string) error {
 
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+s.AccessJwt)
-	if s.RateLimitBypass != "" {
-		req.Header.Set("x-ratelimit-bypass", s.RateLimitBypass)
-	}
 
 	s.Logger.Debug("putting record", "url", url, "collection", collection, "headers", req.Header)
 
@@ -369,7 +361,7 @@ func (o *OAuth) getAppPasswordSession() (*AppPasswordSession, error) {
 		return o.appPasswordSession, nil
 	}
 
-	session, err := CreateAppPasswordSession(o.IdResolver, o.Config.Core.AppPassword, consts.TangledDid, o.Config.Core.RateLimitBypass, o.Logger)
+	session, err := CreateAppPasswordSession(o.IdResolver, o.Config.Core.AppPassword, consts.TangledDid, o.Logger)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
index 85f99c73..08a3513e 100644
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ func fetchBskyPosts(ctx context.Context, res *idresolver.Resolver, config *confi
 		return
 	}
 
-	session, err := oauth.CreateAppPasswordSession(res, config.Core.AppPassword, consts.TangledDid, config.Core.RateLimitBypass, logger)
+	session, err := oauth.CreateAppPasswordSession(res, config.Core.AppPassword, consts.TangledDid, logger)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error("failed to create appassword session... skipping fetch", "err", err)
 		return