diff --git a/app/middlewares/rate-limit.js b/app/middlewares/rate-limit.js
index 018827f3..3e4d2f47 100644
--- a/app/middlewares/rate-limit.js
+++ b/app/middlewares/rate-limit.js
@@ -51,10 +51,8 @@ function rateLimit(userLimits, endpointGroup = null) {
 }
 
 function isRateLimitEnabled(endpointGroup) {
-    return global.settings.ratelimits &&
-        global.settings.ratelimits.rateLimitsEnabled &&
+    return global.settings.ratelimits.rateLimitsEnabled &&
         endpointGroup &&
-        global.settings.ratelimits.endpoints &&
         global.settings.ratelimits.endpoints[endpointGroup];
 }
 
diff --git a/app/server.js b/app/server.js
index 940f0183..d80fd596 100644
--- a/app/server.js
+++ b/app/server.js
@@ -137,9 +137,10 @@ function App(statsClient) {
 
     var userDatabaseService = new UserDatabaseService(metadataBackend);
     
+    UserLimitsService.configure();
     const userLimitsServiceOptions = {
         limits: {
-            rateLimitsEnabled: (global.settings.ratelimits && global.settings.ratelimits.rateLimitsEnabled) || false
+            rateLimitsEnabled: global.settings.ratelimits.rateLimitsEnabled
         }
     };
     const userLimitsService = new UserLimitsService(metadataBackend, userLimitsServiceOptions);
diff --git a/app/services/user_limits.js b/app/services/user_limits.js
index 837e7e83..4f80c172 100644
--- a/app/services/user_limits.js
+++ b/app/services/user_limits.js
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+const DEFAULT_RATE_LIMITS_OPTIONS = {
+    rateLimitsEnabled: false,
+    endpoints: {
+        query: false,
+        query_format: false,
+        job_create: false,
+        job_get: false,
+        job_delete: false
+    }
+};
+
 /**
  * UserLimits
  * @param {cartodb-redis} metadataBackend 
@@ -11,6 +22,13 @@ class UserLimits {
         this.preprareRateLimit();
     }
 
+    static configure() {
+        // default rate limits
+        if(!global.settings.ratelimits) {
+            global.settings.ratelimits = DEFAULT_RATE_LIMITS_OPTIONS;
+        }
+    }
+
     preprareRateLimit() {
         if (this.options.limits.rateLimitsEnabled) {
             this.metadataBackend.loadRateLimitsScript();
diff --git a/test/acceptance/rate-limit.js b/test/acceptance/rate-limit.js
index 34731b41..f8b8f4d2 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/rate-limit.js
+++ b/test/acceptance/rate-limit.js
@@ -72,10 +72,6 @@ function assertRequest (status, limit, remaining, reset, retry, done = null) {
 
 describe('rate limit', function() {
     before(function() {
-        if (!global.settings.ratelimits) {
-            global.settings.ratelimits = {};
-            global.settings.ratelimits.endpoints = {};
-        }
         global.settings.ratelimits.rateLimitsEnabled = true;
         global.settings.ratelimits.endpoints.query = true;
         
@@ -89,10 +85,6 @@ describe('rate limit', function() {
     });
 
     after(function() {
-        if (!global.settings.ratelimits) {
-            global.settings.ratelimits = {};
-            global.settings.ratelimits.endpoints = {};
-        }
         global.settings.ratelimits.rateLimitsEnabled = false;
         global.settings.ratelimits.endpoints.query = false;