diff --git a/install/data/defaults.json b/install/data/defaults.json
index eeec153f1b..92bac0b2b7 100644
--- a/install/data/defaults.json
+++ b/install/data/defaults.json
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     "chatEditDuration": 0,
     "chatDeleteDuration": 0,
     "chatMessageDelay": 2000,
+    "newbieChatMessageDelay": 120000,
     "notificationSendDelay": 60,
     "newbiePostDelayThreshold": 3,
     "postQueue": 0,
diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/chat.json b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/chat.json
index 102dd5aa3b..86360a34ee 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/chat.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/chat.json
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 	"max-length": "Maximum length of chat messages",
 	"max-chat-room-name-length": "Maximum length of chat room names",
 	"max-room-size": "Maximum number of users in chat rooms",
-	"delay": "Time between chat messages in milliseconds",
+	"delay": "Time between chat messages (ms)",
+	"newbieDelay": "... for new users (ms)",
 	"notification-delay": "Notification delay for chat messages",
 	"notification-delay-help": "Additional messages sent between this time are collated, and the user is notified once per delay period. Set this to 0 to disable the delay.",
 	"restrictions.seconds-edit-after": "Number of seconds a chat message will remain editable.",
diff --git a/src/api/chats.js b/src/api/chats.js
index 281109f514..bf8d01df9c 100644
--- a/src/api/chats.js
+++ b/src/api/chats.js
@@ -14,11 +14,17 @@ const socketHelpers = require('../socket.io/helpers');
 
 const chatsAPI = module.exports;
 
-function rateLimitExceeded(caller) {
+async function rateLimitExceeded(caller) {
 	const session = caller.request ? caller.request.session : caller.session; // socket vs req
 	const now = Date.now();
+	const [isAdmin, reputation] = await Promise.all([
+		user.isAdministrator(caller.uid),
+		user.getUserField(caller.uid, 'reputation'),
+	]);
+	const newbie = !isAdmin && meta.config.newbiePostDelayThreshold > reputation;
+	const delay = newbie ? meta.config.newbieChatMessageDelay : meta.config.chatMessageDelay;
 	session.lastChatMessageTime = session.lastChatMessageTime || 0;
-	if (now - session.lastChatMessageTime < meta.config.chatMessageDelay) {
+	if (now - session.lastChatMessageTime < delay) {
 		return true;
 	}
 	session.lastChatMessageTime = now;
@@ -34,7 +40,7 @@ chatsAPI.list = async (caller, { page, perPage }) => {
 };
 
 chatsAPI.create = async function (caller, data) {
-	if (rateLimitExceeded(caller)) {
+	if (await rateLimitExceeded(caller)) {
 		throw new Error('[[error:too-many-messages]]');
 	}
 	if (!data) {
@@ -71,7 +77,7 @@ chatsAPI.create = async function (caller, data) {
 chatsAPI.get = async (caller, { uid, roomId }) => await messaging.loadRoom(caller.uid, { uid, roomId });
 
 chatsAPI.post = async (caller, data) => {
-	if (rateLimitExceeded(caller)) {
+	if (await rateLimitExceeded(caller)) {
 		throw new Error('[[error:too-many-messages]]');
 	}
 	if (!data || !data.roomId || !caller.uid) {
diff --git a/src/views/admin/settings/chat.tpl b/src/views/admin/settings/chat.tpl
index 852a039597..cbd138d0c8 100644
--- a/src/views/admin/settings/chat.tpl
+++ b/src/views/admin/settings/chat.tpl
@@ -49,11 +49,16 @@
 					<input id="maximumUsersInChatRoom" type="text" class="form-control" value="0" data-field="maximumUsersInChatRoom">
 				</div>
 
-
-				<div class="mb-3">
-					<label class="form-label" for="chatMessageDelay">[[admin/settings/chat:delay]]</label>
-					<input id="chatMessageDelay" type="text" class="form-control" value="200" data-field="chatMessageDelay">
-				</div>
+				<fieldset class="row">
+					<div class="mb-3 col-sm-6">
+						<label class="form-label" for="chatMessageDelay">[[admin/settings/chat:delay]]</label>
+						<input id="chatMessageDelay" type="text" class="form-control" data-field="chatMessageDelay">
+					</div>
+					<div class="mb-3 col-sm-6">
+						<label class="form-label" for="newbieChatMessageDelay">[[admin/settings/chat:newbieDelay]]</label>
+						<input id="newbieChatMessageDelay" type="text" class="form-control" data-field="newbieChatMessageDelay">
+					</div>
+				</fieldset>
 
 				<div class="mb-3">
 					<label class="form-label" for="notificationSendDelay">[[admin/settings/chat:notification-delay]]</label>