diff --git a/backend/internal/bootstrap/router_bootstrap.go b/backend/internal/bootstrap/router_bootstrap.go
index 51ef5a0f..22ca0bb9 100644
--- a/backend/internal/bootstrap/router_bootstrap.go
+++ b/backend/internal/bootstrap/router_bootstrap.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func registerRoutes(r *gin.Engine, db *gorm.DB, svc *services, rateLimitServices
 		rateLimitMiddleware.Add(middleware.RateLimitDeviceLoginVerification),
 	)
 	controller.NewOidcController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware, svc.oidcService, svc.appConfigService)
-	controller.NewUserController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware, svc.appConfigService, svc.userService, svc.webauthnModule)
+	controller.NewUserController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware, svc.appConfigService, svc.userService, svc.webauthnModule, rateLimitMiddleware.Add(middleware.RateLimitUpdateOwnAccount))
 	controller.NewAppConfigController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, svc.appConfigService, svc.emailModule)
 	svc.ldapSyncModule.RegisterRoutes(apiGroup, authMiddleware.Add())
 	controller.NewAppImagesController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware, svc.appImagesService)
diff --git a/backend/internal/controller/upload_size_limit_test.go b/backend/internal/controller/upload_size_limit_test.go
index cbcd5796..2378847f 100644
--- a/backend/internal/controller/upload_size_limit_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/controller/upload_size_limit_test.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func TestImageUploadRoutesLimitRequestSize(t *testing.T) {
 	router := gin.New()
 	router.Use(middleware.NewErrorHandlerMiddleware().Add())
 	apiGroup := router.Group("/api")
-	NewUserController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware, nil, userService, nil)
+	NewUserController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware, nil, userService, nil, func(c *gin.Context) { c.Next() })
 	NewAppImagesController(apiGroup, authMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware, nil)
 
 	routes := []string{
diff --git a/backend/internal/controller/user_controller.go b/backend/internal/controller/user_controller.go
index 6a9923c8..03b426ce 100644
--- a/backend/internal/controller/user_controller.go
+++ b/backend/internal/controller/user_controller.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import (
 // @Summary User management controller
 // @Description Initializes all user-related API endpoints
 // @Tags Users
-func NewUserController(group *gin.RouterGroup, authMiddleware *middleware.AuthMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware *middleware.FileSizeLimitMiddleware, appConfigService *appconfig.AppConfigService, userService *service.UserService, webAuthnService *webauthn.Module) {
+func NewUserController(group *gin.RouterGroup, authMiddleware *middleware.AuthMiddleware, fileSizeLimitMiddleware *middleware.FileSizeLimitMiddleware, appConfigService *appconfig.AppConfigService, userService *service.UserService, webAuthnService *webauthn.Module, updateOwnAccountRateLimit gin.HandlerFunc) {
 	uc := UserController{
 		appConfigService: appConfigService,
 		userService:      userService,
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ func NewUserController(group *gin.RouterGroup, authMiddleware *middleware.AuthMi
 	group.PUT("/users/:id", authMiddleware.Add(), httpserver.Handle(uc.updateUserHandler))
 	group.GET("/users/:id/groups", authMiddleware.Add(), httpserver.Handle(uc.getUserGroupsHandler))
 	group.GET("/users/:id/webauthn-credentials", authMiddleware.Add(), httpserver.Handle(uc.listUserWebauthnCredentialsHandler))
-	group.PUT("/users/me", authMiddleware.WithAdminNotRequired().Add(), httpserver.Handle(uc.updateCurrentUserHandler))
+	// Updating the own account reports whether an email or username is already taken, so it is rate limited to slow down probing for existing users
+	group.PUT("/users/me", authMiddleware.WithAdminNotRequired().Add(), updateOwnAccountRateLimit, httpserver.Handle(uc.updateCurrentUserHandler))
 	group.DELETE("/users/:id", authMiddleware.Add(), httpserver.Handle(uc.deleteUserHandler))
 	group.DELETE("/users/:id/webauthn-credentials/:credentialId", authMiddleware.Add(), httpserver.Handle(uc.deleteUserWebauthnCredentialHandler))
 
diff --git a/backend/internal/middleware/rate_limit.go b/backend/internal/middleware/rate_limit.go
index 06885fdd..8acab376 100644
--- a/backend/internal/middleware/rate_limit.go
+++ b/backend/internal/middleware/rate_limit.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	RateLimitAPI                     = "api"
 	RateLimitSignup                  = "signup"
+	RateLimitUpdateOwnAccount        = "update-own-account"
 	RateLimitWebauthnLogin           = "webauthn-login"
 	RateLimitWebauthnReauthenticate  = "webauthn-reauthenticate"
 	RateLimitOneTimeAccessToken      = "one-time-access-token"
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ func RateLimitPolicies() []RateLimitPolicy {
 	return []RateLimitPolicy{
 		{Name: RateLimitAPI, Rate: 100, Per: time.Second, Burst: 300},
 		{Name: RateLimitSignup, Rate: 2, Per: time.Minute, Burst: 10},
+		{Name: RateLimitUpdateOwnAccount, Rate: 2, Per: time.Minute, Burst: 10},
 		{Name: RateLimitWebauthnLogin, Rate: 1, Per: 5 * time.Second, Burst: 10},
 		{Name: RateLimitWebauthnReauthenticate, Rate: 1, Per: 10 * time.Second, Burst: 5},
 		{Name: RateLimitOneTimeAccessToken, Rate: 1, Per: 10 * time.Second, Burst: 5},