diff --git a/app/config.py b/app/config.py
index 12a3f8d09..d2737cc9c 100644
--- a/app/config.py
+++ b/app/config.py
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ class Development(Config):
         Queue('research-mode', Exchange('default'), routing_key='research-mode')
     ]
     API_HOST_NAME = "http://localhost:6011"
+    API_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED = True
 
 
 class Test(Config):
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@ class Test(Config):
         Queue('research-mode', Exchange('default'), routing_key='research-mode')
     ]
     REDIS_ENABLED = True
+    API_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED = True
     API_HOST_NAME = "http://localhost:6011"
 
     API_KEY_LIMITS = {
@@ -260,6 +262,7 @@ class Preview(Config):
     NOTIFY_ENVIRONMENT = 'preview'
     CSV_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'preview-notifications-csv-upload'
     FROM_NUMBER = 'preview'
+    API_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED = True
 
 
 class Staging(Config):
@@ -268,6 +271,7 @@ class Staging(Config):
     CSV_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'staging-notify-csv-upload'
     STATSD_ENABLED = True
     FROM_NUMBER = 'stage'
+    API_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED = True
 
 
 class Live(Config):
@@ -279,6 +283,7 @@ class Live(Config):
     FUNCTIONAL_TEST_PROVIDER_SERVICE_ID = '6c1d81bb-dae2-4ee9-80b0-89a4aae9f649'
     FUNCTIONAL_TEST_PROVIDER_SMS_TEMPLATE_ID = 'ba9e1789-a804-40b8-871f-cc60d4c1286f'
     PERFORMANCE_PLATFORM_ENABLED = True
+    API_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED = False
 
 
 class CloudFoundryConfig(Config):
diff --git a/app/notifications/validators.py b/app/notifications/validators.py
index f826e1e0e..a0d7f2539 100644
--- a/app/notifications/validators.py
+++ b/app/notifications/validators.py
@@ -10,17 +10,18 @@ from notifications_utils.clients import redis
 
 
 def check_service_over_api_rate_limit(service, api_key):
-    cache_key = redis.rate_limit_cache_key(service.id, api_key.key_type)
-    rate_limit = current_app.config['API_KEY_LIMITS'][api_key.key_type]['limit']
-    interval = current_app.config['API_KEY_LIMITS'][api_key.key_type]['interval']
-    if redis_store.exceeded_rate_limit(
-            cache_key,
-            rate_limit,
-            interval):
-        raise RateLimitError(
-            rate_limit,
-            interval,
-            api_key.key_type)
+    if current_app.config['API_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED']:
+        cache_key = redis.rate_limit_cache_key(service.id, api_key.key_type)
+        rate_limit = current_app.config['API_KEY_LIMITS'][api_key.key_type]['limit']
+        interval = current_app.config['API_KEY_LIMITS'][api_key.key_type]['interval']
+        if redis_store.exceeded_rate_limit(
+                cache_key,
+                rate_limit,
+                interval):
+            raise RateLimitError(
+                rate_limit,
+                interval,
+                api_key.key_type)
 
 
 def check_service_over_daily_message_limit(key_type, service):
diff --git a/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py b/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py
index 40ce22b0f..4ce51c24b 100644
--- a/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py
+++ b/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import pytest
 from freezegun import freeze_time
-
+from flask import current_app
 import app
 from app.notifications.validators import (
     check_service_over_daily_message_limit,
@@ -320,3 +320,20 @@ def test_that_when_not_exceeded_rate_limit_request_succeeds(
             limit,
             interval
         )
+
+
+def test_should_not_rate_limit_if_limiting_is_disabled(
+        notify_db,
+        notify_db_session,
+        mocker):
+    with freeze_time("2016-01-01 12:00:00.000000"):
+        current_app.config['API_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED'] = False
+
+        mocker.patch('app.redis_store.exceeded_rate_limit', return_value=False)
+        mocker.patch('app.notifications.validators.services_dao')
+
+        service = create_service(notify_db, notify_db_session, restricted=True)
+        api_key = sample_api_key(notify_db, notify_db_session, service=service)
+
+        check_service_over_api_rate_limit(service, api_key)
+        assert not app.redis_store.exceeded_rate_limit.called