diff --git a/github/github.go b/github/github.go
index fced10769dd..e59952e3578 100644
--- a/github/github.go
+++ b/github/github.go
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ type Client struct {
 	Repositories  *RepositoriesService
 	Search        *SearchService
 	Users         *UsersService
+
+	// If true, calls to Do will only result in an API request if there is
+	// deemed to be room under the rate limit that the request would
+	// succeed. If there is no room under the rate limit, requests will
+	// block until there is quota.
+	ObeyRateLimit bool
+	wait          func(time.Duration) // Called when rate-limit waiting happens
 }
 
 // ListOptions specifies the optional parameters to various List methods that
@@ -138,6 +145,7 @@ func NewClient(httpClient *http.Client) *Client {
 	c.Repositories = &RepositoriesService{client: c}
 	c.Search = &SearchService{client: c}
 	c.Users = &UsersService{client: c}
+	c.wait = time.Sleep
 	return c
 }
 
@@ -292,6 +300,10 @@ func (r *Response) populateRate() {
 // interface, the raw response body will be written to v, without attempting to
 // first decode it.
 func (c *Client) Do(req *http.Request, v interface{}) (*Response, error) {
+	if err := c.maybeWaitForRateLimit(req); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	resp, err := c.client.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -320,6 +332,41 @@ func (c *Client) Do(req *http.Request, v interface{}) (*Response, error) {
 	return response, err
 }
 
+func (c *Client) maybeWaitForRateLimit(req *http.Request) error {
+	// Don't wait to make requests for the current rate limit.
+	if req.URL.Path == "/rate_limit" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if c.wait == nil {
+		c.wait = time.Sleep
+	}
+
+	if c.ObeyRateLimit {
+		if c.Rate.Limit == 0 {
+			// Don't know our rate limits yet, check now
+			if _, _, err := c.RateLimits(); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		// TODO(imjasonh): Keep track of the last time we checked our
+		// rate limits and refresh now if they're possibly out-of-date.
+
+		// While we have <5% of our remaining requests left, wait to execute.
+		threshold := float64(c.Rate.Limit) * .05
+		tokensPerSecond := float64(c.Rate.Limit) / 60 / 60
+		for float64(c.Rate.Remaining) < threshold {
+			tokensNeeded := threshold - float64(c.Rate.Remaining)
+			waitDur := time.Duration(tokensNeeded*tokensPerSecond*1000) * time.Millisecond
+			c.wait(waitDur)
+			_, _, err := c.RateLimits()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 /*
 An ErrorResponse reports one or more errors caused by an API request.
 
diff --git a/github/ratelimit_test.go b/github/ratelimit_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..036ba3fd149
--- /dev/null
+++ b/github/ratelimit_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package github
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestObeyRateLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	setup()
+	defer teardown()
+
+	limit := 60
+	s := &rateLimitServer{limit, limit, time.Now()}
+	mux.Handle("/", s)
+
+	client.wait = func(d time.Duration) {
+		t.Logf("waiting %s", d)
+		s.Remaining++
+	}
+
+	client.ObeyRateLimit = true
+	for i := 0; i < limit*2; i++ {
+		t.Logf("-- request %d", i)
+		if _, _, err := client.Octocat("foo"); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Turn off automatic rate limit enforcement and make too many requests
+	// to demonstrate that the alternative is over-quota errors.
+	client.ObeyRateLimit = false
+	var err error
+	var resp *Response
+	for i := 0; i < limit*2; i++ {
+		_, resp, err = client.Octocat("foo")
+		if err != nil {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusForbidden {
+		t.Errorf("expected to be rate limited")
+	}
+}
+
+type rateLimitServer struct {
+	Limit, Remaining int
+	Reset            time.Time
+}
+
+func (rl *rateLimitServer) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	w.Header().Set(headerRateLimit, fmt.Sprintf("%d", rl.Limit))
+	w.Header().Set(headerRateRemaining, fmt.Sprintf("%d", rl.Remaining))
+
+	tokensNeeded := rl.Limit - rl.Remaining
+	tokensPerSecond := rl.Limit / 60 / 60
+	timeUntilReset := time.Duration(tokensNeeded*tokensPerSecond) * time.Second
+	rl.Reset = time.Now().Add(timeUntilReset)
+	w.Header().Set(headerRateReset, fmt.Sprintf("%d", rl.Reset))
+
+	if r.URL.Path != "/rate_limit" {
+		if rl.Remaining <= 0 {
+			http.Error(w, "Over quota", http.StatusForbidden)
+		}
+		rl.Remaining--
+	}
+	io.WriteString(w, "{}")
+}