diff --git a/src/config/constants.js b/src/config/constants.js
index aba2c63..825dcd4 100644
--- a/src/config/constants.js
+++ b/src/config/constants.js
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ const BROADCAST_THROTTLE = 1000;
 const DIAGNOSTICS_INTERVAL = 10000;
 const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
 
+// Rate Limiting: Semi effective mitigation to limit abuse from malicious peers / Sybil attack leveraging weak PoW. 100 new peers per 5 seconds per connection.
+const RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW = 5000;
+const RATE_LIMIT_MAX_NEW_PEERS = 1000;
+
 module.exports = {
     TOPIC_NAME,
     TOPIC,
@@ -39,4 +43,6 @@ module.exports = {
     BROADCAST_THROTTLE,
     DIAGNOSTICS_INTERVAL,
     PORT,
+    RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW,
+    RATE_LIMIT_MAX_NEW_PEERS,
 };
diff --git a/src/p2p/messaging.js b/src/p2p/messaging.js
index 67967c6..8d7d552 100644
--- a/src/p2p/messaging.js
+++ b/src/p2p/messaging.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 const { verifyPoW, verifySignature, createPublicKey } = require("../core/security");
-const { MAX_RELAY_HOPS } = require("../config/constants");
+const { MAX_RELAY_HOPS, RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW, RATE_LIMIT_MAX_NEW_PEERS } = require("../config/constants");
 const { BloomFilterManager } = require("../state/bloom");
 
 class MessageHandler {
@@ -62,10 +62,21 @@ class MessageHandler {
             if (wasNew) {
                 this.diagnostics.increment("newPeersAdded");
                 this.broadcastCallback();
+                if (hops === 0) {
+                    const now = Date.now();
+                    if (!sourceSocket.rateLimiter || now > sourceSocket.rateLimiter.resetTime) {
+                        sourceSocket.rateLimiter = { count: 0, resetTime: now + RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW };
+                    }
+                    if (++sourceSocket.rateLimiter.count >= RATE_LIMIT_MAX_NEW_PEERS) {
+                        this.diagnostics.increment("rateLimitedConnections");
+                        sourceSocket.destroy();
+                        return;
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             // Only relay if we haven't already relayed this message (bloom filter check)
-            if (hops < MAX_RELAY_HOPS && !this.bloomFilter.hasRelayed(id, seq)) {
+            if (hops >= 0 && hops < MAX_RELAY_HOPS && !this.bloomFilter.hasRelayed(id, seq)) {
                 this.bloomFilter.markRelayed(id, seq);
                 this.diagnostics.increment("heartbeatsRelayed");
                 this.relayCallback({ ...msg, hops: hops + 1 }, sourceSocket);
@@ -97,7 +108,7 @@ class MessageHandler {
             this.broadcastCallback();
 
             // Use id:leave as key for LEAVE messages
-            if (hops < MAX_RELAY_HOPS && !this.bloomFilter.hasRelayed(id, "leave")) {
+            if (hops >= 0 && hops < MAX_RELAY_HOPS && !this.bloomFilter.hasRelayed(id, "leave")) {
                 this.bloomFilter.markRelayed(id, "leave");
                 this.relayCallback({ ...msg, hops: hops + 1 }, sourceSocket);
             }
@@ -116,15 +127,20 @@ const validateMessage = (msg) => {
         const allowedFields = ['type', 'id', 'seq', 'hops', 'nonce', 'sig'];
         const fields = Object.keys(msg);
         return fields.every(f => allowedFields.includes(f)) &&
-            msg.id && typeof msg.seq === 'number' &&
-            typeof msg.hops === 'number' && msg.nonce && msg.sig;
+            typeof msg.id === 'string' && msg.id.length > 0 &&
+            typeof msg.seq === 'number' && Number.isInteger(msg.seq) && msg.seq >= 0 &&
+            typeof msg.hops === 'number' && Number.isInteger(msg.hops) && msg.hops >= 0 &&
+            typeof msg.nonce === 'number' && Number.isInteger(msg.nonce) && msg.nonce >= 0 &&
+            typeof msg.sig === 'string' && msg.sig.length > 0;
     }
 
     if (msg.type === "LEAVE") {
         const allowedFields = ['type', 'id', 'hops', 'sig'];
         const fields = Object.keys(msg);
         return fields.every(f => allowedFields.includes(f)) &&
-            msg.id && typeof msg.hops === 'number' && msg.sig;
+            typeof msg.id === 'string' && msg.id.length > 0 &&
+            typeof msg.hops === 'number' && Number.isInteger(msg.hops) && msg.hops >= 0 &&
+            typeof msg.sig === 'string' && msg.sig.length > 0;
     }
 
     return false;
diff --git a/src/state/diagnostics.js b/src/state/diagnostics.js
index 659e406..6fcfabb 100644
--- a/src/state/diagnostics.js
+++ b/src/state/diagnostics.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class DiagnosticsManager {
             bytesReceived: 0,
             bytesRelayed: 0,
             leaveMessages: 0,
+            rateLimitedConnections: 0,
         };
 
         this.interval = null;