diff --git a/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6 b/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6
index 3f85df8e8..ef9dcf093 100644
--- a/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6
+++ b/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6
@@ -471,7 +471,11 @@ class FetchMessagesInFolderIMAP extends SyncTask {
     if (savedSyncState.fetchedmin > savedSyncState.minUID) {
       const lowerbound = Math.max(savedSyncState.minUID, savedSyncState.fetchedmin - batchSize);
       // this._logger.log(`FetchMessagesInFolderIMAP: fetching ${lowerbound}:${savedSyncState.fetchedmin}`);
-      totalProcessedMessages += yield this._fetchAndProcessMessages({min: lowerbound, max: savedSyncState.fetchedmin});
+      totalProcessedMessages += yield this._fetchAndProcessMessages({
+        min: lowerbound,
+        max: savedSyncState.fetchedmin,
+        throttle: this._syncWorker.throttlingEnabled(),
+      });
     } else {
       // this._logger.log("FetchMessagesInFolderIMAP: fetchedmin == minUID, nothing older to fetch.")
     }
diff --git a/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-worker.es6 b/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-worker.es6
index 7cda3968b..1a61c2264 100644
--- a/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-worker.es6
+++ b/packages/client-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-worker.es6
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class SyncWorker {
     this._lastSyncTime = null
     this._interrupted = false
     this._syncInProgress = false
+    this._throttlingEnabled = false
     this._stopped = false
     this._destroyed = false
     this._shouldIgnoreInboxFlagUpdates = false
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ class SyncWorker {
           })
         }
         if (seen === 500) {
+          this._throttlingEnabled = true
           MetricsReporter.reportEvent({
             nylasId,
             type: 'imap',
@@ -99,6 +101,10 @@ class SyncWorker {
     }
   }
 
+  throttlingEnabled() {
+    return this._throttlingEnabled;
+  }
+
   _getInboxFolder() {
     return this._db.Folder.find({where: {role: ['all', 'inbox']}})
   }