diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 07a033f..b3c1ed5 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ const (
 	flagUnsafeAWSEndpointURLs           = "allow-unsafe-aws-endpoint-urls"
 	flagAWSEndpointUsePathStyle         = "aws-endpoint-use-path-style"
 	flagHTTPClientTimeout               = "http-client-timeout"
+	flagSDKMaxTPS                       = "sdk-max-tps"
+	flagSDKMaxBurst                     = "sdk-max-burst"
 	flagLogLevel                        = "log-level"
 	flagResourceTags                    = "resource-tags"
 	flagWatchNamespace                  = "watch-namespace"
@@ -104,6 +106,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	AllowUnsafeEndpointURL          bool
 	UsePathStyle                    bool
 	HTTPClientTimeout               time.Duration
+	SDKMaxTPS                       float64
+	SDKMaxBurst                     int
 	LogLevel                        string
 	ResourceTags                    []string
 	ResourceTagKeys                 []string
@@ -224,6 +228,17 @@ func (cfg *Config) BindFlags() {
 		60*time.Second,
 		"Timeout for HTTP requests made by the AWS SDK client. Set to 0 to disable.",
 	)
+	flag.Float64Var(
+		&cfg.SDKMaxTPS, flagSDKMaxTPS,
+		0,
+		"Maximum AWS SDK requests per second (client-side rate limit). Set to 0 to disable. "+
+			"Useful for services with low account-level API rate limits (e.g. Route53 at 5 req/s).",
+	)
+	flag.IntVar(
+		&cfg.SDKMaxBurst, flagSDKMaxBurst,
+		5,
+		"Maximum burst size for SDK rate limiting. Only used when --sdk-max-tps is set.",
+	)
 	flag.StringVar(
 		&cfg.LogLevel, flagLogLevel,
 		"info",
@@ -408,6 +423,13 @@ func (cfg *Config) Validate(ctx context.Context, options ...Option) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid value for flag '%s': max concurrency default must be greater than 0", flagReconcileDefaultMaxConcurrency)
 	}
 
+	if cfg.SDKMaxTPS < 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid value for flag '%s': must be >= 0", flagSDKMaxTPS)
+	}
+	if cfg.SDKMaxTPS > 0 && cfg.SDKMaxBurst < 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid value for flag '%s': must be >= 1 when --%s is set", flagSDKMaxBurst, flagSDKMaxTPS)
+	}
+
 	featureGatesMap, err := parseFeatureGates(cfg.featureGatesRaw)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid value for flag '%s': %v", flagFeatureGates, err)
diff --git a/pkg/runtime/config.go b/pkg/runtime/config.go
index f4fcb23..8d1aae7 100644
--- a/pkg/runtime/config.go
+++ b/pkg/runtime/config.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/config"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/credentials/stscreds"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts"
+	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 
 	ackv1alpha1 "github.com/aws-controllers-k8s/runtime/apis/core/v1alpha1"
@@ -76,8 +77,19 @@ func (c *serviceController) NewAWSConfig(
 	if c.cfg.HTTPClientTimeout > 0 {
 		httpClient = httpClient.WithTimeout(c.cfg.HTTPClientTimeout)
 	}
+
+	var sdkHTTPClient aws.HTTPClient
+	if c.cfg.SDKMaxTPS > 0 {
+		sdkHTTPClient = &rateLimitedHTTPClient{
+			client:  httpClient,
+			limiter: rate.NewLimiter(rate.Limit(c.cfg.SDKMaxTPS), c.cfg.SDKMaxBurst),
+		}
+	} else {
+		sdkHTTPClient = httpClient
+	}
+
 	client := &clientWithUserAgent{
-		client:    httpClient,
+		client:    sdkHTTPClient,
 		userAgent: val,
 	}
 
@@ -109,3 +121,18 @@ func formatUserAgent(name, version string, extra ...string) string {
 	}
 	return ua
 }
+
+// rateLimitedHTTPClient wraps an aws.HTTPClient with a token bucket rate
+// limiter. It enforces a maximum request rate (TPS) across all AWS SDK API
+// calls made through this client.
+type rateLimitedHTTPClient struct {
+	client  aws.HTTPClient
+	limiter *rate.Limiter
+}
+
+func (c *rateLimitedHTTPClient) Do(r *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+	if err := c.limiter.Wait(r.Context()); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return c.client.Do(r)
+}