diff --git a/searx/plugins/limiter.py b/searx/plugins/limiter.py
index b66a0805..31ac1e28 100644
--- a/searx/plugins/limiter.py
+++ b/searx/plugins/limiter.py
@@ -13,10 +13,12 @@ Enable the plugin in ``settings.yml``:
 - ``redis.url: ...`` check the value, see :ref:`settings redis`
 """
 
+import ipaddress
 import re
+
 from flask import request
 
-from searx import redisdb
+from searx import get_setting, redisdb
 from searx.redislib import incr_sliding_window
 
 name = "Request limiter"
@@ -36,22 +38,43 @@ re_bot = re.compile(
 )
 
 
+WHITELISTED_IPS = get_setting('server.limiter_whitelist_ip', default=[])
+WHITELISTED_SUBNET = get_setting('server.limiter_whitelist_subnet', default=[])
+
+
+def is_whitelist_ip(ip):
+    '''
+    Check if the given IP address belongs to the whitelisted list
+    of IP addresses or subnets.
+    '''
+    return ip in WHITELISTED_IPS or any(ipaddress.ip_address(ip) in
+                                        ipaddress.ip_network(subnet)
+                                        for subnet in WHITELISTED_SUBNET)
+
+
 def is_accepted_request() -> bool:
     # pylint: disable=too-many-return-statements
     redis_client = redisdb.client()
     user_agent = request.headers.get('User-Agent', '')
     x_forwarded_for = request.headers.get('X-Forwarded-For', '')
 
+    # if the request source ip belongs to the whitelisted list of ip addresses or subnets
+    if is_whitelist_ip(x_forwarded_for):
+        return True
+
     if request.path == '/image_proxy':
         if re_bot.match(user_agent):
             return False
         return True
 
     if request.path == '/search':
-        c_burst = incr_sliding_window(redis_client, 'IP limit, burst' + x_forwarded_for, 20)
-        c_10min = incr_sliding_window(redis_client, 'IP limit, 10 minutes' + x_forwarded_for, 600)
+        c_burst = incr_sliding_window(
+            redis_client, 'IP limit, burst' + x_forwarded_for, 20)
+        c_10min = incr_sliding_window(
+            redis_client, 'IP limit, 10 minutes' + x_forwarded_for, 600)
         if c_burst > 15 or c_10min > 150:
-            logger.debug("to many request")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
+            logger.debug(
+                "to many request")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
             return False
 
         if re_bot.match(user_agent):
@@ -59,26 +82,33 @@ def is_accepted_request() -> bool:
             return False
 
         if len(request.headers.get('Accept-Language', '').strip()) == '':
-            logger.debug("missing Accept-Language")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
+            logger.debug(
+                "missing Accept-Language")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
             return False
 
         if request.headers.get('Connection') == 'close':
-            logger.debug("got Connection=close")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
+            logger.debug(
+                "got Connection=close")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
             return False
 
-        accept_encoding_list = [l.strip() for l in request.headers.get('Accept-Encoding', '').split(',')]
+        accept_encoding_list = [l.strip() for l in request.headers.get(
+            'Accept-Encoding', '').split(',')]
         if 'gzip' not in accept_encoding_list and 'deflate' not in accept_encoding_list:
-            logger.debug("suspicious Accept-Encoding")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
+            logger.debug(
+                "suspicious Accept-Encoding")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
             return False
 
         if 'text/html' not in request.accept_mimetypes:
-            logger.debug("Accept-Encoding misses text/html")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
+            logger.debug(
+                "Accept-Encoding misses text/html")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
             return False
 
         if request.args.get('format', 'html') != 'html':
-            c = incr_sliding_window(redis_client, 'API limit' + x_forwarded_for, 3600)
+            c = incr_sliding_window(
+                redis_client, 'API limit' + x_forwarded_for, 3600)
             if c > 4:
-                logger.debug("API limit exceeded")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
+                logger.debug(
+                    "API limit exceeded")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
                 return False
     return True
 
@@ -94,7 +124,8 @@ def init(app, settings):
         return False
 
     if not redisdb.client():
-        logger.error("The limiter requires Redis")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
+        logger.error(
+            "The limiter requires Redis")  # pylint: disable=undefined-variable
         return False
 
     app.before_request(pre_request)