diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index f3dc9fe..aecbf75 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ except:
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='warcprox',
-        version='2.1b1.dev49',
+        version='2.1b1.dev50',
         description='WARC writing MITM HTTP/S proxy',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/warcprox',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/warcprox/warcproxy.py b/warcprox/warcproxy.py
index f9e07c3..64ec738 100644
--- a/warcprox/warcproxy.py
+++ b/warcprox/warcproxy.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class WarcProxyHandler(warcprox.mitmproxy.MitmProxyHandler):
             _limit_key = '%s/%s/%s' % (bucket0, bucket1, bucket2)
 
         value = self.server.stats_db.value(bucket0, bucket1, bucket2)
-        if value and value >= limit_value:
+        if value and limit_value and limit_value > 0 and value >= limit_value:
             body = ("request rejected by warcprox: reached %s %s=%s\n" % (
                         "soft limit" if soft else "limit", _limit_key,
                         limit_value)).encode("utf-8")