diff --git a/doc/source/ratelimit.rst b/doc/source/ratelimit.rst
index 4924b71153..ac88d22f96 100644
--- a/doc/source/ratelimit.rst
+++ b/doc/source/ratelimit.rst
@@ -35,20 +35,17 @@ rate_buffer_seconds      5          Number of seconds the rate counter can
                                     faster than listed rate). A larger number
                                     will result in larger spikes in rate but
                                     better average accuracy.
-account_ratelimit        0          If set, will limit all requests to
-                                    /account_name and PUTs to
-                                    /account_name/container_name. Number is in
-                                    requests per second
+account_ratelimit        0          If set, will limit PUT, DELETE, and POST
+                                    requests to /account_name/container_name.
+                                    Number is in requests per second.
 account_whitelist        ''         Comma separated lists of account names that
                                     will not be rate limited.
 account_blacklist        ''         Comma separated lists of account names that
                                     will not be allowed. Returns a 497 response.
 container_ratelimit_size ''         When set with container_limit_x = r:
                                     for containers of size x, limit requests
-                                    per second to r.  Will limit GET and HEAD
-                                    requests to /account_name/container_name
-				    and PUTs and DELETEs to
-                                    /account_name/container_name/object_name
+                                    per second to r.  Will limit PUT, DELETE,
+                                    and POST requests to /a/c/o.
 ======================== =========  ===========================================
 
 The container rate limits are linearly interpolated from the values given.  A
diff --git a/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py b/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py
index f5bb00a254..9780da6b16 100644
--- a/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py
+++ b/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py
@@ -105,15 +105,17 @@ class RateLimitMiddleware(object):
         :param obj_name: object name from path
         """
         keys = []
+        limit_req_types = ['PUT', 'DELETE', 'POST']
+        # COPYs are not limited
         if self.account_ratelimit and \
                 account_name and container_name and not obj_name and \
-                req_method in ('PUT', 'DELETE', 'POST'):
+                req_method in limit_req_types:
             # account_ratelimit PUTs/DELETEs to acc_name/cont_name
             keys.append(("ratelimit/%s" % account_name,
                          self.account_ratelimit))
 
         if account_name and container_name and obj_name and \
-                req_method in ('PUT', 'DELETE', 'POST', 'COPY'):
+                req_method in limit_req_types:
             # container_ratelimit PUTs/DELETEs to acc_name/cont_name/obj_name
             container_size = None
             memcache_key = get_container_memcache_key(account_name,