diff --git a/swift/obj/diskfile.py b/swift/obj/diskfile.py
index 0551b5e256..300c29606e 100644
--- a/swift/obj/diskfile.py
+++ b/swift/obj/diskfile.py
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ TMP_BASE = 'tmp'
 get_data_dir = partial(get_policy_string, DATADIR_BASE)
 get_async_dir = partial(get_policy_string, ASYNCDIR_BASE)
 get_tmp_dir = partial(get_policy_string, TMP_BASE)
+MIN_TIME_UPDATE_AUDITOR_STATUS = 60
 
 
 def _get_filename(fd):
@@ -445,6 +446,16 @@ def update_auditor_status(datadir_path, logger, partitions, auditor_type):
         status = status.encode('utf8')
     auditor_status = os.path.join(
         datadir_path, "auditor_status_%s.json" % auditor_type)
+    try:
+        mtime = os.stat(auditor_status).st_mtime
+    except OSError:
+        mtime = 0
+    recently_updated = (mtime + MIN_TIME_UPDATE_AUDITOR_STATUS) > time.time()
+    if recently_updated and len(partitions) > 0:
+        if logger:
+            logger.debug(
+                'Skipping the update of recently changed %s' % auditor_status)
+        return
     try:
         with open(auditor_status, "wb") as statusfile:
             statusfile.write(status)
diff --git a/test/unit/obj/test_diskfile.py b/test/unit/obj/test_diskfile.py
index d70fd129d2..c241f913f6 100644
--- a/test/unit/obj/test_diskfile.py
+++ b/test/unit/obj/test_diskfile.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ from contextlib import closing, contextmanager
 from gzip import GzipFile
 
 from eventlet import hubs, timeout, tpool
-from swift.obj.diskfile import MD5_OF_EMPTY_STRING
+from swift.obj.diskfile import MD5_OF_EMPTY_STRING, update_auditor_status
 from test.unit import (FakeLogger, mock as unit_mock, temptree,
                        patch_policies, debug_logger, EMPTY_ETAG,
                        make_timestamp_iter, DEFAULT_TEST_EC_TYPE,
@@ -470,10 +470,13 @@ class TestObjectAuditLocationGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
             os.makedirs(os.path.join(tmpdir, "sdf", "objects", "1", "a", "b"))
             os.makedirs(os.path.join(tmpdir, "sdf", "objects", "2", "a", "b"))
 
-            # Auditor starts, there are two partitions to check
-            gen = diskfile.object_audit_location_generator(tmpdir, False)
-            gen.next()
-            gen.next()
+            # Pretend that some time passed between each partition
+            with mock.patch('os.stat') as mock_stat:
+                mock_stat.return_value.st_mtime = time() - 60
+                # Auditor starts, there are two partitions to check
+                gen = diskfile.object_audit_location_generator(tmpdir, False)
+                gen.next()
+                gen.next()
 
             # Auditor stopped for some reason without raising StopIterator in
             # the generator and restarts There is now only one remaining
@@ -499,6 +502,43 @@ class TestObjectAuditLocationGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
             gen.next()
             gen.next()
 
+    def test_update_auditor_status_throttle(self):
+        # If there are a lot of nearly empty partitions, the
+        # update_auditor_status will write the status file many times a second,
+        # creating some unexpected high write load. This test ensures that the
+        # status file is only written once a minute.
+        with temptree([]) as tmpdir:
+            os.makedirs(os.path.join(tmpdir, "sdf", "objects", "1", "a", "b"))
+            with mock.patch('__builtin__.open') as mock_open:
+                # File does not exist yet - write expected
+                update_auditor_status(tmpdir, None, ['42'], "ALL")
+                self.assertEqual(1, mock_open.call_count)
+
+                mock_open.reset_mock()
+
+                # File exists, updated just now - no write expected
+                with mock.patch('os.stat') as mock_stat:
+                    mock_stat.return_value.st_mtime = time()
+                    update_auditor_status(tmpdir, None, ['42'], "ALL")
+                    self.assertEqual(0, mock_open.call_count)
+
+                mock_open.reset_mock()
+
+                # File exists, updated just now, but empty partition list. This
+                # is a finalizing call, write expected
+                with mock.patch('os.stat') as mock_stat:
+                    mock_stat.return_value.st_mtime = time()
+                    update_auditor_status(tmpdir, None, [], "ALL")
+                    self.assertEqual(1, mock_open.call_count)
+
+                mock_open.reset_mock()
+
+                # File updated more than 60 seconds ago - write expected
+                with mock.patch('os.stat') as mock_stat:
+                    mock_stat.return_value.st_mtime = time() - 61
+                    update_auditor_status(tmpdir, None, ['42'], "ALL")
+                    self.assertEqual(1, mock_open.call_count)
+
 
 class TestDiskFileRouter(unittest.TestCase):