diff --git a/custom/conf/app.example.ini b/custom/conf/app.example.ini
index 8d395511687d6..5334747c7ca09 100644
--- a/custom/conf/app.example.ini
+++ b/custom/conf/app.example.ini
@@ -780,6 +780,7 @@ LEVEL = Info
 ;; for example: block anonymous AI crawlers from accessing repo code pages.
 ;; The "expensive" mode is experimental and subject to change.
 ;REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW = false
+;OVERLOAD_INFLIGHT_ANONYMOUS_REQUESTS =
 ;;
 ;; Mail notification
 ;ENABLE_NOTIFY_MAIL = false
diff --git a/modules/setting/service.go b/modules/setting/service.go
index d9535efec6ee8..731818fd1d9a8 100644
--- a/modules/setting/service.go
+++ b/modules/setting/service.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package setting
 
 import (
 	"regexp"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ var Service = struct {
 	ShowMilestonesDashboardPage             bool
 	RequireSignInViewStrict                 bool
 	BlockAnonymousAccessExpensive           bool
+	BlockAnonymousAccessOverload            bool
+	OverloadInflightAnonymousRequests       int
 	EnableNotifyMail                        bool
 	EnableBasicAuth                         bool
 	EnablePasskeyAuth                       bool
@@ -164,10 +167,12 @@ func loadServiceFrom(rootCfg ConfigProvider) {
 	// boolean values are considered as "strict"
 	var err error
 	Service.RequireSignInViewStrict, err = sec.Key("REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW").Bool()
+	Service.OverloadInflightAnonymousRequests = sec.Key("OVERLOAD_INFLIGHT_ANONYMOUS_REQUESTS").MustInt(4 * runtime.NumCPU())
 	if s := sec.Key("REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW").String(); err != nil && s != "" {
 		// non-boolean value only supports "expensive" at the moment
 		Service.BlockAnonymousAccessExpensive = s == "expensive"
-		if !Service.BlockAnonymousAccessExpensive {
+		Service.BlockAnonymousAccessOverload = s == "overload"
+		if !Service.BlockAnonymousAccessExpensive && !Service.BlockAnonymousAccessOverload {
 			log.Fatal("Invalid config option: REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW = %s", s)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/routers/common/blockexpensive.go b/routers/common/blockexpensive.go
index f52aa2b709286..765e483c638eb 100644
--- a/routers/common/blockexpensive.go
+++ b/routers/common/blockexpensive.go
@@ -6,27 +6,94 @@ package common
 import (
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
 
 	user_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/user"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/reqctx"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/templates"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/web/middleware"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/services/context"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
+	lru "github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru/v2"
 )
 
+const tplStatus503RateLimit templates.TplName = "status/503_ratelimit"
+
+type RateLimitToken struct {
+	RetryAfter time.Time
+}
+
 func BlockExpensive() func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
-	if !setting.Service.BlockAnonymousAccessExpensive {
+	if !setting.Service.BlockAnonymousAccessExpensive && !setting.Service.BlockAnonymousAccessOverload {
 		return nil
 	}
+
+	tokenCache, _ := lru.New[string, RateLimitToken](10000)
+
+	deferAnonymousRateLimitAccess := func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) bool {
+		// * For a crawler: if it sees 503 error, it would retry later (they have their own queue), there is still a chance for them to read all pages
+		// * For a real anonymous user: allocate a token, and let them wait for a while by browser JS (queue the request by browser)
+
+		const tokenCookieName = "gitea_arlt" // gitea anonymous rate limit token
+		cookieToken, _ := req.Cookie(tokenCookieName)
+		if cookieToken != nil && cookieToken.Value != "" {
+			token, exist := tokenCache.Get(cookieToken.Value)
+			if exist {
+				if time.Now().After(token.RetryAfter) {
+					// still valid
+					tokenCache.Remove(cookieToken.Value)
+					return false
+				}
+				// not reach RetryAfter time, so either remove the old one and allocate a new one, or keep using the old one
+				// TODO: in the future, we could do better to allow more accesses for the same token, or extend the expiration time if the access seems well-behaved
+				tokenCache.Remove(cookieToken.Value)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// TODO: merge the code with RenderPanicErrorPage
+		tmplCtx := context.TemplateContext{}
+		tmplCtx["Locale"] = middleware.Locale(w, req)
+		ctxData := middleware.GetContextData(req.Context())
+
+		tokenKey, _ := util.CryptoRandomString(32)
+		retryAfterDuration := 1 * time.Second
+		token := RateLimitToken{RetryAfter: time.Now().Add(retryAfterDuration)}
+		tokenCache.Add(tokenKey, token)
+		ctxData["RateLimitTokenKey"] = tokenKey
+		ctxData["RateLimitCookieName"] = tokenCookieName
+		ctxData["RateLimitRetryAfterMs"] = retryAfterDuration.Milliseconds() + 100
+		_ = templates.HTMLRenderer().HTML(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, tplStatus503RateLimit, ctxData, tmplCtx)
+		return true
+	}
+
+	inflightRequestNum := atomic.Int32{}
 	return func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 		return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 			ret := determineRequestPriority(reqctx.FromContext(req.Context()))
 			if !ret.SignedIn {
-				if ret.Expensive || ret.LongPolling {
-					http.Redirect(w, req, setting.AppSubURL+"/user/login", http.StatusSeeOther)
+				if ret.LongPolling {
+					http.Error(w, "Long polling is not allowed for anonymous users", http.StatusForbidden)
 					return
 				}
+				if ret.Expensive {
+					inflightNum := inflightRequestNum.Add(1)
+					defer inflightRequestNum.Add(-1)
+
+					if setting.Service.BlockAnonymousAccessExpensive {
+						// strictly block the anonymous accesses to expensive pages, to save CPU
+						http.Redirect(w, req, setting.AppSubURL+"/user/login", http.StatusSeeOther)
+						return
+					} else if int(inflightNum) > setting.Service.OverloadInflightAnonymousRequests {
+						// be friendly to anonymous access (crawler, real anonymous user) to expensive pages, but limit the inflight requests
+						if deferAnonymousRateLimitAccess(w, req) {
+							return
+						}
+					}
+				}
 			}
 			next.ServeHTTP(w, req)
 		})
@@ -44,6 +111,7 @@ func isRoutePathExpensive(routePattern string) bool {
 		"/{username}/{reponame}/blame/",
 		"/{username}/{reponame}/commit/",
 		"/{username}/{reponame}/commits/",
+		"/{username}/{reponame}/compare/",
 		"/{username}/{reponame}/graph",
 		"/{username}/{reponame}/media/",
 		"/{username}/{reponame}/raw/",
diff --git a/templates/status/503_ratelimit.tmpl b/templates/status/503_ratelimit.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0e7b1abff099c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/status/503_ratelimit.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{{template "base/head" .}}
+<div role="main" aria-label="{{.Title}}" class="page-content">
+	{{if .IsRepo}}{{template "repo/header" .}}{{end}}
+	<div class="ui container">
+		{{/*TODO: this page could be improved*/}}
+		Server is busy, loading .... or <a href="{{AppSubUrl}}/user/login">click here to sign in</a>.
+		<script>
+			setTimeout(() => {
+				document.cookie = "{{.RateLimitCookieName}}={{.RateLimitTokenKey}}; path=/";
+				window.location.reload();
+			}, {{.RateLimitRetryAfterMs}});
+		</script>
+	</div>
+</div>
+{{template "base/footer" .}}