diff --git a/server/src/app.ts b/server/src/app.ts
index 1b3efab..538f5d8 100644
--- a/server/src/app.ts
+++ b/server/src/app.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import cors from 'cors';
 import express from 'express';
-import { rateLimit } from 'express-rate-limit';
+import { ipKeyGenerator, rateLimit } from 'express-rate-limit';
 import helmet from 'helmet';
 
 import { env } from './config/env.js';
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ interface CreateAppOptions {
 export function createApp(options: CreateAppOptions = {}): express.Express {
   const app = express();
 
+  // The public backend endpoint can receive arbitrary forwarded headers. Keep them
+  // untrusted until Apply.Build provides an authoritative proxy trust configuration.
+  app.set('trust proxy', false);
+
   app.use(helmet());
   app.use(express.json({ limit: '10kb' }));
   app.use(
@@ -45,6 +49,11 @@ export function createApp(options: CreateAppOptions = {}): express.Express {
     limit: options.contactRateLimit ?? 5,
     standardHeaders: 'draft-8',
     legacyHeaders: false,
+    keyGenerator: (request) => {
+      const peerAddress = request.socket.remoteAddress;
+
+      return peerAddress ? ipKeyGenerator(peerAddress) : 'unknown-peer';
+    },
     message: {
       success: false,
       message: 'Too many requests. Please try again later.',
diff --git a/server/test/contact.integration.test.ts b/server/test/contact.integration.test.ts
index 35c4d99..d9d99c0 100644
--- a/server/test/contact.integration.test.ts
+++ b/server/test/contact.integration.test.ts
@@ -130,9 +130,15 @@ test(
     let attempt = 0;
     const emailSender: ContactEmailSender = async () => {
       attempt += 1;
-      throw attempt === 1
-        ? new EmailDeliveryError('provider-response', 500)
-        : new EmailDeliveryError('timeout');
+      if (attempt === 1) {
+        throw new EmailDeliveryError('provider-response', 500);
+      }
+
+      if (attempt === 2) {
+        throw new EmailDeliveryError('timeout');
+      }
+
+      throw new EmailDeliveryError('network');
     };
     const originalConsoleError = console.error;
     const diagnostics: unknown[] = [];
@@ -144,6 +150,7 @@ test(
       await withApp(emailSender, async (baseUrl) => {
         const providerResponse = await postContact(baseUrl, validContactRequest);
         const timeoutResponse = await postContact(baseUrl, validContactRequest);
+        const networkResponse = await postContact(baseUrl, validContactRequest);
         const providerBody = (await providerResponse.json()) as {
           success: boolean;
           message: string;
@@ -152,9 +159,14 @@ test(
           success: boolean;
           message: string;
         };
+        const networkBody = (await networkResponse.json()) as {
+          success: boolean;
+          message: string;
+        };
 
         assert.equal(providerResponse.status, 502);
         assert.equal(timeoutResponse.status, 502);
+        assert.equal(networkResponse.status, 502);
         assert.deepEqual(providerBody, {
           success: false,
           message: 'Your message could not be sent. Please try again in a moment.',
@@ -163,6 +175,10 @@ test(
           success: false,
           message: 'Your message could not be sent. Please try again in a moment.',
         });
+        assert.deepEqual(networkBody, {
+          success: false,
+          message: 'Your message could not be sent. Please try again in a moment.',
+        });
       });
     } finally {
       console.error = originalConsoleError;
@@ -171,6 +187,7 @@ test(
     assert.deepEqual(diagnostics, [
       { category: 'provider-response', providerStatus: 500 },
       { category: 'timeout' },
+      { category: 'network' },
     ]);
   },
 );
@@ -194,6 +211,51 @@ test('limits repeated contact submissions', async () => {
   assert.equal(sendCount, 5);
 });
 
+test('ignores forwarded headers for rate-limit identity without disabling limiting', async () => {
+  let sendCount = 0;
+  const emailSender: ContactEmailSender = async () => {
+    sendCount += 1;
+  };
+
+  await withApp(
+    emailSender,
+    async (baseUrl) => {
+      for (const forwardedFor of ['203.0.113.10', '203.0.113.11']) {
+        const response = await postContact(baseUrl, validContactRequest, {
+          'x-forwarded-for': forwardedFor,
+        });
+        assert.equal(response.status, 200);
+      }
+
+      const limitedResponse = await postContact(baseUrl, validContactRequest, {
+        'x-forwarded-for': '203.0.113.12',
+      });
+      assert.equal(limitedResponse.status, 429);
+    },
+    2,
+  );
+
+  assert.equal(sendCount, 2);
+});
+
+test('keeps the health endpoint independent from contact email delivery', async () => {
+  const emailSender: ContactEmailSender = async () => {
+    throw new EmailDeliveryError('network');
+  };
+
+  await withApp(emailSender, async (baseUrl) => {
+    const healthResponse = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/api/health`);
+    assert.equal(healthResponse.status, 200);
+    assert.deepEqual(await healthResponse.json(), {
+      success: true,
+      message: 'Server is running.',
+    });
+
+    assert.equal((await postContact(baseUrl, validContactRequest)).status, 502);
+    assert.equal((await fetch(`${baseUrl}/api/health`)).status, 200);
+  });
+});
+
 test(
   'aborts a stalled Brevo request after the configured timeout',
   { concurrency: false },
@@ -235,8 +297,9 @@ test(
 async function withApp(
   emailSender: ContactEmailSender,
   run: (baseUrl: string) => Promise<void>,
+  contactRateLimit?: number,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const app = createApp({ contactEmailSender: emailSender });
+  const app = createApp({ contactEmailSender: emailSender, contactRateLimit });
   const server = app.listen(0, '127.0.0.1');
   await once(server, 'listening');
 
@@ -254,7 +317,11 @@ interface TestResponse {
   json(): Promise<unknown>;
 }
 
-function postContact(baseUrl: string, body: object): Promise<TestResponse> {
+function postContact(
+  baseUrl: string,
+  body: object,
+  headers: Record<string, string> = {},
+): Promise<TestResponse> {
   const requestBody = JSON.stringify(body);
 
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -264,6 +331,7 @@ function postContact(baseUrl: string, body: object): Promise<TestResponse> {
         'content-length': Buffer.byteLength(requestBody),
         'content-type': 'application/json',
         origin: 'http://localhost:4200',
+        ...headers,
       },
     });
     const chunks: Buffer[] = [];