diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index 025c3f7ce..fe8a9f553 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_start_io(context: *mut dc_context_t) {
     if context.is_null() {
         return;
     }
-    let ctx = &*context;
+    let ctx = &mut *context;
 
     block_on(ctx.start_io())
 }
@@ -4946,8 +4946,8 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_accounts_start_io(accounts: *mut dc_accounts_t) {
         return;
     }
 
-    let accounts = &*accounts;
-    block_on(async move { accounts.read().await.start_io().await });
+    let accounts = &mut *accounts;
+    block_on(async move { accounts.write().await.start_io().await });
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
index d91ed8f68..9745c42d0 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
@@ -221,13 +221,13 @@ impl CommandApi {
 
     /// Starts background tasks for all accounts.
     async fn start_io_for_all_accounts(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        self.accounts.read().await.start_io().await;
+        self.accounts.write().await.start_io().await;
         Ok(())
     }
 
     /// Stops background tasks for all accounts.
     async fn stop_io_for_all_accounts(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        self.accounts.read().await.stop_io().await;
+        self.accounts.write().await.stop_io().await;
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ impl CommandApi {
 
     /// Starts background tasks for a single account.
     async fn start_io(&self, account_id: u32) -> Result<()> {
-        let ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
+        let mut ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
         ctx.start_io().await;
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ impl CommandApi {
     /// Configures this account with the currently set parameters.
     /// Setup the credential config before calling this.
     async fn configure(&self, account_id: u32) -> Result<()> {
-        let ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
+        let mut ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
         ctx.stop_io().await;
         let result = ctx.configure().await;
         if result.is_err() {
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/webserver.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/webserver.rs
index f4b6f38af..c180b829a 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/webserver.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/webserver.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
         .layer(Extension(state.clone()));
 
     tokio::spawn(async move {
-        state.accounts.read().await.start_io().await;
+        state.accounts.write().await.start_io().await;
     });
 
     let addr = SocketAddr::from(([127, 0, 0, 1], port));
diff --git a/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs b/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs
index 2670b311f..7617c5783 100644
--- a/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs
+++ b/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ enum ExitResult {
 
 async fn handle_cmd(
     line: &str,
-    ctx: Context,
+    mut ctx: Context,
     selected_chat: &mut ChatId,
 ) -> Result<ExitResult, Error> {
     let mut args = line.splitn(2, ' ');
diff --git a/src/accounts.rs b/src/accounts.rs
index 82c748955..9f533b8ce 100644
--- a/src/accounts.rs
+++ b/src/accounts.rs
@@ -258,8 +258,8 @@ impl Accounts {
     }
 
     /// Starts background tasks such as IMAP and SMTP loops for all accounts.
-    pub async fn start_io(&self) {
-        for account in self.accounts.values() {
+    pub async fn start_io(&mut self) {
+        for account in self.accounts.values_mut() {
             account.start_io().await;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/context.rs b/src/context.rs
index a0f78f267..58d43b374 100644
--- a/src/context.rs
+++ b/src/context.rs
@@ -398,11 +398,24 @@ impl Context {
     }
 
     /// Starts the IO scheduler.
-    pub async fn start_io(&self) {
-        if let Ok(false) = self.is_configured().await {
+    pub async fn start_io(&mut self) {
+        if !self.is_configured().await.unwrap_or_default() {
             warn!(self, "can not start io on a context that is not configured");
             return;
         }
+
+        {
+            if self
+                .get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr)
+                .await
+                .unwrap_or_default()
+                .filter(|s| s.ends_with(".testrun.org"))
+                .is_some()
+            {
+                let mut lock = self.ratelimit.write().await;
+                *lock = Ratelimit::new(Duration::new(40, 0), 6.0);
+            }
+        }
         self.scheduler.start(self.clone()).await;
     }