diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 341e3fb2b..c1b94a73d 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub precache_scripts: Option<String>,
     pub utxos_limit: usize,
     pub electrum_txs_limit: usize,
+    pub electrum_subscription_limit: usize,
     pub electrum_banner: String,
     pub rpc_logging: RpcLogging,
     pub zmq_addr: Option<SocketAddr>,
@@ -249,6 +250,12 @@ impl Config {
                     .long("electrum-txs-limit")
                     .help("Maximum number of transactions returned by Electrum history queries. Lookups with more results will fail.")
                     .default_value("500")
+            ).arg(
+                Arg::with_name("electrum_subscription_limit")
+                    .long("electrum-subscription-limit")
+                    .help("Maximum number of scripthash subscriptions a single Electrum connection may hold. Every subscription costs a history lookup on each new block, so an unbounded count lets one client impose unbounded recurring work. Re-subscribing to an already-tracked scripthash is always allowed. 0 = unlimited.")
+                    .default_value("10000")
+                    .takes_value(true)
             ).arg(
                 Arg::with_name("electrum_banner")
                     .long("electrum-banner")
@@ -534,6 +541,7 @@ impl Config {
             electrum_rpc_addr,
             electrum_rpc_conn_max_age,
             electrum_txs_limit: value_t_or_exit!(m, "electrum_txs_limit", usize),
+            electrum_subscription_limit: value_t_or_exit!(m, "electrum_subscription_limit", usize),
             electrum_banner,
             rpc_logging: {
                 let params = RpcLogging {
diff --git a/src/electrum/server.rs b/src/electrum/server.rs
index 5451a51f9..0ac608caf 100644
--- a/src/electrum/server.rs
+++ b/src/electrum/server.rs
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ impl JsonRpcV2Error {
 fn jsonrpc_code(e: &Error) -> JsonRpcV2Error {
     match e.kind() {
         ErrorKind::InvalidParams(_) => JsonRpcV2Error::InvalidParams,
-        ErrorKind::TooPopular | ErrorKind::TooManyUtxos => JsonRpcV2Error::BadRequest,
+        ErrorKind::TooPopular
+        | ErrorKind::TooManyUtxos
+        | ErrorKind::TooManySubscriptions(_) => JsonRpcV2Error::BadRequest,
         // The daemon could not be reached (or we refused to queue for it) for a request
         // made on the client's behalf. This is a downstream failure, not a client error.
         ErrorKind::RpcError(..) | ErrorKind::DaemonBusy(_) | ErrorKind::DaemonUnavailable(_) => {
@@ -152,6 +154,14 @@ fn get_status_hash(txs: Vec<(Txid, Option<BlockId>)>, query: &Query) -> Option<F
     }
 }
 
+fn subscription_allowed(
+    status_hashes: &HashMap<Sha256dHash, Value>,
+    script_hash: &Sha256dHash,
+    limit: usize,
+) -> bool {
+    limit == 0 || status_hashes.len() < limit || status_hashes.contains_key(script_hash)
+}
+
 macro_rules! conditionally_log_rpc_event {
     ($self:ident, $event:expr) => {
         if $self.rpc_logging.enabled {
@@ -171,6 +181,7 @@ struct Connection {
     sender: SyncSender<Message>,
     stats: Arc<Stats>,
     txs_limit: usize,
+    subscription_limit: usize,
     #[cfg(feature = "electrum-discovery")]
     discovery: Option<Arc<DiscoveryManager>>,
     rpc_logging: RpcLogging,
@@ -192,6 +203,7 @@ impl Connection {
         sender: SyncSender<Message>,
         stats: Arc<Stats>,
         txs_limit: usize,
+        subscription_limit: usize,
         #[cfg(feature = "electrum-discovery")] discovery: Option<Arc<DiscoveryManager>>,
         rpc_logging: RpcLogging,
         salt: String,
@@ -205,6 +217,7 @@ impl Connection {
             sender,
             stats,
             txs_limit,
+            subscription_limit,
             #[cfg(feature = "electrum-discovery")]
             discovery,
             rpc_logging,
@@ -357,6 +370,11 @@ impl Connection {
     fn blockchain_scripthash_subscribe(&mut self, params: &[Value]) -> Result<Value> {
         let script_hash = hash_from_value(params.get(0))?;
 
+        ensure!(
+            subscription_allowed(&self.status_hashes, &script_hash, self.subscription_limit),
+            ErrorKind::TooManySubscriptions(self.subscription_limit)
+        );
+
         let history_txids = get_history(&self.query, &script_hash[..], self.txs_limit)?;
         let status_hash = get_status_hash(history_txids, &self.query)
             .map_or(Value::Null, |h| json!(h.to_lower_hex_string()));
@@ -1170,6 +1188,7 @@ impl RPC {
 
         let rpc_addr = config.electrum_rpc_addr;
         let txs_limit = config.electrum_txs_limit;
+        let subscription_limit = config.electrum_subscription_limit;
         let conn_max_age = config.electrum_rpc_conn_max_age;
 
         RPC {
@@ -1220,6 +1239,7 @@ impl RPC {
                             sender,
                             stats,
                             txs_limit,
+                            subscription_limit,
                             #[cfg(feature = "electrum-discovery")]
                             discovery,
                             rpc_logging,
@@ -1295,6 +1315,51 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    fn tracking(count: usize) -> HashMap<Sha256dHash, Value> {
+        (0..count)
+            .map(|i| (scripthash(i as u64), Value::Null))
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    fn scripthash(seed: u64) -> Sha256dHash {
+        let mut bytes = [0u8; 32];
+        bytes[..8].copy_from_slice(&seed.to_le_bytes());
+        Sha256dHash::from_byte_array(bytes)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn subscription_limit_of_zero_is_unlimited() {
+        let tracked = tracking(1_000);
+        assert!(subscription_allowed(&tracked, &scripthash(200), 0));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn subscription_allowed_below_the_limit() {
+        let tracked = tracking(3);
+        assert!(subscription_allowed(&tracked, &scripthash(200), 4));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn new_subscription_refused_at_the_limit() {
+        let tracked = tracking(4);
+        assert!(!subscription_allowed(&tracked, &scripthash(200), 4));
+        assert!(!subscription_allowed(&tracked, &scripthash(200), 2));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn resubscribing_to_a_tracked_scripthash_is_allowed_at_the_limit() {
+        let tracked = tracking(4);
+        assert!(subscription_allowed(&tracked, &scripthash(0), 4));
+        assert!(subscription_allowed(&tracked, &scripthash(3), 4));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn too_many_subscriptions_is_a_bad_request() {
+        let error = ErrorKind::TooManySubscriptions(4).into();
+        assert!(jsonrpc_code(&error) == JsonRpcV2Error::BadRequest);
+        assert_eq!(jsonrpc_code(&error).into_i16(), 1);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn connection_lifetime_is_disabled_without_max_age() {
         assert_eq!(connection_lifetime(None), None);
diff --git a/src/errors.rs b/src/errors.rs
index c80e85bba..c8d09fc2e 100644
--- a/src/errors.rs
+++ b/src/errors.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ error_chain! {
             display("Too many unspent outputs")
         }
 
+        TooManySubscriptions(limit: usize) {
+            description("Too many subscriptions")
+            display("Too many subscriptions on this connection (limit: {})", limit)
+        }
+
         InvalidParams(msg: String) {
             description("Invalid RPC params")
             display("{}", msg)
diff --git a/tests/common.rs b/tests/common.rs
index 1965b8629..f43d88b90 100644
--- a/tests/common.rs
+++ b/tests/common.rs
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ impl TestRunner {
             precache_scripts: None,
             utxos_limit: 100,
             electrum_txs_limit: 100,
+            electrum_subscription_limit: 10_000,
             electrum_banner: "".into(),
             rpc_logging: RpcLogging::default(),
             zmq_addr: None,