diff --git a/src/app/(app)/dashboard/rec-cards.tsx b/src/app/(app)/dashboard/rec-cards.tsx
index 7de8b62..b84a92b 100644
--- a/src/app/(app)/dashboard/rec-cards.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(app)/dashboard/rec-cards.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   type RecCard,
 } from '@/app/actions/recommendations';
 import { sendHelpRequest } from '@/app/actions/help';
+import { CooldownTimer } from '@/components/cooldown-timer';
 
 const PR_URL_RE = /^https:\/\/github\.com\/[^/]+\/[^/]+\/pull\/\d+$/;
 
@@ -24,6 +25,13 @@ export default function RecCards({ recs: initial }: { recs: RecCard[] }) {
   const [pending, startTransition] = useTransition();
   const [busyId, setBusyId] = useState<number | null>(null);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [cooldownUntil, setCooldownUntil] = useState<number | null>(null);
+
+  function handleRateLimit(resetAt?: number) {
+    if (resetAt) {
+      setCooldownUntil(resetAt);
+    }
+  }
 
   function handleClaim(rec: RecCard) {
     setBusyId(rec.id);
@@ -33,6 +41,10 @@ export default function RecCards({ recs: initial }: { recs: RecCard[] }) {
       if (res.ok) {
         setRecs((prev) => prev.map((r) => (r.id === rec.id ? { ...r, status: 'claimed' } : r)));
       } else {
+        if (res.error.code === 'rate_limited') {
+          handleRateLimit(res.error.resetAt);
+        }
+
         setError(`${rec.title}: ${res.error.message}`);
       }
       setBusyId(null);
@@ -50,6 +62,10 @@ export default function RecCards({ recs: initial }: { recs: RecCard[] }) {
           return res.data.replacement ? [...without, res.data.replacement] : without;
         });
       } else {
+        if (res.error.code === 'rate_limited') {
+          handleRateLimit(res.error.resetAt);
+        }
+
         setError(`${rec.title}: ${res.error.message}`);
       }
       setBusyId(null);
@@ -66,13 +82,28 @@ export default function RecCards({ recs: initial }: { recs: RecCard[] }) {
 
   return (
     <div>
-      {error && (
+      {cooldownUntil ? (
         <div
           className="mb-4 border border-red-800 bg-red-900/20 px-4 py-3 text-[11px] uppercase tracking-widest text-red-400"
           role="alert"
         >
-          {error}
+          <CooldownTimer
+            resetAt={cooldownUntil}
+            onExpire={() => {
+              setCooldownUntil(null);
+              setError(null);
+            }}
+          />
         </div>
+      ) : (
+        error && (
+          <div
+            className="mb-4 border border-red-800 bg-red-900/20 px-4 py-3 text-[11px] uppercase tracking-widest text-red-400"
+            role="alert"
+          >
+            {error}
+          </div>
+        )
       )}
       <div className="max-h-[520px] overflow-y-auto pr-1 [&::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover]:bg-zinc-500 [&::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]:bg-zinc-700 [&::-webkit-scrollbar-track]:bg-transparent [&::-webkit-scrollbar]:w-1">
         <ul>
@@ -107,19 +138,30 @@ export default function RecCards({ recs: initial }: { recs: RecCard[] }) {
 
               <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
                 {rec.status === 'claimed' ? (
-                  <ClaimedActions rec={rec} onError={setError} />
+                  <ClaimedActions
+                    rec={rec}
+                    onError={setError}
+                    onRateLimit={handleRateLimit}
+                    isCoolingDown={cooldownUntil !== null && cooldownUntil > Date.now()}
+                  />
                 ) : (
                   <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
                     <button
                       onClick={() => handleClaim(rec)}
-                      disabled={pending && busyId === rec.id}
+                      disabled={
+                        (cooldownUntil !== null && cooldownUntil > Date.now()) ||
+                        (pending && busyId === rec.id)
+                      }
                       className="border border-zinc-600 px-4 py-1.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-widest text-zinc-300 transition-colors hover:border-white hover:text-white disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-40"
                     >
                       {busyId === rec.id ? 'CLAIMING...' : 'CLAIM'}
                     </button>
                     <button
                       onClick={() => handleSkip(rec)}
-                      disabled={pending && busyId === rec.id}
+                      disabled={
+                        (cooldownUntil !== null && cooldownUntil > Date.now()) ||
+                        (pending && busyId === rec.id)
+                      }
                       className="text-[10px] uppercase tracking-widest text-zinc-600 transition-colors hover:text-zinc-400 disabled:opacity-40"
                     >
                       SKIP
@@ -138,7 +180,17 @@ export default function RecCards({ recs: initial }: { recs: RecCard[] }) {
   );
 }
 
-function ClaimedActions({ rec, onError }: { rec: RecCard; onError: (msg: string | null) => void }) {
+function ClaimedActions({
+  rec,
+  onError,
+  onRateLimit,
+  isCoolingDown,
+}: {
+  rec: RecCard;
+  onError: (msg: string | null) => void;
+  onRateLimit: (resetAt?: number) => void;
+  isCoolingDown: boolean;
+}) {
   const [input, setInput] = useState('');
   const [pending, startTransition] = useTransition();
   const [linked, setLinked] = useState(false);
@@ -152,7 +204,13 @@ function ClaimedActions({ rec, onError }: { rec: RecCard; onError: (msg: string
     startTransition(async () => {
       const res = await linkPrToRec(rec.id, input.trim());
       if (res.ok) setLinked(true);
-      else onError(`${rec.title}: ${res.error.message}`);
+      else {
+        if (res.error.code === 'rate_limited') {
+          onRateLimit(res.error.resetAt);
+        }
+
+        onError(`${rec.title}: ${res.error.message}`);
+      }
     });
   }
 
@@ -165,7 +223,13 @@ function ClaimedActions({ rec, onError }: { rec: RecCard; onError: (msg: string
     startTransition(async () => {
       const res = await sendHelpRequest({ recId: rec.id, prUrl: input.trim() });
       if (res.ok) setHelpSent(true);
-      else onError(`${rec.title}: ${res.error.message}`);
+      else {
+        if (res.error.code === 'rate_limited') {
+          onRateLimit(res.error.resetAt);
+        }
+
+        onError(`${rec.title}: ${res.error.message}`);
+      }
     });
   }
 
@@ -198,7 +262,7 @@ function ClaimedActions({ rec, onError }: { rec: RecCard; onError: (msg: string
             {isValidPrUrl && (
               <button
                 onClick={onLink}
-                disabled={pending}
+                disabled={isCoolingDown || pending}
                 className="border border-zinc-600 px-4 py-1.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-widest text-zinc-300 transition-colors hover:border-white hover:text-white disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-40"
               >
                 {pending ? 'LINKING...' : 'LINK PR'}
@@ -207,7 +271,7 @@ function ClaimedActions({ rec, onError }: { rec: RecCard; onError: (msg: string
             {!helpSent && (
               <button
                 onClick={onHelp}
-                disabled={pending || input.trim().length === 0}
+                disabled={isCoolingDown || pending || input.trim().length === 0}
                 className="text-[10px] uppercase tracking-widest text-zinc-600 transition-colors hover:text-zinc-400 disabled:opacity-40"
                 title="Request review from L2+ contributors"
               >
diff --git a/src/app/actions/help.ts b/src/app/actions/help.ts
index a968810..b95c76a 100644
--- a/src/app/actions/help.ts
+++ b/src/app/actions/help.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ export async function sendHelpRequest(input: HelpInput): Promise<Result<HelpOutp
     limit: 5,
     windowSec: 60 * 60,
   });
-  if (!limited.ok) return err('rate_limited', 'too many help requests this hour', true);
+  if (!limited.ok)
+    return err('rate_limited', 'too many help requests this hour', true, limited.resetAt);
 
   const trimmed = input.prUrl.trim();
   const isGitHubUrl = PR_URL_RE.test(trimmed);
diff --git a/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts b/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts
index 49b9187..7982f5e 100644
--- a/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts
@@ -196,10 +196,12 @@ describe('Recommendations Server Actions', () => {
     });
 
     it('returns rate_limited error if limit exceeded', async () => {
-      mocks.mockRateLimit.mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false });
+      mocks.mockRateLimit.mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, remaining: 0, resetAt: 1234567890 });
       const result = await getRecommendations();
       expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
-      if (!result.ok) expect(result.error.code).toBe('rate_limited');
+      if (!result.ok) {
+        expect(result.error.code).toBe('rate_limited');
+      }
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts b/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts
index a897edf..363981e 100644
--- a/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts
+++ b/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export async function claimRecommendation(recId: number): Promise<Result<{ id: n
     limit: 20,
     windowSec: 60,
   });
-  if (!rateRes.ok) return err('rate_limited', 'slow down', true);
+  if (!rateRes.ok) return err('rate_limited', 'slow down', true, rateRes.resetAt);
 
   // Fast pre-check: reject early if the user is obviously at the limit.
   // This is not authoritative — two concurrent requests can both pass it —
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ export async function linkPrToRec(recId: number, prUrl: string): Promise<Result<
     limit: 10,
     windowSec: 60,
   });
-  if (!rateRes.ok) return err('rate_limited', 'slow down', true);
+  if (!rateRes.ok) return err('rate_limited', 'slow down', true, rateRes.resetAt);
 
   // Security: verify the authenticated user actually authored this PR.
   const sessionRes = await sb.auth.getSession();
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ export async function skipRecommendation(
     limit: 30,
     windowSec: 60,
   });
-  if (!rateRes.ok) return err('rate_limited', 'slow down', true);
+  if (!rateRes.ok) return err('rate_limited', 'slow down', true, rateRes.resetAt);
 
   // Atomic skip with the issue id so we know what tier to refill from.
   // Persist the optional skip_reason alongside the status change.
diff --git a/src/components/cooldown-timer.tsx b/src/components/cooldown-timer.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee530c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/cooldown-timer.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+'use client';
+
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+type CooldownTimerProps = {
+  resetAt: number;
+  onExpire?: () => void;
+};
+
+export function CooldownTimer({ resetAt, onExpire }: CooldownTimerProps) {
+  const [now, setNow] = useState(Date.now());
+
+  const remainingMs = Math.max(0, resetAt - now);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (remainingMs <= 0) return;
+
+    const interval = setInterval(() => {
+      setNow(Date.now());
+    }, 1000);
+
+    return () => clearInterval(interval);
+  }, [remainingMs]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (remainingMs <= 0) {
+      onExpire?.();
+    }
+  }, [remainingMs, onExpire]);
+
+  const totalSeconds = Math.ceil(remainingMs / 1000);
+  const minutes = Math.floor(totalSeconds / 60);
+  const seconds = totalSeconds % 60;
+
+  return (
+    <span>
+      LIMIT REACHED — TRY AGAIN IN {String(minutes).padStart(2, '0')}:
+      {String(seconds).padStart(2, '0')}
+    </span>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/result.test.ts b/src/lib/result.test.ts
index cd99b20..5c9615e 100644
--- a/src/lib/result.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/result.test.ts
@@ -11,11 +11,26 @@ describe('Result<T>', () => {
 
   it('err carries code, message, retryable', () => {
     const r = err('rate_limited', 'too many requests', true);
+
     expect(isErr(r)).toBe(true);
+
     if (isErr(r)) {
       expect(r.error.code).toBe('rate_limited');
       expect(r.error.message).toBe('too many requests');
       expect(r.error.retryable).toBe(true);
+      expect(r.error.resetAt).toBeUndefined();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('err carries resetAt when provided', () => {
+    const resetAt = Date.now() + 60000;
+
+    const r = err('rate_limited', 'too many requests', true, resetAt);
+
+    expect(isErr(r)).toBe(true);
+
+    if (isErr(r)) {
+      expect(r.error.resetAt).toBe(resetAt);
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/src/lib/result.ts b/src/lib/result.ts
index 78afa3f..9c6f2e7 100644
--- a/src/lib/result.ts
+++ b/src/lib/result.ts
@@ -9,14 +9,20 @@ export type AppError = {
   code: string;
   message: string;
   retryable: boolean;
+  resetAt?: number;
 };
 
 export function ok<T>(data: T): Result<T> {
   return { ok: true, data };
 }
 
-export function err(code: string, message: string, retryable = false): Result<never> {
-  return { ok: false, error: { code, message, retryable } };
+export function err(
+  code: string,
+  message: string,
+  retryable = false,
+  resetAt?: number,
+): Result<never> {
+  return { ok: false, error: { code, message, retryable, resetAt } };
 }
 
 export function isOk<T>(r: Result<T>): r is { ok: true; data: T } {