diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/subsystems.dm b/code/__DEFINES/subsystems.dm
index c194e578c9..5c54843df2 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/subsystems.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/subsystems.dm
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 // Subsystems shutdown in the reverse of the order they initialize in
 // The numbers just define the ordering, they are meaningless otherwise.
 
+#define INIT_ORDER_FAIL2TOPIC		22
 #define INIT_ORDER_TITLE			20
 #define INIT_ORDER_GARBAGE			19
 #define INIT_ORDER_DBCORE			18
diff --git a/code/__HELPERS/_logging.dm b/code/__HELPERS/_logging.dm
index 241e9b906e..4dd590d9a1 100644
--- a/code/__HELPERS/_logging.dm
+++ b/code/__HELPERS/_logging.dm
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
 	if (CONFIG_GET(flag/log_job_debug))
 		WRITE_LOG(GLOB.world_job_debug_log, "JOB: [text]")
 
-/proc/log_ss(subsystem, text)
+/proc/log_subsystem(subsystem, text)
 	WRITE_LOG(GLOB.subsystem_log, "[subsystem]: [text]")
 
 /* Log to both DD and the logfile. */
diff --git a/code/_globalvars/logging.dm b/code/_globalvars/logging.dm
index 5ca3513e66..01d5051dba 100644
--- a/code/_globalvars/logging.dm
+++ b/code/_globalvars/logging.dm
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ GLOBAL_VAR(world_virus_log)
 GLOBAL_PROTECT(world_virus_log)
 GLOBAL_VAR(world_map_error_log)
 GLOBAL_PROTECT(world_map_error_log)
+GLOBAL_VAR(subsystem_log)
+GLOBAL_PROTECT(subsystem_log)
 
 GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(bombers)
 GLOBAL_PROTECT(bombers)
diff --git a/code/controllers/configuration/entries/fail2topic.dm b/code/controllers/configuration/entries/fail2topic.dm
index 665a55dd0f..7e5bfd7ee8 100644
--- a/code/controllers/configuration/entries/fail2topic.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/configuration/entries/fail2topic.dm
@@ -13,3 +13,7 @@
 
 /datum/config_entry/number/topic_max_size
 	config_entry_value = 8192
+
+/datum/config_entry/keyed_list/topic_rate_limit_whitelist
+	key_type = KEY_MODE_TEXT
+	value_type = VALUE_MODE_FLAG
diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/fail2topic.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/fail2topic.dm
index 01b6d225b9..0c2936e936 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/fail2topic.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/fail2topic.dm
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 SUBSYSTEM_DEF(fail2topic)
 	name = "Fail2Topic"
-	init_order = SS_INIT_MISC_FIRST
-	flags = SS_FIRE_IN_LOBBY | SS_BACKGROUND
+	init_order = INIT_ORDER_FAIL2TOPIC
+	flags = SS_BACKGROUND
+	runlevels = ALL
 
 	var/list/rate_limiting = list()
 	var/list/fail_counts = list()
@@ -47,8 +48,13 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(fail2topic)
 /datum/controller/subsystem/fail2topic/proc/IsRateLimited(ip)
 	var/last_attempt = rate_limiting[ip]
 
-	if (config?.api_rate_limit_whitelist[ip])
-		return FALSE
+	var/static/datum/config_entry/keyed_list/topic_rate_limit_whitelist/cached_whitelist_entry
+	if(!istype(cached_whitelist_entry))
+		cached_whitelist_entry = CONFIG_GET(keyed_list/topic_rate_limit_whitelist)
+
+	if(istype(cached_whitelist_entry))
+		if(cached_whitelist_entry.config_entry_value[ip])
+			return FALSE
 
 	if (active_bans[ip])
 		return TRUE