diff --git a/internal/api/issue81_password_ratelimit_test.go b/internal/api/issue81_password_ratelimit_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f33d91f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/api/issue81_password_ratelimit_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+package api
+
+// #81: ALL password verification attempts (GET query param, header, POST
+// form) must go through the per-IP unlock limiter. Regression: N wrong
+// passwords via GET ?password= must eventually yield 429.
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func createPasswordPaste(t *testing.T, s *apiServer, pw string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	h := s.routes()
+	body := `{"content":"secret","password":"` + pw + `"}`
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/api/pastes", strings.NewReader(body))
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	h.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+	var created struct {
+		ID string `json:"id"`
+	}
+	json.Unmarshal(rec.Body.Bytes(), &created)
+	return created.ID
+}
+
+// TestRateLimitGetPasswordQuery: repeated wrong passwords via GET
+// ?password= must eventually return 429 (unlock limiter: burst 5).
+func TestRateLimitGetPasswordQuery(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testServer(t)
+	h := s.routes()
+	id := createPasswordPaste(t, s, "hunter2")
+
+	var saw429 bool
+	// more attempts than the unlock burst (5)
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/api/pastes/"+id+"?password=wrong"+string(rune('a'+i)), nil)
+		rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		h.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+		if rec.Code == 429 {
+			saw429 = true
+			break
+		}
+		if rec.Code != 401 {
+			t.Fatalf("attempt %d: expected 401 before limit, got %d", i, rec.Code)
+		}
+	}
+	if !saw429 {
+		t.Fatal("expected 429 after repeated wrong ?password= attempts, never got one")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRateLimitGetPasswordHeader: same guarantee for the X-Paste-Password header path.
+func TestRateLimitGetPasswordHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testServer(t)
+	h := s.routes()
+	id := createPasswordPaste(t, s, "hunter2")
+
+	var saw429 bool
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/api/pastes/"+id, nil)
+		req.Header.Set("X-Paste-Password", "wrong"+string(rune('a'+i)))
+		rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		h.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+		if rec.Code == 429 {
+			saw429 = true
+			break
+		}
+		if rec.Code != 401 {
+			t.Fatalf("attempt %d: expected 401 before limit, got %d", i, rec.Code)
+		}
+	}
+	if !saw429 {
+		t.Fatal("expected 429 after repeated wrong header password attempts, never got one")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRateLimitGetPasswordCorrectStillAllowed: a correct password must still
+// work within the burst (the limiter gates attempts, not correctness).
+func TestRateLimitGetPasswordCorrectStillAllowed(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testServer(t)
+	h := s.routes()
+	id := createPasswordPaste(t, s, "hunter2")
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/api/pastes/"+id+"?password=hunter2", nil)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	h.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+	if rec.Code != 200 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200 for correct password within burst, got %d", rec.Code)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/api/server.go b/internal/api/server.go
index 8a5c78b..abde902 100644
--- a/internal/api/server.go
+++ b/internal/api/server.go
@@ -214,6 +214,13 @@ func (a *apiServer) handleGetPaste(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 	if row.PasswordHash.Valid {
+		// #81: every password verification (header, query param, or empty)
+		// goes through the same per-IP+paste unlock limiter as the POST form
+		// path, so brute-force via GET ?password= or X-Paste-Password gets 429.
+		if !rateLimitUnlock(row.ID, r) {
+			writeRateLimited(w, 60)
+			return
+		}
 		// require password via header or query
 		pw := r.Header.Get("X-Paste-Password")
 		if pw == "" {