diff --git a/ghost/core/core/server/web/api/endpoints/admin/routes.js b/ghost/core/core/server/web/api/endpoints/admin/routes.js
index 2ba6834df7..ab76c28f7a 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/server/web/api/endpoints/admin/routes.js
+++ b/ghost/core/core/server/web/api/endpoints/admin/routes.js
@@ -243,8 +243,8 @@ module.exports = function apiRoutes() {
         http(api.session.add)
     );
     router.del('/session', mw.authAdminApi, http(api.session.delete));
-    router.post('/session/verify', http(api.session.sendVerification));
-    router.put('/session/verify', http(api.session.verify));
+    router.post('/session/verify', shared.middleware.brute.sendVerificationCode, http(api.session.sendVerification));
+    router.put('/session/verify', shared.middleware.brute.userVerification, http(api.session.verify));
 
     // ## Identity
     router.get('/identities', mw.authAdminApi, http(api.identities.read));
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/api/spam-prevention.js b/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/api/spam-prevention.js
index 90248b730a..1f045d590a 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/api/spam-prevention.js
+++ b/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/api/spam-prevention.js
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ let spamGlobalBlock = spam.global_block || {};
 let spamGlobalReset = spam.global_reset || {};
 let spamUserReset = spam.user_reset || {};
 let spamUserLogin = spam.user_login || {};
+let spamSendVerificationCode = spam.send_verification_code || {};
+let spamUserVerification = spam.user_verification || {};
 let spamMemberLogin = spam.member_login || {};
 let spamContentApiKey = spam.content_api_key || {};
 let spamWebmentionsBlock = spam.webmentions_block || {};
@@ -44,6 +46,8 @@ let userLoginInstance;
 let membersAuthInstance;
 let membersAuthEnumerationInstance;
 let userResetInstance;
+let sendVerificationCodeInstance;
+let userVerificationInstance;
 let contentApiKeyInstance;
 let emailPreviewBlockInstance;
 
@@ -308,6 +312,58 @@ const userReset = function userReset() {
     return userResetInstance;
 };
 
+const userVerification = function userVerification() {
+    const ExpressBrute = require('express-brute');
+    const BruteKnex = require('brute-knex');
+    const db = require('../../../../data/db');
+
+    store = store || new BruteKnex({
+        tablename: 'brute',
+        createTable: false,
+        knex: db.knex
+    });
+
+    userVerificationInstance = userVerificationInstance || new ExpressBrute(store,
+        extend({
+            attachResetToRequest: true,
+            failCallback(req, res, next) {
+                return next(new errors.TooManyRequestsError({
+                    message: tpl(messages.tooManyAttempts)
+                }));
+            },
+            handleStoreError: handleStoreError
+        }, pick(spamUserVerification, spamConfigKeys))
+    );
+
+    return userVerificationInstance;
+};
+
+const sendVerificationCode = function sendVerificationCode() {
+    const ExpressBrute = require('express-brute');
+    const BruteKnex = require('brute-knex');
+    const db = require('../../../../data/db');
+
+    store = store || new BruteKnex({
+        tablename: 'brute',
+        createTable: false,
+        knex: db.knex
+    });
+
+    sendVerificationCodeInstance = sendVerificationCodeInstance || new ExpressBrute(store,
+        extend({
+            attachResetToRequest: true,
+            failCallback(req, res, next) {
+                return next(new errors.TooManyRequestsError({
+                    message: tpl(messages.tooManyAttempts)
+                }));
+            },
+            handleStoreError: handleStoreError
+        }, pick(spamSendVerificationCode, spamConfigKeys))
+    );
+
+    return sendVerificationCodeInstance;
+};
+
 // This protects a private blog from spam attacks. The defaults here allow 10 attempts per IP per hour
 // The endpoint is then locked for an hour
 const privateBlog = () => {
@@ -372,6 +428,8 @@ module.exports = {
     globalBlock: globalBlock,
     globalReset: globalReset,
     userLogin: userLogin,
+    sendVerificationCode: sendVerificationCode,
+    userVerification: userVerification,
     membersAuth: membersAuth,
     membersAuthEnumeration: membersAuthEnumeration,
     userReset: userReset,
@@ -389,6 +447,8 @@ module.exports = {
         membersAuthInstance = undefined;
         membersAuthEnumerationInstance = undefined;
         userResetInstance = undefined;
+        sendVerificationCodeInstance = undefined;
+        userVerificationInstance = undefined;
         contentApiKeyInstance = undefined;
 
         spam = config.get('spam') || {};
@@ -397,6 +457,8 @@ module.exports = {
         spamGlobalReset = spam.global_reset || {};
         spamUserReset = spam.user_reset || {};
         spamUserLogin = spam.user_login || {};
+        spamSendVerificationCode = spam.send_verification_code || {};
+        spamUserVerification = spam.user_verification || {};
         spamMemberLogin = spam.member_login || {};
         spamContentApiKey = spam.content_api_key || {};
     }
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/brute.js b/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/brute.js
index f64ad6f8ed..146b4b5a7c 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/brute.js
+++ b/ghost/core/core/server/web/shared/middleware/brute.js
@@ -50,6 +50,28 @@ module.exports = {
             }
         })(req, res, next);
     },
+    /**
+     * block per IP
+    */
+    sendVerificationCode(req, res, next) {
+        return spamPrevention.sendVerificationCode().getMiddleware({
+            ignoreIP: false,
+            key(_req, _res, _next) {
+                return _next('send_verification_code');
+            }
+        })(req, res, next);
+    },
+    /**
+     * block per IP
+     */
+    userVerification(req, res, next) {
+        return spamPrevention.userVerification().getMiddleware({
+            ignoreIP: false,
+            key(_req, _res, _next) {
+                return _next('user_verification');
+            }
+        })(req, res, next);
+    },
     /**
      * block per ip
      */
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/defaults.json b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/defaults.json
index 31e5972751..b992c3f1c6 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/defaults.json
+++ b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/defaults.json
@@ -73,6 +73,18 @@
             "lifetime": 3600,
             "freeRetries": 4
         },
+        "user_verification": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
+        "send_verification_code": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
         "global_reset": {
             "minWait": 3600000,
             "maxWait": 3600000,
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-browser.json b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-browser.json
index 2a99eca8a4..30daa9c3f1 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-browser.json
+++ b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-browser.json
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@
             "lifetime": 3600,
             "freeRetries": 4
         },
+        "user_verification": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
+        "send_verification_code": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
         "global_reset": {
             "minWait": 3600000,
             "maxWait": 3600000,
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-mysql.json b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-mysql.json
index 31eb21e101..84102e76ab 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-mysql.json
+++ b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing-mysql.json
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@
             "lifetime": 3600,
             "freeRetries": 4
         },
+        "user_verification": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
+        "send_verification_code": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
         "global_reset": {
             "minWait": 3600000,
             "maxWait": 3600000,
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing.json b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing.json
index 25ba79f6bc..c8e9d30322 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing.json
+++ b/ghost/core/core/shared/config/env/config.testing.json
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@
             "lifetime": 3600,
             "freeRetries": 4
         },
+        "user_verification": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
+        "send_verification_code": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
         "global_reset": {
             "minWait": 3600000,
             "maxWait": 3600000,
diff --git a/ghost/core/test/utils/fixtures/config/defaults.json b/ghost/core/test/utils/fixtures/config/defaults.json
index dba63e89d5..092269dc2e 100644
--- a/ghost/core/test/utils/fixtures/config/defaults.json
+++ b/ghost/core/test/utils/fixtures/config/defaults.json
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@
             "lifetime": 3600,
             "freeRetries": 4
         },
+        "user_verification": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
+        "send_verification_code": {
+            "minWait": 3600000,
+            "maxWait": 3600000,
+            "lifetime": 3600,
+            "freeRetries": 4
+        },
         "global_reset": {
             "minWait": 3600000,
             "maxWait": 3600000,