diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 75e3e6c..b90daa3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ dokku letsencrypt foo
 
 While playing around with this plugin, you might want to switch to the let's encrypt staging server by running `dokku config:set --no-restart myapp DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_SERVER=staging` to enjoy much higher rate limits and switching back to the real server by running `dokku config:unset --no-restart myapp DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_SERVER` once you are ready.
 
+## Dealing with rate limit on account creation
+
+There is a rate limit on the number of accounts created for one IP address and within an IPv6 /48 range.
+To avoid this, a new account is only created if you use a new value for DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL.
+
 ## Generating a Cert for multiple domains
 
 Your [default dokku app](http://dokku.viewdocs.io/dokku/configuration/domains/#default-site) is accessible under the root domain too. So if you have an application `00-default` that is running under `00-default.mydomain.com` it is accessible under `mydomain.com` too. Now if you apply letsencrypt for your `00-default` application, it is not accessible anymore on `mydomain.com`. You can add the root domain to your dokku domains by typing `dokku domains:add 00-default mydomain.com` and then `dokku letsencrypt 00-default` again.
diff --git a/subcommands/default b/subcommands/default
index 7fb0036..1257514 100755
--- a/subcommands/default
+++ b/subcommands/default
@@ -68,12 +68,26 @@ letsencrypt_link () {
   fi
 }
 
+letsencrypt_find_account () {
+  # dokku_log_info1 "searching for account for ${DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL}\n"
+  for f in `grep -l "DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL=\"${DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL}" /home/dokku/*/ENV`;  do 
+    local le_dir=${f/ENV/letsencrypt\/certs\/current/}
+    if [[ -f "${le_dir}account_key.json"  && -f "${le_dir}account_reg.json" ]]; then
+	echo $le_dir
+        return
+    fi
+  done
+  echo ""
+  return
+}
 
 letsencrypt_acme () {
   #shellcheck disable=SC2034
   declare desc="perform actual ACME validation procedure"
   local app="$1"
   local acme_port="$2"
+  local account_key="/home/dokku/account_key.json"
+  local account_reg="/home/dokku/account_reg.json"
 
   letsencrypt_create_root "$app"
 
@@ -86,8 +100,26 @@ letsencrypt_acme () {
   eval "$(config_export global)"
   eval "$(config_export app "$app")"
 
+  local email="$DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL"
+  local account_source_dir="$(letsencrypt_find_account)"
+  if [[ $account_source_dir ]]; then 
+    dokku_log_info1 "account for ${DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL} found in ${account_source_dir}"
+    account_key="${account_source_dir}account_key.json"
+    account_reg="${account_source_dir}account_reg.json"
+  fi
+
   local graceperiod="${DOKKU_LETSENCRYPT_GRACEPERIOD:-$((60 * 60 * 24 * 30))}"
 
+  if [[ -f "$account_key" ]]; then
+    dokku_log_info2 "using copy of account key file $account_key"
+    cp $account_key "${config_dir}/account_key.json"
+  fi
+  if [[ -f "$account_reg" ]]; then
+    dokku_log_info2 "using copy of account reg file $account_reg"
+    cp $account_reg "${config_dir}/account_reg.json"
+  fi
+  dokku_log_info2 "starting docker run of ${PLUGIN_IMAGE}:${PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION} now for $app"
+
   # run letsencrypt as a docker container using "certonly" mode
   # port 80 of the standalone webserver will be forwarded by the proxy
   set +e