diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 07050a5..fa68efa 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ type Server struct {
 	punchSourceLast map[string]time.Time // source IP → last allowed punch time
 	lastPunchTime   atomic.Int64         // UnixNano of last global punch (rate limit)
 
+	// Per-source relay rate limiters (SEC-037).
+	relayRateMu      sync.Mutex                     // protects relaySourceCount
+	relaySourceCount map[uint32]*relaySourceWindow   // senderID → sliding window state
+
 	// Peer mesh (gossip)
 	beaconID    uint32
 	peers       []*net.UDPAddr                          // peer beacon addresses (slow path, peerMu)
@@ -118,6 +122,21 @@ const (
 	punchRateCleanupInterval = 5 * time.Minute // how often stale source entries are swept
 )
 
+// relaySourceWindow tracks a single source's relay count in the current 1-second window.
+type relaySourceWindow struct {
+	windowStart int64  // UnixNano of current 1-second window start
+	count       uint32 // relay count in current window
+}
+
+// maxRelaysPerSourcePerSecond caps relays a single sender can push through
+// dispatchRelay per second. Set generously (1000 relays/sec) — a legitimate
+// source behind NAT may relay traffic for many agents, but a DoS source
+// flooding relays to a known target can saturate the 524288-deep relayCh
+// and cause queue-full drops for everyone. This cap prevents one source
+// from consuming more than ~0.2% of total queue capacity per second.
+const maxRelaysPerSourcePerSecond = 1000
+const relaySourceCleanupInterval = 5 * time.Minute
+
 func New() *Server {
 	return NewWithPeers(0, nil)
 }
@@ -132,7 +151,8 @@ func NewWithPeers(beaconID uint32, peers []string) *Server {
 		relayCh:  make(chan relayJob, relayQueueSize),
 		beaconID: beaconID,
 		done:     make(chan struct{}),
-		punchSourceLast: make(map[string]time.Time),
+		punchSourceLast:  make(map[string]time.Time),
+		relaySourceCount: make(map[uint32]*relaySourceWindow),
 	}
 	emptyPeers := make(map[uint32]*net.UDPAddr)
 	s.peerNodes.Store(&emptyPeers)
@@ -653,6 +673,29 @@ func (s *Server) dispatchRelay(data []byte) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Per-source rate limit: prevent one sender from flooding the relay
+	// queue and squeezing out legitimate traffic. A DoS source targeting
+	// a known destination can saturate the 524288-deep relayCh at rates
+	// far above normal — this cap gives each source a fixed share.
+	now := time.Now().UnixNano()
+	s.relayRateMu.Lock()
+	w, ok := s.relaySourceCount[senderID]
+	if !ok || now-w.windowStart >= int64(time.Second) {
+		// New 1-second window.
+		s.relaySourceCount[senderID] = &relaySourceWindow{windowStart: now, count: 1}
+		s.relayRateMu.Unlock()
+	} else if w.count >= maxRelaysPerSourcePerSecond {
+		// Source exceeded per-second budget — silently drop.
+		// The sender's daemon retries (3-attempt path in
+		// pkg/daemon/daemon.go relay branch), so a drop here
+		// is eventually self-healing for honest senders.
+		s.relayRateMu.Unlock()
+		return
+	} else {
+		w.count++
+		s.relayRateMu.Unlock()
+	}
+
 	// Copy payload into a pooled buffer so we don't hold the read buffer
 	payload := data[8:]
 	if len(payload) > maxRelayPayload {
@@ -941,6 +984,16 @@ func (s *Server) reapStaleNodes() {
 		}
 	}
 	s.punchRateMu.Unlock()
+
+	// Sweep stale relay-source entries.
+	s.relayRateMu.Lock()
+	cutoffNs := time.Now().Add(-relaySourceCleanupInterval).UnixNano()
+	for id, w := range s.relaySourceCount {
+		if w.windowStart < cutoffNs {
+			delete(s.relaySourceCount, id)
+		}
+	}
+	s.relayRateMu.Unlock()
 }
 
 // --- Gossip ---