--- Actions.pm-orig	2009-07-06 16:18:21.000000000 +0200
+++ Actions.pm	2009-07-06 16:18:31.000000000 +0200
@@ -119,8 +119,23 @@
 #
 # usage: &send_email(%options);
 #
+# /ol: new options:
+#   RATELIMIT	#seconds
+#   RATETAG	tag to key ratelimit on, defaults to ADDRESSES
+#   RATEFLUSH	ignore this message, only try to flush 
+#
+#   The difference to threshold is that multiple messages are buffered into one
+#   email message. No message is discarded.
+#
 ################################################################
 
+my %ratelimit = ();
+#
+# key = RATETAG,
+# value = hash with
+# 	nextmail	ctime for next mail
+# 	message		collected messages 
+
 sub send_email {
   my $login = (getpwuid($<))[0];
   my %args = (
@@ -135,6 +150,25 @@
 	     and $args{'THRESHOLDING'} eq 'on'
 	     and not &Swatch::Threshold::threshold(%args));
 
+  if ($args{'RATELIMIT'}) {
+	my $tag = ($args{'RATETAG'}) ?  $args{'RATETAG'} : $args{'ADDRESSES'};
+
+	$ratelimit{$tag} = { nextmail => 0, message => '' } unless ($ratelimit{$tag}); # initialize.
+
+	return if ($args{'RATEFLUSH'} and ($ratelimit{$tag}->{'message'} eq "")); # nothing to flush.
+
+	if (time < $ratelimit{$tag}->{'nextmail'}) {	# ok, we just remember this message and don't send mail
+		$ratelimit{$tag}->{'message'} .= $args{'MESSAGE'} . "\n" unless ($args{'RATEFLUSH'});
+		return;
+	} else {					# include stored messages
+		$args{'MESSAGE'} = ($args{'RATEFLUSH'}) ? # just flushing?
+			$ratelimit{$tag}->{'message'} :
+			$args{'MESSAGE'} . "\n" .  $ratelimit{$tag}->{'message'};
+		$ratelimit{$tag}->{'nextmail'} = time + $args{'RATELIMIT'};
+		$ratelimit{$tag}->{'message'} = "";
+	}
+  }
+
   if (! $args{'MAILER'} ) {
     foreach my $mailer (qw(/usr/lib/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail)) {
       $args{'MAILER'} = $mailer if ( -x $mailer );