diff --git a/app/models/post.rb b/app/models/post.rb
index 2313328c4..324a82926 100644
--- a/app/models/post.rb
+++ b/app/models/post.rb
@@ -296,17 +296,11 @@ class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
 
     def flag!(reason, options = {})
-      if is_status_locked?
-        raise PostFlag::Error.new("Post is locked and cannot be flagged")
-      end
-
       flag = flags.create(:reason => reason, :is_resolved => false, :is_deletion => options[:is_deletion])
 
       if flag.errors.any?
         raise PostFlag::Error.new(flag.errors.full_messages.join("; "))
       end
-
-      update_column(:is_flagged, true) unless is_flagged?
     end
 
     def appeal!(reason)
diff --git a/app/models/post_flag.rb b/app/models/post_flag.rb
index 1bd137f1e..6c6643eca 100644
--- a/app/models/post_flag.rb
+++ b/app/models/post_flag.rb
@@ -7,17 +7,23 @@ class PostFlag < ActiveRecord::Base
     BANNED = "Artist requested removal"
   end
 
+  COOLDOWN_PERIOD = 3.days
+
   belongs_to :creator, :class_name => "User"
   belongs_to :post
   validates_presence_of :reason, :creator_id, :creator_ip_addr
   validate :validate_creator_is_not_limited
-  validate :validate_post_is_active
+  validate :validate_post
   before_validation :initialize_creator, :on => :create
   validates_uniqueness_of :creator_id, :scope => :post_id, :on => :create, :unless => :is_deletion, :message => "have already flagged this post"
   before_save :update_post
   attr_accessible :post, :post_id, :reason, :is_resolved, :is_deletion
   attr_accessor :is_deletion
 
+  scope :by_users, lambda { where.not(creator: User.system) }
+  scope :by_system, lambda { where(creator: User.system) }
+  scope :in_cooldown, lambda { by_users.where("created_at >= ?", COOLDOWN_PERIOD.ago) }
+
   module SearchMethods
     def reason_matches(query)
       if query =~ /\*/
@@ -146,15 +152,19 @@ class PostFlag < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
   end
 
-  def validate_post_is_active
-    if post.is_deleted?
-      errors[:post] << "is deleted"
+  def validate_post
+    errors[:post] << "is locked and cannot be flagged" if post.is_status_locked?
+    errors[:post] << "is deleted" if post.is_deleted?
+
+    flag = post.flags.in_cooldown.last
+    if flag.present?
+      errors[:post] << "cannot be flagged more than once every #{COOLDOWN_PERIOD.inspect} (last flagged: #{flag.created_at.to_s(:long)})"
     end
   end
 
   def initialize_creator
-    self.creator_id = CurrentUser.id
-    self.creator_ip_addr = CurrentUser.ip_addr
+    self.creator_id ||= CurrentUser.id
+    self.creator_ip_addr ||= CurrentUser.ip_addr
   end
 
   def resolve!
diff --git a/test/unit/post_approval_test.rb b/test/unit/post_approval_test.rb
index c718feb37..dbb7343a9 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_approval_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_approval_test.rb
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ class PostApprovalTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
           @post.approve!(@approver2)
           assert_not_equal(@approver.id, @post.approver_id)
           CurrentUser.user = @user3
-          @post.flag!("blah blah")
+          travel_to(PostFlag::COOLDOWN_PERIOD.from_now + 1.minute) do
+            @post.flag!("blah blah")
+          end
 
           approval = @post.approve!(@approver)
           assert_includes(approval.errors.full_messages, "You have previously approved this post and cannot approve it again")
diff --git a/test/unit/post_flag_test.rb b/test/unit/post_flag_test.rb
index 2e11ee37c..91d92d095 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_flag_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_flag_test.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class PostFlagTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
           @post_flag = PostFlag.create(:post => @post, :reason => "aaa", :is_resolved => false)
         end
 
-        assert_equal(["You have already flagged this post"], @post_flag.errors.full_messages)
+        assert_equal(["have already flagged this post"], @post_flag.errors[:creator_id])
       end
 
       should "not be able to flag more than 10 posts in 24 hours" do
@@ -64,6 +64,23 @@ class PostFlagTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         assert_equal(["Post is deleted"], @post_flag.errors.full_messages)
       end
 
+      should "not be able to flag a post in the cooldown period" do
+        users = FactoryGirl.create_list(:user, 2, created_at: 2.weeks.ago)
+        flag1 = FactoryGirl.create(:post_flag, post: @post, creator: users.first)
+        @post.approve!
+
+        travel_to(PostFlag::COOLDOWN_PERIOD.from_now - 1.minute) do
+          flag2 = FactoryGirl.build(:post_flag, post: @post, creator: users.second)
+          assert(flag2.invalid?)
+          assert_match(/cannot be flagged more than once/, flag2.errors[:post].join)
+        end
+
+        travel_to(PostFlag::COOLDOWN_PERIOD.from_now + 1.minute) do
+          flag3 = FactoryGirl.build(:post_flag, post: @post, creator: users.second)
+          assert(flag3.valid?)
+        end
+      end
+
       should "initialize its creator" do
         @post_flag = PostFlag.create(:post => @post, :reason => "aaa", :is_resolved => false)
         assert_equal(@alice.id, @post_flag.creator_id)