diff --git a/go-services/tracker-go/website.go b/go-services/tracker-go/website.go
index f3f9e2cd..3362fdd9 100644
--- a/go-services/tracker-go/website.go
+++ b/go-services/tracker-go/website.go
@@ -46,12 +46,22 @@ func (s *Server) handleLoginGet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	s.serveStaticFile(w, r, "login.html")
 }
 
+// loginClientIP returns the rate-limit key for a login attempt. Every nginx
+// location proxying to the tracker sets X-Real-IP to $remote_addr (see
+// nginx/overlord.conf), which the client cannot forge. X-Forwarded-For is
+// $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for — nginx only APPENDS to it, so a client-supplied
+// leftmost hop survives untouched and would let an attacker rotate spoofed
+// values to dodge the cooldown.
+func loginClientIP(r *http.Request) string {
+	if ip := strings.TrimSpace(r.Header.Get("X-Real-IP")); ip != "" {
+		return ip
+	}
+	return clientIP(r)
+}
+
 // POST /login — authenticate and set the session cookie (main.py:login).
 func (s *Server) handleLoginPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	ip := clientIP(r)
-	if xff := r.Header.Get("X-Forwarded-For"); xff != "" {
-		ip = strings.TrimSpace(strings.Split(xff, ",")[0])
-	}
+	ip := loginClientIP(r)
 	if !s.loginLimiter.allow(ip) {
 		writeJSON(w, http.StatusTooManyRequests, map[string]any{"detail": "Too many login attempts. Try again in a few seconds."})
 		return
diff --git a/go-services/tracker-go/website_test.go b/go-services/tracker-go/website_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c5e773c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go-services/tracker-go/website_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// nginx sets X-Real-IP to $remote_addr on every proxied location (see
+// nginx/overlord.conf), so it can't be spoofed by the client. XFF, in
+// contrast, is $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for — nginx APPENDS to whatever the
+// client sent, so an attacker-supplied leftmost value survives untouched.
+// The rate limiter must key on X-Real-IP, not XFF.
+func TestLoginClientIP_IgnoresSpoofedXFF(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &http.Request{
+		RemoteAddr: "10.0.0.1:12345", // nginx's own connection to the app
+		Header:     http.Header{},
+	}
+	r.Header.Set("X-Real-IP", "203.0.113.5")
+	r.Header.Set("X-Forwarded-For", "6.6.6.6, 203.0.113.5") // attacker-spoofed leftmost hop
+
+	if got := loginClientIP(r); got != "203.0.113.5" {
+		t.Errorf("loginClientIP = %q, want %q (trusted X-Real-IP, not spoofable XFF)", got, "203.0.113.5")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoginClientIP_FallsBackToRemoteAddr(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &http.Request{
+		RemoteAddr: "198.51.100.7:54321",
+		Header:     http.Header{},
+	}
+
+	if got := loginClientIP(r); got != "198.51.100.7" {
+		t.Errorf("loginClientIP = %q, want %q (no X-Real-IP, fall back to RemoteAddr)", got, "198.51.100.7")
+	}
+}