diff --git a/src/event/services/event-integration.service.spec.ts b/src/event/services/event-integration.service.spec.ts
index a5f8e0a7..333ceb1d 100644
--- a/src/event/services/event-integration.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/event/services/event-integration.service.spec.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { Counter, Histogram } from 'prom-client';
 import { BlueskyIdService } from '../../bluesky/bluesky-id.service';
 import { FileService } from '../../file/file.service';
 import { EventEmitter2 } from '@nestjs/event-emitter';
+import axios from 'axios';
 
 // Add constants for metrics tokens
 const PROM_METRIC_EVENT_INTEGRATION_PROCESSED_TOTAL =
@@ -584,6 +585,68 @@ describe('EventIntegrationService', () => {
       );
       expect(residualMs).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(simulatedCreatorIoMs - 1);
     });
+
+    it('should not re-geocode an update whose address is unchanged and already geocoded', async () => {
+      eventQueryService.findBySourceAttributes.mockResolvedValue([
+        {
+          ...mockExistingEvent,
+          location: '123 Main St, Louisville, KY',
+          lat: 38.25,
+          lon: -85.76,
+        } as unknown as EventEntity,
+      ]);
+      const geocodeSpy = jest
+        .spyOn(service as any, 'geocodeAddress')
+        .mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+      const result = await service.processExternalEvent(
+        eventWithAddressOnly,
+        'tenant1',
+      );
+
+      expect(geocodeSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(result.lat).toBe(38.25);
+      expect(result.lon).toBe(-85.76);
+    });
+
+    it('should geocode an update whose address changed', async () => {
+      eventQueryService.findBySourceAttributes.mockResolvedValue([
+        {
+          ...mockExistingEvent,
+          location: '1 Old Rd, Lexington, KY',
+          lat: 38.04,
+          lon: -84.5,
+        } as unknown as EventEntity,
+      ]);
+      const geocodeSpy = jest
+        .spyOn(service as any, 'geocodeAddress')
+        .mockResolvedValue({ lat: 38.25, lon: -85.76 });
+
+      const result = await service.processExternalEvent(
+        eventWithAddressOnly,
+        'tenant1',
+      );
+
+      expect(geocodeSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('123 Main St, Louisville, KY');
+      expect(result.lat).toBe(38.25);
+    });
+
+    it('should stop at the first 429 instead of retrying shorter addresses', async () => {
+      const getSpy = jest.spyOn(axios, 'get').mockRejectedValue(
+        Object.assign(new Error('Request failed with status code 429'), {
+          isAxiosError: true,
+          response: { status: 429 },
+        }),
+      );
+
+      const coords = await (service as any).geocodeAddress(
+        'Boulder, Boulder, CO, US',
+      );
+
+      expect(coords).toBeNull();
+      expect(getSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      getSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Unique violation on insert (23505)', () => {
diff --git a/src/event/services/event-integration.service.ts b/src/event/services/event-integration.service.ts
index 1ab28dd3..daba1904 100644
--- a/src/event/services/event-integration.service.ts
+++ b/src/event/services/event-integration.service.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export class EventIntegrationService {
   private readonly tracer = trace.getTracer('event-integration-service');
   private lastGeocodingRequest = 0;
   private readonly geocodingDelayMs = 1100; // Nominatim rate limit: 1 req/sec, so wait 1.1s to be safe
+  private readonly geocodingTimeoutMs = 5000;
 
   constructor(
     private readonly tenantService: TenantConnectionService,
@@ -458,6 +459,7 @@ export class EventIntegrationService {
             headers: {
               'User-Agent': 'OpenMeet/1.0 (https://openmeet.net)',
             },
+            timeout: this.geocodingTimeoutMs,
           },
         );
 
@@ -492,6 +494,12 @@ export class EventIntegrationService {
           `Error geocoding "${currentAddress}": ${error.message}`,
         );
 
+        // Rate limited: every shorter variant would be refused too, and each
+        // retry costs another geocodingDelayMs inside the request
+        if (axios.isAxiosError(error) && error.response?.status === 429) {
+          return null;
+        }
+
         // On error, also try with shorter address
         const commaIndex = currentAddress.indexOf(',');
         if (commaIndex === -1) {
@@ -762,13 +770,19 @@ export class EventIntegrationService {
 
     // Handle location
     if (eventData.location) {
+      // A re-sent record with the same address keeps its stored coordinates;
+      // geocoding it again on every update is what got us 429'd by Nominatim
+      const alreadyGeocoded =
+        eventData.location.description === existingEvent.location &&
+        !!existingEvent.lat &&
+        !!existingEvent.lon;
       if (eventData.location.description) {
         existingEvent.location = eventData.location.description;
       }
       if (eventData.location.lat && eventData.location.lon) {
         existingEvent.lat = eventData.location.lat;
         existingEvent.lon = eventData.location.lon;
-      } else if (eventData.location.description) {
+      } else if (eventData.location.description && !alreadyGeocoded) {
         // Try to geocode the address if we have a description but no coordinates
         const coords = await this.geocodeAddress(
           eventData.location.description,
diff --git a/src/pds/pds-account.service.spec.ts b/src/pds/pds-account.service.spec.ts
index a8980f89..a5460980 100644
--- a/src/pds/pds-account.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/pds/pds-account.service.spec.ts
@@ -243,6 +243,32 @@ describe('PdsAccountService', () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it('should return true when a newer PDS reports HandleNotFound (400)', async () => {
+      const errorResponse: AxiosError = {
+        isAxiosError: true,
+        response: {
+          data: {
+            error: 'HandleNotFound',
+            message: 'Unable to resolve handle',
+          },
+          status: 400,
+          statusText: 'Bad Request',
+          headers: {},
+          config: { headers: new AxiosHeaders() },
+        },
+        message: 'Request failed with status code 400',
+        name: 'AxiosError',
+        config: { headers: new AxiosHeaders() },
+        toJSON: () => ({}),
+      };
+
+      httpService.get.mockReturnValue(throwError(() => errorResponse));
+
+      const result = await service.isHandleAvailable('available.dev.opnmt.me');
+
+      expect(result).toBe(true);
+    });
+
     it('should return false when handle exists', async () => {
       const successResponse: AxiosResponse = {
         data: {
diff --git a/src/pds/pds-account.service.ts b/src/pds/pds-account.service.ts
index 866b43a1..e73e3763 100644
--- a/src/pds/pds-account.service.ts
+++ b/src/pds/pds-account.service.ts
@@ -227,9 +227,13 @@ export class PdsAccountService {
             | { error?: string; message?: string }
             | undefined;
 
-          // AT Protocol returns "InvalidRequest" with message about resolution failure
-          // when a handle doesn't exist. Other 400 errors (like InvalidHandle for
+          // PDS 0.4.5036+ returns "HandleNotFound" when a handle doesn't exist;
+          // older versions return "InvalidRequest" with a message about the
+          // resolution failure. Other 400 errors (like InvalidHandle for
           // malformed input) should be thrown.
+          if (data?.error === 'HandleNotFound') {
+            return true;
+          }
           if (
             data?.error === 'InvalidRequest' &&
             data?.message &&