diff --git a/connectd/connectd.c b/connectd/connectd.c
index 98eb1f13b1d4..f1e08db71aeb 100644
--- a/connectd/connectd.c
+++ b/connectd/connectd.c
@@ -1695,6 +1695,7 @@ static void connect_init(struct daemon *daemon, const u8 *msg)
 	struct wireaddr *announceable;
 	char *tor_password;
 	bool dev_disconnect, dev_throttle_gossip, dev_limit_connections_inflight;
+	u32 dev_gossip_cpu_budget;
 	char *errstr;
 
 	/* Fields which require allocation are allocated off daemon */
@@ -1717,6 +1718,7 @@ static void connect_init(struct daemon *daemon, const u8 *msg)
 				    &daemon->dev_no_ping_timer,
 				    &daemon->dev_handshake_no_reply,
 				    &dev_throttle_gossip,
+				    &dev_gossip_cpu_budget,
 				    &daemon->dev_no_reconnect,
 				    &daemon->dev_fast_reconnect,
 				    &dev_limit_connections_inflight,
@@ -1791,6 +1793,8 @@ static void connect_init(struct daemon *daemon, const u8 *msg)
 		daemon->incoming_stream_limit = 1000;
 		daemon->cpu_budget_usec_limit = 1500;
 	}
+	if (dev_gossip_cpu_budget)
+		daemon->cpu_budget_usec_limit = dev_gossip_cpu_budget;
 
 	if (dev_limit_connections_inflight)
 		daemon->max_connect_in_flight = 1;
diff --git a/connectd/connectd_wire.csv b/connectd/connectd_wire.csv
index 03dccc94718c..9b9670704735 100644
--- a/connectd/connectd_wire.csv
+++ b/connectd/connectd_wire.csv
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ msgdata,connectd_init,dev_no_ping_timer,bool,
 # Allow incoming connections, but don't talk.
 msgdata,connectd_init,dev_noreply,bool,
 msgdata,connectd_init,dev_throttle_gossip,bool,
+msgdata,connectd_init,dev_gossip_cpu_budget,u32,
 msgdata,connectd_init,dev_no_reconnect,bool,
 msgdata,connectd_init,dev_fast_reconnect,bool,
 msgdata,connectd_init,dev_limit_connections_inflight,bool,
diff --git a/connectd/multiplex.c b/connectd/multiplex.c
index 16b8de428863..b5fec97b0d90 100644
--- a/connectd/multiplex.c
+++ b/connectd/multiplex.c
@@ -637,6 +637,15 @@ static void maybe_reset_usage_window(struct peer *peer)
 	peer->gs.cpu_usec_this_second = 0;
 }
 
+/* Each peer gets its "fair share" of our query-answering CPU.  No floor:
+ * that would let enough peers claim more than the whole budget between
+ * them.  A small share only slows a peer's queries, nothing else. */
+static u64 peer_cpu_budget(const struct peer *peer)
+{
+	return peer->daemon->cpu_budget_usec_limit
+		/ peer_htable_count(peer->daemon->peers);
+}
+
 /* usage/limit, in usec: e.g. usage == 3*limit means "3 seconds worth
  * of quota burned in one go." */
 static u64 usec_over_budget(u64 usage, u64 limit)
@@ -662,12 +671,15 @@ static u64 maybe_throttle_usec(struct peer *peer, bool *warned, const char *dire
 	if (usage1 <= limit1 && usage2 <= limit2)
 		return 0;
 
-	status_unusual_once(warned,
-			    CI_UNEXPECTED
-			    "Throttling %s peer %s: too much %s",
-			    direction,
-			    fmt_node_id(tmpctx, &peer->id),
-			    usage1 > limit1 ? "traffic" : "CPU");
+	/* A peer hitting its budget is expected (that's what it's for), so
+	 * don't make noise about it. */
+	if (!*warned) {
+		status_debug("Throttling %s peer %s: too much %s",
+			     direction,
+			     fmt_node_id(tmpctx, &peer->id),
+			     usage1 > limit1 ? "traffic" : "CPU");
+		*warned = true;
+	}
 
 	need = usec_over_budget(usage1, limit1);
 	need2 = usec_over_budget(usage2, limit2);
@@ -691,12 +703,11 @@ static const u8 *maybe_gossip_msg(const tal_t *ctx, struct peer *peer)
 	u32 timestamp;
 	const u8 **msgs;
 	u64 cpu_budget, wait_usec;
+	bool answering;
 
 	maybe_reset_usage_window(peer);
 
-	/* Each peer gets its "fair share" of our query-answering CPU */
-	cpu_budget = peer->daemon->cpu_budget_usec_limit
-		/ peer_htable_count(peer->daemon->peers);
+	cpu_budget = peer_cpu_budget(peer);
 
 	wait_usec = maybe_throttle_usec(peer, &peer->gs.throttle_warned, "outgoing",
 					peer->gs.bytes_this_second, peer->daemon->gossip_stream_limit,
@@ -717,11 +728,16 @@ static const u8 *maybe_gossip_msg(const tal_t *ctx, struct peer *peer)
 
 	/* This can return more than one: it's the expensive part (gossmap
 	 * walks, checksum/timestamp lookups), so it's what we charge for
-	 * cpu_usec_this_second above. */
+	 * cpu_usec_this_second above.  But only while we're answering a
+	 * query: we're called every time the output queue drains, and the
+	 * rest of the time it's a no-op. */
+	answering = peer->scid_queries || peer->range_scids;
 	query_start = time_mono();
 	msgs = maybe_create_query_responses(tmpctx, peer, gossmap);
-	peer->gs.cpu_usec_this_second
-		+= time_to_usec(timemono_between(time_mono(), query_start));
+	if (answering)
+		peer->gs.cpu_usec_this_second
+			+= time_to_usec(timemono_between(time_mono(),
+							 query_start));
 	if (tal_count(msgs) > 0) {
 		/* We return the first one for immediate sending, and queue
 		 * others for future.  We add all the lengths now though! */
@@ -1526,10 +1542,16 @@ static struct io_plan *read_body_from_peer_done(struct io_conn *peer_conn,
 
        /* If we swallow this, just try again. */
        handled_start = time_mono();
-       /* Count the CPU time for local messages (esp. gossip queries) */
        if (handle_message_locally(peer, decrypted)) {
-	       peer->gs.cpu_usec_this_second
-		       += time_to_usec(timemono_between(time_mono(), handled_start));
+	       /* Only gossip queries count against the CPU budget: answering
+		* them walks the gossmap for the peer.  The rest is cheap,
+		* ratelimited on its own (onion messages), or handed to
+		* another daemon (gossip, custom messages). */
+	       if (type == WIRE_QUERY_CHANNEL_RANGE
+		   || type == WIRE_QUERY_SHORT_CHANNEL_IDS)
+		       peer->gs.cpu_usec_this_second
+			       += time_to_usec(timemono_between(time_mono(),
+								handled_start));
 	       /* Make sure to update peer->peer_in_lastmsg so we blame correct msg! */
 	       goto out;
        }
@@ -1642,9 +1664,7 @@ static struct io_plan *read_hdr_from_peer(struct io_conn *peer_conn,
 
 	maybe_reset_usage_window(peer);
 
-	/* Each peer gets its "fair share" of our local-message CPU */
-	cpu_budget = peer->daemon->cpu_budget_usec_limit
-		/ peer_htable_count(peer->daemon->peers);
+	cpu_budget = peer_cpu_budget(peer);
 
 	wait_usec = maybe_throttle_usec(peer, &peer->throttle_warned, "incoming",
 					peer->gs.bytes_rcvd_this_second, peer->daemon->incoming_stream_limit,
diff --git a/lightningd/connect_control.c b/lightningd/connect_control.c
index 54b3d46c1180..99e417118a1b 100644
--- a/lightningd/connect_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/connect_control.c
@@ -760,6 +760,7 @@ int connectd_init(struct lightningd *ld)
 				   ld->dev_no_ping_timer,
 				   ld->dev_handshake_no_reply,
 				   ld->dev_throttle_gossip,
+				   ld->dev_gossip_cpu_budget,
 				   !ld->reconnect,
 				   ld->dev_fast_reconnect,
 				   ld->dev_limit_connections_inflight,
diff --git a/lightningd/lightningd.c b/lightningd/lightningd.c
index 6dbc2a0473b1..52d9bb92c65e 100644
--- a/lightningd/lightningd.c
+++ b/lightningd/lightningd.c
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ static struct lightningd *new_lightningd(const tal_t *ctx)
 	ld->dev_fast_gossip = false;
 	ld->dev_fast_gossip_prune = false;
 	ld->dev_throttle_gossip = false;
+	ld->dev_gossip_cpu_budget = 0;
 	ld->dev_suppress_gossip = false;
 	ld->dev_fast_reconnect = false;
 	ld->dev_reject_closing_fee = false;
diff --git a/lightningd/lightningd.h b/lightningd/lightningd.h
index 87a2851ceff4..75759e21efa5 100644
--- a/lightningd/lightningd.h
+++ b/lightningd/lightningd.h
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ struct lightningd {
 	bool dev_fast_gossip;
 	bool dev_fast_gossip_prune;
 	bool dev_throttle_gossip;
+	u32 dev_gossip_cpu_budget;
 	bool dev_suppress_gossip;
 
 	/* How long to aim for low-priority commitment closes */
diff --git a/lightningd/options.c b/lightningd/options.c
index 6e3979b46850..67fb7da4044a 100644
--- a/lightningd/options.c
+++ b/lightningd/options.c
@@ -928,6 +928,10 @@ static void dev_register_opts(struct lightningd *ld)
 		     opt_set_bool,
 		     &ld->dev_throttle_gossip,
 		     "Throttle gossip right down, for testing");
+	clnopt_witharg("--dev-gossip-cpu-budget", OPT_DEV|OPT_SHOWINT,
+		       opt_set_u32, opt_show_u32,
+		       &ld->dev_gossip_cpu_budget,
+		       "Total CPU usec per second for answering gossip queries (0: default)");
 	clnopt_noarg("--dev-limit-connections-inflight", OPT_DEV,
 		     opt_set_bool,
 		     &ld->dev_limit_connections_inflight,
diff --git a/tests/test_gossip.py b/tests/test_gossip.py
index 7391ba76dbb0..0fefb264b880 100644
--- a/tests/test_gossip.py
+++ b/tests/test_gossip.py
@@ -2330,6 +2330,32 @@ def test_gossip_query_channel_range_cpu_throttle(node_factory, chainparams):
     l2.daemon.wait_for_log(r'Throttling outgoing peer .*: too much CPU')
 
 
+def test_gossip_cpu_throttle_only_queries(node_factory):
+    """Only answering gossip queries counts against the CPU budget: a
+    peer sending us ordinary messages (here pings) must not get its reads
+    throttled, even with a tiny CPU budget."""
+    # A tiny CPU budget, but the normal traffic limits, so only CPU can
+    # trip the throttle.
+    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options={'dev-gossip-cpu-budget': 10})
+
+    # ping with num_pong_bytes 0, no padding.
+    ping = '0012' + '0000' + '0000'
+    out = subprocess.run(['devtools/gossipwith',
+                          '--no-gossip',
+                          '--hex',
+                          '--network={}'.format(TEST_NETWORK),
+                          '--filter=19',
+                          '--max-messages=200',
+                          '--timeout-after=30',
+                          '{}@localhost:{}'.format(l1.info['id'], l1.port)]
+                         + [ping] * 200,
+                         timeout=TIMEOUT, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).stdout.split()
+
+    # Every ping was answered, so all 200 really were read.
+    assert len(out) == 200
+    assert not l1.daemon.is_in_log('Throttling incoming peer')
+
+
 def test_generate_gossip_store(node_factory):
     l1 = node_factory.get_node(start=False)
     chans = [GenChannel(0, 1),