diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index 198c39523..b597d697f 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -5350,8 +5350,17 @@ sub do_ratelimit( $$ ) {
     my @rates = split_list3 $rates, 'rate';
 
     if ( @rates == 2 ) {
-	$rates[0] = 's:' . $rates[0] unless $rates[0] =~ /^s(?:\/\d+)?:/;
-	$rates[1] = 'd:' . $rates[1] unless $rates[1] =~ /^d(?:\/\d+)?:/;
+	if ( $rates[0] =~ m|^/\d+:| ) {
+	    $rates[0] = 's' . $rates[0];
+	} else {
+	    $rates[0] = 's:' . $rates[0] unless $rates[0] =~ m|^s(?:/\d+)?:|;
+	}
+
+	if ( $rates[1] =~ m|^/\d+:| ) {
+	    $rates[1] = 'd' . $rates[1];
+	} else {
+	    $rates[1] = 'd:' . $rates[1] unless $rates[1] =~ m|^d(?:/\d+)?:|;
+	}
     } elsif ( @rates > 2 ) {
 	fatal error "Only two rates may be specified";
     }