diff --git a/discord.go b/discord.go
index 04d4719..6c098fd 100644
--- a/discord.go
+++ b/discord.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func New(args ...interface{}) (s *Session, err error) {
 	// Create an empty Session interface.
 	s = &Session{
 		State:                  NewState(),
-		ratelimiter:            NewRatelimiter(),
+		Ratelimiter:            NewRatelimiter(),
 		StateEnabled:           true,
 		Compress:               true,
 		ShouldReconnectOnError: true,
diff --git a/ratelimit.go b/ratelimit.go
index 223c0d0..c3d553c 100644
--- a/ratelimit.go
+++ b/ratelimit.go
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ func NewRatelimiter() *RateLimiter {
 	}
 }
 
-// getBucket retrieves or creates a bucket
-func (r *RateLimiter) getBucket(key string) *Bucket {
+// GetBucket retrieves or creates a bucket
+func (r *RateLimiter) GetBucket(key string) *Bucket {
 	r.Lock()
 	defer r.Unlock()
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (r *RateLimiter) getBucket(key string) *Bucket {
 	}
 
 	b := &Bucket{
-		remaining: 1,
+		Remaining: 1,
 		Key:       key,
 		global:    r.global,
 	}
@@ -67,28 +67,36 @@ func (r *RateLimiter) getBucket(key string) *Bucket {
 	r.buckets[key] = b
 	return b
 }
-
-// LockBucket Locks until a request can be made
-func (r *RateLimiter) LockBucket(bucketID string) *Bucket {
-
-	b := r.getBucket(bucketID)
-
-	b.Lock()
-
+func (r *RateLimiter) GetWaitTime(b *Bucket, minRemaining int) time.Duration {
 	// If we ran out of calls and the reset time is still ahead of us
 	// then we need to take it easy and relax a little
-	if b.remaining < 1 && b.reset.After(time.Now()) {
-		time.Sleep(b.reset.Sub(time.Now()))
-
+	if b.Remaining < minRemaining && b.reset.After(time.Now()) {
+		return b.reset.Sub(time.Now())
 	}
 
 	// Check for global ratelimits
 	sleepTo := time.Unix(0, atomic.LoadInt64(r.global))
 	if now := time.Now(); now.Before(sleepTo) {
-		time.Sleep(sleepTo.Sub(now))
+		return sleepTo.Sub(now)
 	}
 
-	b.remaining--
+	return 0
+}
+
+// LockBucket Locks until a request can be made
+func (r *RateLimiter) LockBucket(bucketID string) *Bucket {
+	return r.LockBucketObject(r.GetBucket(bucketID))
+}
+
+// LockBucketObject Locks an already resolved bucket until a request can be made
+func (r *RateLimiter) LockBucketObject(b *Bucket) *Bucket {
+	b.Lock()
+
+	if wait := r.GetWaitTime(b, 1); wait > 0 {
+		time.Sleep(wait)
+	}
+
+	b.Remaining--
 	return b
 }
 
@@ -96,13 +104,14 @@ func (r *RateLimiter) LockBucket(bucketID string) *Bucket {
 type Bucket struct {
 	sync.Mutex
 	Key       string
-	remaining int
+	Remaining int
 	limit     int
 	reset     time.Time
 	global    *int64
 
 	lastReset       time.Time
 	customRateLimit *customRateLimit
+	Userdata        interface{}
 }
 
 // Release unlocks the bucket and reads the headers to update the buckets ratelimit info
@@ -113,10 +122,10 @@ func (b *Bucket) Release(headers http.Header) error {
 	// Check if the bucket uses a custom ratelimiter
 	if rl := b.customRateLimit; rl != nil {
 		if time.Now().Sub(b.lastReset) >= rl.reset {
-			b.remaining = rl.requests - 1
+			b.Remaining = rl.requests - 1
 			b.lastReset = time.Now()
 		}
-		if b.remaining < 1 {
+		if b.Remaining < 1 {
 			b.reset = time.Now().Add(rl.reset)
 		}
 		return nil
@@ -176,7 +185,7 @@ func (b *Bucket) Release(headers http.Header) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		b.remaining = int(parsedRemaining)
+		b.Remaining = int(parsedRemaining)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/restapi.go b/restapi.go
index 1a682fa..9ba59c7 100644
--- a/restapi.go
+++ b/restapi.go
@@ -65,9 +65,11 @@ func (s *Session) request(method, urlStr, contentType string, b []byte, bucketID
 	if bucketID == "" {
 		bucketID = strings.SplitN(urlStr, "?", 2)[0]
 	}
+	return s.RequestWithLockedBucket(method, urlStr, contentType, b, s.Ratelimiter.LockBucket(bucketID), sequence)
+}
 
-	bucket := s.ratelimiter.LockBucket(bucketID)
-
+// RequestWithLockedBucket makes a request using a bucket that's already been locked
+func (s *Session) RequestWithLockedBucket(method, urlStr, contentType string, b []byte, bucket *Bucket, sequence int) (response []byte, err error) {
 	if s.Debug {
 		log.Printf("API REQUEST %8s :: %s\n", method, urlStr)
 		log.Printf("API REQUEST  PAYLOAD :: [%s]\n", string(b))
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ func (s *Session) request(method, urlStr, contentType string, b []byte, bucketID
 		if sequence < s.MaxRestRetries {
 
 			s.log(LogInformational, "%s Failed (%s), Retrying...", urlStr, resp.Status)
-			response, err = s.request(method, urlStr, contentType, b, bucketID, sequence+1)
+			response, err = s.RequestWithLockedBucket(method, urlStr, contentType, b, s.Ratelimiter.LockBucketObject(bucket), sequence+1)
 		} else {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("Exceeded Max retries HTTP %s, %s", resp.Status, response)
 		}
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ func (s *Session) request(method, urlStr, contentType string, b []byte, bucketID
 		// we can make the above smarter
 		// this method can cause longer delays than required
 
-		response, err = s.request(method, urlStr, contentType, b, bucketID, sequence)
+		response, err = s.RequestWithLockedBucket(method, urlStr, contentType, b, s.Ratelimiter.LockBucketObject(bucket), sequence)
 
 	default: // Error condition
 		err = newRestError(req, resp, response)
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 80928a8..c5dbdae 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ type Session struct {
 	// Stores the last HeartbeatAck that was recieved (in UTC)
 	LastHeartbeatAck time.Time
 
+	// used to deal with rate limits
+	Ratelimiter *RateLimiter
+
 	// Event handlers
 	handlersMu   sync.RWMutex
 	handlers     map[string][]*eventHandlerInstance
@@ -94,9 +97,6 @@ type Session struct {
 	// When nil, the session is not listening.
 	listening chan interface{}
 
-	// used to deal with rate limits
-	ratelimiter *RateLimiter
-
 	// sequence tracks the current gateway api websocket sequence number
 	sequence *int64