diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 570182c..c6aad0f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 - Improved OpenCode malformed JSON diagnostics with output length, event kinds, and a bounded preview, thanks @rohitjavvadi.
 - Fixed Express route mapping for aliased Router imports that follow block comment banners, thanks @rohitjavvadi.
 - Fixed Bun package-manager detection to recognize the text `bun.lock` lockfile, thanks @austinm911.
+- Changed `clawpatch review --jobs` default from a fixed `10` to `floor(cpuCores / 2)` clamped to `[1, 10]`. Explicit `--jobs <n>` is honored as before.
+- Added `clawpatch review --rate-limit-per-minute <n>` (also `CLAWPATCH_RPM`) to cap how many provider calls may start within any rolling 60s window across jobs. Default unset preserves prior behavior.
 
 ## 0.3.0 - 2026-05-18
 
diff --git a/src/app.ts b/src/app.ts
index 05be074..a5c8aae 100644
--- a/src/app.ts
+++ b/src/app.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { appendFile, lstat, readFile, realpath, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { join, relative, resolve } from "node:path";
-import { hostname } from "node:os";
+import { cpus, hostname } from "node:os";
 import {
   changedPathsBetweenSnapshots,
   hasSourceDirtyWorktree,
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ import {
   reasoningEfforts,
 } from "./types.js";
 import { validationCommandsForFeature } from "./validation.js";
+import { createRpmLimiter, defaultJobs, rpmFromFlag } from "./rpm-limiter.js";
 
 export type AppContext = {
   root: string;
@@ -313,6 +314,9 @@ export async function reviewCommand(
     error: unknown;
   }> = [];
   const jobs = Math.min(reviewJobs(flags), Math.max(features.length, 1));
+  const limiter = createRpmLimiter(
+    rpmFromFlag(stringFlag(flags, "rateLimitPerMinute"), process.env["CLAWPATCH_RPM"]),
+  );
   let cursor = 0;
   emitProgress(context, "review", "start", {
     run: currentRunId,
@@ -329,6 +333,7 @@ export async function reviewCommand(
           return;
         }
         try {
+          await limiter.acquire();
           const reviewed = await reviewFeature({
             context,
             loaded,
@@ -1923,12 +1928,19 @@ async function filterFindingsByOwnedFilesSince(
   return filterFindingsByChangedOwnedFiles(findings, features, changed);
 }
 
-function reviewJobs(flags: Record<string, string | boolean>): number {
-  const parsed = Number(stringFlag(flags, "jobs") ?? "10");
-  if (!Number.isFinite(parsed) || parsed < 1) {
-    return 1;
+export function reviewJobs(
+  flags: Record<string, string | boolean>,
+  coreCount: number = cpus().length,
+): number {
+  const explicit = stringFlag(flags, "jobs");
+  if (explicit !== undefined) {
+    const parsed = Number(explicit);
+    if (!Number.isFinite(parsed) || parsed < 1) {
+      return 1;
+    }
+    return Math.min(Math.floor(parsed), 32);
   }
-  return Math.min(Math.floor(parsed), 32);
+  return defaultJobs(coreCount);
 }
 
 function reviewMode(flags: Record<string, string | boolean>): ReviewMode {
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index e6f858c..a2344eb 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ const commandFlags = {
     "since",
     "jobs",
     "mode",
+    "rateLimitPerMinute",
     "provider",
     "model",
     "reasoningEffort",
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ const valueFlagNames = new Set([
   "since",
   "jobs",
   "mode",
+  "rate-limit-per-minute",
   "source",
   "provider",
   "model",
@@ -409,8 +411,9 @@ Flags:
   --project <name-or-root>
   --limit <n>
   --since <ref>
-  --jobs <n>        default: 10
+  --jobs <n>        default: ~half of CPU cores, max 10
   --mode <default|deslopify>
+  --rate-limit-per-minute <n>   cap provider calls per 60s window (env: CLAWPATCH_RPM)
   --provider <name>
   --model <name>
   --reasoning-effort <none|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh>
diff --git a/src/review-jobs.test.ts b/src/review-jobs.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88e8f8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/review-jobs.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { reviewJobs } from "./app.js";
+
+describe("reviewJobs", () => {
+  it("defaults to floor(cores / 2) capped at 10 when --jobs is not given", () => {
+    expect(reviewJobs({}, 4)).toBe(2);
+    expect(reviewJobs({}, 8)).toBe(4);
+    expect(reviewJobs({}, 32)).toBe(10);
+    expect(reviewJobs({}, 1)).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("honors explicit --jobs value", () => {
+    expect(reviewJobs({ jobs: "7" }, 32)).toBe(7);
+    expect(reviewJobs({ jobs: "1" }, 32)).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("caps explicit --jobs at 32", () => {
+    expect(reviewJobs({ jobs: "100" }, 4)).toBe(32);
+  });
+
+  it("treats invalid explicit --jobs as 1", () => {
+    expect(reviewJobs({ jobs: "abc" }, 8)).toBe(1);
+    expect(reviewJobs({ jobs: "0" }, 8)).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/rpm-limiter.test.ts b/src/rpm-limiter.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e02945
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rpm-limiter.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { createRpmLimiter, defaultJobs, rpmFromFlag } from "./rpm-limiter.js";
+
+type ScheduledTimeout = { handler: () => void; runAt: number };
+
+function makeFakeClock() {
+  let nowMs = 0;
+  const pending: ScheduledTimeout[] = [];
+  return {
+    clock: {
+      now: () => nowMs,
+      setTimeout: (handler: () => void, ms: number) => {
+        pending.push({ handler, runAt: nowMs + ms });
+      },
+    },
+    advance(ms: number): void {
+      nowMs += ms;
+      // Fire any timeouts due at or before the current time, in scheduled order.
+      while (true) {
+        const due = pending.findIndex((entry) => entry.runAt <= nowMs);
+        if (due === -1) {
+          return;
+        }
+        const [entry] = pending.splice(due, 1);
+        entry?.handler();
+      }
+    },
+    setNow(ms: number): void {
+      nowMs = ms;
+    },
+    pending: () => pending.length,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("defaultJobs", () => {
+  it("returns floor(cores / 2) capped at 10", () => {
+    expect(defaultJobs(4)).toBe(2);
+    expect(defaultJobs(8)).toBe(4);
+    expect(defaultJobs(32)).toBe(10);
+  });
+
+  it("clamps to a minimum of 1", () => {
+    expect(defaultJobs(1)).toBe(1);
+    expect(defaultJobs(0)).toBe(1);
+    expect(defaultJobs(Number.NaN)).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("rpmFromFlag", () => {
+  it("prefers explicit flag over env", () => {
+    expect(rpmFromFlag("30", "60")).toBe(30);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to env when flag is missing", () => {
+    expect(rpmFromFlag(undefined, "45")).toBe(45);
+  });
+
+  it("returns undefined when neither is set", () => {
+    expect(rpmFromFlag(undefined, undefined)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(rpmFromFlag("", "")).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("returns undefined for invalid values", () => {
+    expect(rpmFromFlag("abc", undefined)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(rpmFromFlag("0", undefined)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(rpmFromFlag("-5", undefined)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("createRpmLimiter", () => {
+  it("is a no-op when limit is undefined", async () => {
+    const limiter = createRpmLimiter(undefined);
+    for (let i = 0; i < 100; i += 1) {
+      await limiter.acquire();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("is a no-op when limit is invalid", async () => {
+    const limiter = createRpmLimiter(0);
+    await limiter.acquire();
+    const limiter2 = createRpmLimiter(Number.NaN);
+    await limiter2.acquire();
+  });
+
+  it("allows up to N starts in a 60s window without delay", async () => {
+    const fake = makeFakeClock();
+    const limiter = createRpmLimiter(3, fake.clock);
+    await limiter.acquire();
+    await limiter.acquire();
+    await limiter.acquire();
+    expect(fake.pending()).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("delays the (N+1)th call until the oldest slot expires", async () => {
+    const fake = makeFakeClock();
+    const limiter = createRpmLimiter(2, fake.clock);
+    await limiter.acquire();
+    fake.advance(10_000);
+    await limiter.acquire();
+
+    let resolved = false;
+    const pending = limiter.acquire().then(() => {
+      resolved = true;
+    });
+
+    // Allow the chain to evaluate `step` and schedule its setTimeout.
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    expect(resolved).toBe(false);
+
+    // First slot was at t=0, window is 60s, so the next slot opens at t=60_000.
+    fake.advance(50_000);
+    await pending;
+    expect(resolved).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/rpm-limiter.ts b/src/rpm-limiter.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55ffdb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rpm-limiter.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+export type RpmLimiter = {
+  acquire(): Promise<void>;
+};
+
+type Clock = {
+  now(): number;
+  setTimeout(handler: () => void, ms: number): void;
+};
+
+const defaultClock: Clock = {
+  now: () => Date.now(),
+  setTimeout: (handler, ms) => {
+    setTimeout(handler, ms).unref?.();
+  },
+};
+
+const noopLimiter: RpmLimiter = {
+  acquire: async () => {},
+};
+
+export function createRpmLimiter(
+  limit: number | undefined,
+  clock: Clock = defaultClock,
+): RpmLimiter {
+  if (limit === undefined || !Number.isFinite(limit) || limit < 1) {
+    return noopLimiter;
+  }
+  const max = Math.floor(limit);
+  const window = 60_000;
+  const starts: number[] = [];
+  let chain: Promise<void> = Promise.resolve();
+
+  function pruneOlder(reference: number): void {
+    while (starts.length > 0) {
+      const head = starts[0];
+      if (head === undefined || reference - head < window) {
+        return;
+      }
+      starts.shift();
+    }
+  }
+
+  async function step(): Promise<void> {
+    const now = clock.now();
+    pruneOlder(now);
+    if (starts.length < max) {
+      starts.push(now);
+      return;
+    }
+    const oldest = starts[0] ?? now;
+    const wait = window - (now - oldest);
+    await new Promise<void>((resolveWait) => {
+      clock.setTimeout(resolveWait, Math.max(wait, 0));
+    });
+    const after = clock.now();
+    pruneOlder(after);
+    starts.push(after);
+  }
+
+  return {
+    acquire(): Promise<void> {
+      const next = chain.then(step);
+      // Ensure rejections do not poison the chain for subsequent acquirers.
+      chain = next.catch(() => undefined);
+      return next;
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export function rpmFromFlag(
+  explicit: string | undefined,
+  envValue: string | undefined,
+): number | undefined {
+  const raw = explicit ?? envValue;
+  if (raw === undefined || raw === "") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const parsed = Number(raw);
+  if (!Number.isFinite(parsed) || parsed < 1) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return Math.floor(parsed);
+}
+
+export function defaultJobs(coreCount: number): number {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(coreCount) || coreCount < 1) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  return Math.min(Math.max(Math.floor(coreCount / 2), 1), 10);
+}