diff --git includes/common.inc includes/common.inc
index cc00057..29149e2 100644
--- includes/common.inc
+++ includes/common.inc
@@ -1292,6 +1292,19 @@ function flood_register_event($name) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Make the flood control mechanism forget about an event for the current visitor (hostname/IP).
+ *
+ * @param $name
+ *   The name of an event.
+ */
+function flood_clear_event($name) {
+  db_delete('flood')
+    ->condition('event', $name)
+    ->condition('hostname', ip_address())
+    ->execute();
+}
+
+/**
  * Check if the current visitor (hostname/IP) is allowed to proceed with the specified event.
  *
  * The user is allowed to proceed if he did not trigger the specified event more
diff --git modules/user/user.module modules/user/user.module
index f55c140..38d1b49 100644
--- modules/user/user.module
+++ modules/user/user.module
@@ -1626,39 +1626,89 @@ function user_login_name_validate($form, &$form_state) {
  * is set to the matching user ID.
  */
 function user_login_authenticate_validate($form, &$form_state) {
-  user_authenticate($form_state);
+  $password = trim($form_state['values']['pass']);
+  // Name and pass keys are required.
+  if (!empty($form_state['values']['name']) && !empty($password)) {
+    // Don't allow any login from that IP if the hourly limit has been reached.
+    if (!flood_is_allowed('failed_login_attempt', variable_get('user_failed_login_hourly_limit', 50))) {
+      $form_state['flood_control_uid'] = 0;
+      return;
+    }
+    $account = db_query("SELECT * FROM {users} WHERE name = :name AND status = 1", array(':name' => $form_state['values']['name']))->fetchObject();
+    if ($account) {
+      $form_state['flood_register_event_uid'] = $account->uid;
+
+      // Don't allow any login from that IP if the hourly limit for this user
+      // has been reached.
+      if (!flood_is_allowed('failed_login_attempt_' . $account->uid, variable_get('user_failed_login_per_user_hourly_limit', 3))) {
+        $form_state['flood_control_uid'] = $account->uid;
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+    // We are not limited by flood control, so try to authenticate.
+    // Set $form_state['uid'] as a flag for user_login_final_validate().
+    $form_state['uid'] = user_authenticate($form_state['values']['name'], $password);
+  }
 }
 
 /**
- * A validate handler on the login form. Should be the last validator. Sets an
- * error if user has not been authenticated yet.
+ * A validate handler on the login form. Should be the last validator. 
+ * 
+ * Sets a form error if user has not been authenticated, or if too many
+ * logins have been attempted.
  */
 function user_login_final_validate($form, &$form_state) {
   if (empty($form_state['uid'])) {
-    form_set_error('name', t('Sorry, unrecognized username or password. <a href="@password">Have you forgotten your password?</a>', array('@password' => url('user/password'))));
-    watchdog('user', 'Login attempt failed for %user.', array('%user' => $form_state['values']['name']));
+    // Register a global failed login event.
+    flood_register_event('failed_login_attempt');
+
+    if (isset($form_state['flood_register_event_uid'])) {
+      // Register a per-user failed login event.
+      flood_register_event('failed_login_attempt_' . $form_state['flood_register_event_uid']);
+    }
+
+    if (isset($form_state['flood_control_uid'])) {
+      if ($form_state['flood_control_uid'] == 0) {
+        // We didn't find a uid, so limit is IP-based.
+        form_set_error('name', t('Sorry, too many failed login attempts from your IP address.  This IP address is temporarily blocked. Please try again later, or <a href="@url">request a new password</a>.', array('@url' => url('user/password'))));
+      }
+      else {
+        form_set_error('name', format_plural(variable_get('user_failed_login_per_user_hourly_limit', 3), 'Sorry, there has been more than one failed login attempt for this account. It is temporarily blocked. Please try again later, or <a href="@url">request a new password</a>.', 'Sorry, there have been more than @count failed login attempts for this account. It is temporarily blocked. Please try again later, or <a href="@url">request a new password</a>.', array('@url' => url('user/password'))));
+      }
+    }
+    else {
+      form_set_error('name', t('Sorry, unrecognized username or password. <a href="@password">Have you forgotten your password?</a>', array('@password' => url('user/password'))));
+      watchdog('user', 'Login attempt failed for %user.', array('%user' => $form_state['values']['name']));
+    }
+  }
+  else {
+    // Clear past failures for this IP address so as not to block a user
+    // who might log in and out more than once in an hour.
+    flood_clear_event('failed_login_attempt_' . $form_state['uid']);
   }
 }
 
 /**
- * Try to log in the user locally. $form_state['uid'] is set to
- * a user ID if successful.
+ * Try to validate the user's login credentials locally.
  *
- * @param $form_state
- *   Form submission state with at least 'name' and 'pass' keys.
+ * @param $name
+ *   User name to authenticate.
+ * @param $password
+ *   A plain-text password, such as trimmed text from form values.
+ * @return
+ *   The user's uid on success, or FALSE on failure to authenticate.
  */
-function user_authenticate(&$form_state) {
-  $password = trim($form_state['values']['pass']);
+function user_authenticate($name, $password) {
+  $uid = FALSE;
   // Name and pass keys are required.
-  if (!empty($form_state['values']['name']) && !empty($password)) {
-    $account = db_query("SELECT * FROM {users} WHERE name = :name AND status = 1", array(':name' => $form_state['values']['name']))->fetchObject();
+  if (!empty($name) && !empty($password)) {
+    $account = db_query("SELECT * FROM {users} WHERE name = :name AND status = 1", array(':name' => $name))->fetchObject();
     if ($account) {
       // Allow alternate password hashing schemes.
       require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . variable_get('password_inc', 'includes/password.inc');
       if (user_check_password($password, $account)) {
-
-        // Successful authentication. Set a flag for user_login_final_validate().
-        $form_state['uid'] = $account->uid;
+        // Successful authentication..
+        $uid = $account->uid;
 
         // Update user to new password scheme if needed.
         if (user_needs_new_hash($account)) {
@@ -1673,6 +1723,7 @@ function user_authenticate(&$form_state) {
       }
     }
   }
+  return $uid;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git modules/user/user.test modules/user/user.test
index 9c37d9a..12a188b 100644
--- modules/user/user.test
+++ modules/user/user.test
@@ -159,6 +159,113 @@ class UserValidationTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   }
 }
 
+class UserLoginTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
+  public static function getInfo() {
+    return array(
+      'name' => 'User login',
+      'description' => 'Ensure that login works as expected.',
+      'group' => 'User',
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Test the global login flood control.
+   */
+  function testGlobalLoginFloodControl() {
+    // Set the global login limit.
+    variable_set('user_failed_login_hourly_limit', 10);
+    // Get the per-user limit out of the picture.
+    variable_set('user_failed_login_per_user_hourly_limit', 4000);
+
+    $user1 = $this->drupalCreateUser(array());
+    $incorrect_user1 = clone $user1;
+    $incorrect_user1->pass_raw = $this->randomName();
+
+    // Try 2 failed logins.
+    for ($i = 0; $i < 2; $i++) {
+      $this->assertFailedLogin($incorrect_user1);
+    }
+
+    // Try one successful login, it will not reset overall flood control mechanism.
+    $this->drupalLogin($user1);
+    $this->drupalLogout();
+
+    // Try 8 more failed logins, they should not trigger the flood control
+    // mechanism.
+    for ($i = 0; $i < 8; $i++) {
+      $this->assertFailedLogin($incorrect_user1);
+    }
+
+    // The next login trial should result in an IP-based flood error message.
+    $this->assertFailedLogin($incorrect_user1, 0);
+
+    // A login with the correct password should also result in a flood error
+    // message.
+    $this->assertFailedLogin($user1, 0);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Test the per-user login flood control.
+   */
+  function testPerUserLoginFloodControl() {
+    // Get the global limit out of the picture.
+    variable_set('user_failed_login_hourly_limit', 4000);
+    // Set the per-user login limit.
+    variable_set('user_failed_login_per_user_hourly_limit', 3);
+
+    $user1 = $this->drupalCreateUser(array());
+    $incorrect_user1 = clone $user1;
+    $incorrect_user1->pass_raw = $this->randomName();
+
+    $user2 = $this->drupalCreateUser(array());
+    $incorrect_user2 = clone $user2;
+    $incorrect_user2->pass_raw = $this->randomName();
+
+    // Try 3 failed logins for user 1.
+    for ($i = 0; $i < 3; $i++) {
+      $this->assertFailedLogin($incorrect_user1);
+    }
+
+    // Try one successful attempt for user 2, it should not trigger any
+    // flood control.
+    $this->drupalLogin($user2);
+    $this->drupalLogout();
+
+    // Try one more attempt for user 1, it should be rejected, even if the
+    // correct password has been used.
+    $this->assertFailedLogin($user1, $user1->uid);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Make an unsuccessful login attempt.
+   *
+   * @param $user
+   *   The user.
+   * @param $flood_uid
+   *   Whether to expect or not that the flood control mechanism will be
+   *   triggered.
+   */
+  function assertFailedLogin($user, $flood_uid = NULL) {
+    $edit = array(
+      'name' => $user->name,
+      'pass' => $user->pass_raw,
+    );
+    $this->drupalPost('user', $edit, t('Log in'));
+    if (isset($flood_uid)) {
+      if ($flood_uid == 0) {
+        // We didn't find a uid, so limit is IP-based.
+        $this->assertRaw(t('Sorry, too many failed login attempts from your IP address.  This IP address is temporarily blocked. Please try again later, or <a href="@url">request a new password</a>.', array('@url' => url('user/password'))));
+      }
+      else {
+        $this->assertRaw(format_plural(variable_get('user_failed_login_per_user_hourly_limit', 3), 'Sorry, there has been more than one failed login attempt for this account. It is temporarily blocked. Please try again later, or <a href="@url">request a new password</a>.', 'Sorry, there have been more than @count failed login attempts for this account. It is temporarily blocked. Please try again later, or <a href="@url">request a new password</a>.', array('@url' => url('user/password'))));
+      }
+    }
+    else {
+      $this->assertText(t('Sorry, unrecognized username or password. Have you forgotten your password?'));
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 class UserCancelTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   public static function getInfo() {
     return array(