diff --git a/packages/api/src/generated/graphql.ts b/packages/api/src/generated/graphql.ts
index 92e724e37..52ebd6f6f 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/generated/graphql.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/generated/graphql.ts
@@ -2707,6 +2707,7 @@ export type SubscribeError = {
 export enum SubscribeErrorCode {
   AlreadySubscribed = 'ALREADY_SUBSCRIBED',
   BadRequest = 'BAD_REQUEST',
+  ExceededMaxSubscriptions = 'EXCEEDED_MAX_SUBSCRIPTIONS',
   NotFound = 'NOT_FOUND',
   Unauthorized = 'UNAUTHORIZED'
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/src/generated/schema.graphql b/packages/api/src/generated/schema.graphql
index 2f967cf8e..9e8474872 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/generated/schema.graphql
+++ b/packages/api/src/generated/schema.graphql
@@ -2054,6 +2054,7 @@ type SubscribeError {
 enum SubscribeErrorCode {
   ALREADY_SUBSCRIBED
   BAD_REQUEST
+  EXCEEDED_MAX_SUBSCRIPTIONS
   NOT_FOUND
   UNAUTHORIZED
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/src/resolvers/subscriptions/index.ts b/packages/api/src/resolvers/subscriptions/index.ts
index fa556cf3e..a74c49a81 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/resolvers/subscriptions/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/resolvers/subscriptions/index.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   UpdateSubscriptionErrorCode,
   UpdateSubscriptionSuccess,
 } from '../../generated/graphql'
+import { AppDataSource } from '../../server'
 import { getSubscribeHandler, unsubscribe } from '../../services/subscriptions'
 import { Merge } from '../../util'
 import { analytics } from '../../utils/analytics'
@@ -234,20 +235,34 @@ export const subscribeResolver = authorized<
       // validate rss feed
       const feed = await parser.parseURL(input.url)
 
-      const newSubscription = await getRepository(Subscription).save({
-        name: feed.title,
-        url: input.url,
-        user: { id: uid },
-        type: SubscriptionType.Rss,
-        description: feed.description,
-        icon: feed.image?.url,
-      })
+      // limit number of rss subscriptions to 20
+      const newSubscriptions = (await AppDataSource.query(
+        `insert into omnivore.subscriptions (name, url, description, type, user_id, icon) 
+        select $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6 from omnivore.subscriptions 
+        where user_id = $5 and type = 'RSS' and status = 'ACTIVE' 
+        having count(*) < 20 
+        returning *;`,
+        [
+          feed.title,
+          input.url,
+          feed.description || null,
+          SubscriptionType.Rss,
+          uid,
+          feed.image?.url || null,
+        ]
+      )) as Subscription[]
+
+      if (newSubscriptions.length === 0) {
+        return {
+          errorCodes: [SubscribeErrorCode.ExceededMaxSubscriptions],
+        }
+      }
 
       // create a cloud task to fetch rss feed item for the new subscription
-      await enqueueRssFeedFetch(newSubscription)
+      await enqueueRssFeedFetch(uid, newSubscriptions[0])
 
       return {
-        subscriptions: [newSubscription],
+        subscriptions: newSubscriptions,
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/rss_feed.ts b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/rss_feed.ts
index 337fe79bb..54ff86ae9 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/rss_feed.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/rss_feed.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function rssFeedRouter() {
       await Promise.all(
         subscriptions.map((subscription) => {
           try {
-            return enqueueRssFeedFetch(subscription)
+            return enqueueRssFeedFetch(subscription.user.id, subscription)
           } catch (error) {
             console.log('error creating rss feed fetch task', error)
           }
diff --git a/packages/api/src/schema.ts b/packages/api/src/schema.ts
index 03deee21b..7d900e0c8 100755
--- a/packages/api/src/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/schema.ts
@@ -1694,6 +1694,7 @@ const schema = gql`
     BAD_REQUEST
     NOT_FOUND
     ALREADY_SUBSCRIBED
+    EXCEEDED_MAX_SUBSCRIPTIONS
   }
 
   union AddPopularReadResult = AddPopularReadSuccess | AddPopularReadError
diff --git a/packages/api/src/utils/createTask.ts b/packages/api/src/utils/createTask.ts
index 220276ebd..4982c7384 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/utils/createTask.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/utils/createTask.ts
@@ -567,6 +567,7 @@ export const enqueueThumbnailTask = async (
 }
 
 export const enqueueRssFeedFetch = async (
+  userId: string,
   rssFeedSubscription: Subscription
 ): Promise<string> => {
   const { GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT } = process.env
@@ -577,9 +578,7 @@ export const enqueueRssFeedFetch = async (
   }
 
   const headers = {
-    [OmnivoreAuthorizationHeader]: generateVerificationToken(
-      rssFeedSubscription.user.id
-    ),
+    [OmnivoreAuthorizationHeader]: generateVerificationToken(userId),
   }
 
   // If there is no Google Cloud Project Id exposed, it means that we are in local environment
diff --git a/packages/rss-handler/src/index.ts b/packages/rss-handler/src/index.ts
index b5f1ef38f..49abc27a3 100644
--- a/packages/rss-handler/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/rss-handler/src/index.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import * as Sentry from '@sentry/serverless'
 import axios from 'axios'
 import * as dotenv from 'dotenv' // see https://github.com/motdotla/dotenv#how-do-i-use-dotenv-with-import
 import * as jwt from 'jsonwebtoken'
-import Parser from 'rss-parser'
+import Parser, { Item } from 'rss-parser'
 import { promisify } from 'util'
 import { CONTENT_FETCH_URL, createCloudTask } from './task'
 
@@ -12,11 +12,6 @@ interface RssFeedRequest {
   lastFetchedAt: number // unix timestamp in milliseconds
 }
 
-interface ValidRssFeedItem {
-  link: string
-  isoDate?: string
-}
-
 function isRssFeedRequest(body: any): body is RssFeedRequest {
   return (
     'subscriptionId' in body && 'feedUrl' in body && 'lastFetchedAt' in body
@@ -86,7 +81,7 @@ const sendUpdateSubscriptionMutation = async (
 const createSavingItemTask = async (
   userId: string,
   feedUrl: string,
-  item: ValidRssFeedItem
+  item: Item
 ) => {
   const input = {
     userId,
@@ -156,7 +151,7 @@ export const rssHandler = Sentry.GCPFunction.wrapHttpFunction(
       console.log('Processing feed', feedUrl, lastFetchedAt)
 
       let lastItemFetchedAt: Date | null = null
-      let lastValidItem: ValidRssFeedItem | null = null
+      let lastValidItem: Item | null = null
 
       // fetch feed
       const feed = await parser.parseURL(feedUrl)
@@ -171,27 +166,26 @@ export const rssHandler = Sentry.GCPFunction.wrapHttpFunction(
           continue
         }
 
+        const publishedAt = item.isoDate ? new Date(item.isoDate) : new Date()
         // remember the last valid item
-        lastValidItem = {
-          link: item.link,
-          isoDate: item.isoDate,
+        if (
+          !lastValidItem ||
+          (lastValidItem.isoDate &&
+            publishedAt > new Date(lastValidItem.isoDate))
+        ) {
+          lastValidItem = item
         }
 
         // skip old items and items that were published before 24h
-        const publishedAt = item.isoDate ? new Date(item.isoDate) : new Date()
         if (
           publishedAt < new Date(lastFetchedAt) ||
           publishedAt < new Date(Date.now() - 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000)
         ) {
-          console.log('Skipping old feed item', lastValidItem.link)
+          console.log('Skipping old feed item', item.link)
           continue
         }
 
-        const created = await createSavingItemTask(
-          userId,
-          feedUrl,
-          lastValidItem
-        )
+        const created = await createSavingItemTask(userId, feedUrl, item)
         if (!created) {
           console.error('Failed to create task for feed item', item.link)
           continue
diff --git a/packages/web/locales/en/messages.ts b/packages/web/locales/en/messages.ts
index 9b505ffe4..247e25297 100644
--- a/packages/web/locales/en/messages.ts
+++ b/packages/web/locales/en/messages.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const errorMessages: Record<string, string> = {
   'error.INVALID_PASSWORD': 'Invalid password. Password must be at least 8 chars.',
   'error.ALREADY_SUBSCRIBED': 'You are already subscribed to this feed',
   'error.BAD_REQUEST': 'Bad request',
+  'error.EXCEEDED_MAX_SUBSCRIPTIONS': 'Exceeded max subscriptions',
 }
 
 const loginPageMessages: Record<string, string> = {