diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/edit-category-settings.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/edit-category-settings.js
index bfcfa19cd5e..93947368f3e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/edit-category-settings.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/edit-category-settings.js
@@ -138,4 +138,10 @@ export default buildCategoryPanel("settings", {
     let hours = minutes ? minutes / 60 : null;
     this.set("category.auto_close_hours", hours);
   },
+
+  @action
+  onDefaultSlowModeDurationChange(minutes) {
+    let seconds = minutes ? minutes * 60 : null;
+    this.set("category.default_slow_mode_seconds", seconds);
+  },
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/category.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/category.js
index af65076dba4..940bb5ba39e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/category.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/category.js
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@ const Category = RestModel.extend({
     return topicCount;
   },
 
+  @discourseComputed("default_slow_mode_seconds")
+  defaultSlowModeMinutes(seconds) {
+    return seconds ? seconds / 60 : null;
+  },
+
   save() {
     const id = this.id;
     const url = id ? `/categories/${id}` : "/categories";
@@ -193,6 +198,7 @@ const Category = RestModel.extend({
         auto_close_based_on_last_post: this.get(
           "auto_close_based_on_last_post"
         ),
+        default_slow_mode_seconds: this.default_slow_mode_seconds,
         position: this.position,
         email_in: this.email_in,
         email_in_allow_strangers: this.email_in_allow_strangers,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/edit-category-settings.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/edit-category-settings.hbs
index 78c3414a364..8dc72c57022 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/edit-category-settings.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/edit-category-settings.hbs
@@ -116,6 +116,21 @@
     </label>
   </section>
 
+  <section class="field default-slow-mode">
+    <div class="control-group">
+      <label for="category-default-slow-mode">
+        {{i18n "category.default_slow_mode"}}
+      </label>
+      <div class="category-default-slow-mode-seconds">
+        {{relative-time-picker
+            id="category-default-slow-mode"
+            durationMinutes=category.defaultSlowModeMinutes
+            hiddenIntervals=hiddenRelativeIntervals
+            onChange=(action "onDefaultSlowModeDurationChange")}}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </section>
+
   <section class="field auto-close">
     <div class="control-group">
       <label for="topic-auto-close">
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/edit-category.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/edit-category.scss
index f454f49b80e..0fcbd518230 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/edit-category.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/edit-category.scss
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@ div.edit-category {
     padding: 0 1.5em 2em 0;
   }
 
-  .category-topic-auto-close-hours {
+  .category-topic-auto-close-hours,
+  .category-default-slow-mode-seconds {
     width: 200px;
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb b/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb
index b60b1a2956b..c22d6be7e31 100644
--- a/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ class CategoriesController < ApplicationController
         :mailinglist_mirror,
         :all_topics_wiki,
         :allow_unlimited_owner_edits_on_first_post,
+        :default_slow_mode_seconds,
         :parent_category_id,
         :auto_close_hours,
         :auto_close_based_on_last_post,
diff --git a/app/models/category.rb b/app/models/category.rb
index 73e8f6ee8f9..d36d490ace9 100644
--- a/app/models/category.rb
+++ b/app/models/category.rb
@@ -1027,6 +1027,7 @@ end
 #  read_only_banner                          :string
 #  default_list_filter                       :string(20)       default("all")
 #  allow_unlimited_owner_edits_on_first_post :boolean          default(FALSE), not null
+#  default_slow_mode_seconds                 :integer
 #
 # Indexes
 #
diff --git a/app/models/topic.rb b/app/models/topic.rb
index 5150a289523..a618b569232 100644
--- a/app/models/topic.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic.rb
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ class Topic < ActiveRecord::Base
 
     if category_id_changed? || new_record?
       inherit_auto_close_from_category
+      inherit_slow_mode_from_category
     end
   end
 
@@ -1251,6 +1252,12 @@ class Topic < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
   end
 
+  def inherit_slow_mode_from_category
+    if self.category&.default_slow_mode_seconds
+      self.slow_mode_seconds = self.category&.default_slow_mode_seconds
+    end
+  end
+
   def inherit_auto_close_from_category(timer_type: :close)
     auto_close_hours = self.category&.auto_close_hours
 
diff --git a/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
index fe42e1172a7..0efe3f5b5b6 100644
--- a/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ class CategorySerializer < SiteCategorySerializer
              :custom_fields,
              :topic_featured_link_allowed,
              :search_priority,
-             :reviewable_by_group_name
+             :reviewable_by_group_name,
+             :default_slow_mode_seconds
 
   def reviewable_by_group_name
     object.reviewable_by_group.name
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 0a5974c9fee..02265ea3ce5 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -3217,6 +3217,7 @@ en:
       position_disabled: "Categories will be displayed in order of activity. To control the order of categories in lists, "
       position_disabled_click: 'enable the "fixed category positions" setting.'
       minimum_required_tags: "Minimum number of tags required in a topic:"
+      default_slow_mode: 'Enable "Slow Mode" for new topics in this category.'
       parent: "Parent Category"
       num_auto_bump_daily: "Number of open topics to automatically bump daily:"
       navigate_to_first_post_after_read: "Navigate to first post after topics are read"
diff --git a/db/migrate/20210702204007_add_default_auto_close_seconds_to_category.rb b/db/migrate/20210702204007_add_default_auto_close_seconds_to_category.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dca44c36b2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20210702204007_add_default_auto_close_seconds_to_category.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class AddDefaultAutoCloseSecondsToCategory < ActiveRecord::Migration[6.1]
+  def change
+    add_column :categories, :default_slow_mode_seconds, :integer
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_create_response.json b/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_create_response.json
index 87aca679ffa..53823807ddf 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_create_response.json
+++ b/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_create_response.json
@@ -170,6 +170,12 @@
         "allow_unlimited_owner_edits_on_first_post": {
           "type": "boolean"
         },
+        "default_slow_mode_seconds": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        },
         "group_permissions": {
           "type": "array",
           "items": [
@@ -274,6 +280,7 @@
         "auto_close_hours",
         "auto_close_based_on_last_post",
         "allow_unlimited_owner_edits_on_first_post",
+        "default_slow_mode_seconds",
         "group_permissions",
         "email_in",
         "email_in_allow_strangers",
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_update_response.json b/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_update_response.json
index 94a8d50708f..f15c082677f 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_update_response.json
+++ b/spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_update_response.json
@@ -173,6 +173,12 @@
         "allow_unlimited_owner_edits_on_first_post": {
           "type": "boolean"
         },
+        "default_slow_mode_seconds": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        },
         "group_permissions": {
           "type": "array",
           "items": [
@@ -277,6 +283,7 @@
         "auto_close_hours",
         "auto_close_based_on_last_post",
         "allow_unlimited_owner_edits_on_first_post",
+        "default_slow_mode_seconds",
         "group_permissions",
         "email_in",
         "email_in_allow_strangers",