diff --git a/update_index.py b/update_index.py
index 7b8a129..7bd93a7 100644
--- a/update_index.py
+++ b/update_index.py
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@
 """
 import json
 import os
+import re
 import sys
+import time
 from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from xmlrpc.client import Fault
 from xmlrpc.client import ServerProxy
 
 INDEX_FILE_NAME = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "index.json")
@@ -26,11 +29,56 @@
 BLACKLIST = {"pytest-nbsmoke"}
 
 
+class RateLimitedServerProxy:
+    def __init__(self, uri):
+        self._server_proxy = ServerProxy(uri)
+
+    def browse(self, classifiers):
+        return self._rate_limit_request(self._server_proxy.browse, classifiers)
+
+    def list_packages(self):
+        return self._rate_limit_request(self._server_proxy.list_packages)
+
+    def package_releases(self, package_name):
+        return self._rate_limit_request(self._server_proxy.package_releases, package_name)
+
+    def release_data(self, name, version):
+        return self._rate_limit_request(self._server_proxy.release_data, name, version)
+
+    def _rate_limit_request(self, request_method, *args):
+        while True:
+            try:
+                return request_method(*args)
+            except Fault as fault:
+                # If PyPI errors due to too many requests, sleep and try again depending on the error message received
+                # The fault message is of form:
+                #   The action could not be performed because there were too many requests by the client. Limit may reset in 1 seconds.
+                limit_reset_regex_match = re.search(
+                    r"^.+Limit may reset in (\d+) seconds\.$", fault.faultString
+                )
+                if limit_reset_regex_match is not None:
+                    sleep_amt = int(limit_reset_regex_match.group(1))
+                    time.sleep(sleep_amt)
+                    continue
+
+                # The fault message is of form:
+                #   The action could not be performed because there were too many requests by the client.
+                too_many_requests_regex_match = re.search(
+                    "^.+The action could not be performed because there were too many requests by the client.$",
+                    fault.faultString,
+                )
+                if too_many_requests_regex_match is not None:
+                    time.sleep(60)
+                    continue
+
+                raise
+
+
 def iter_plugins(client, blacklist, *, consider_classifier=True):
     """
     Returns an iterator of (name, latest version, summary) from PyPI.
 
-    :param client: xmlrpclib.ServerProxy
+    :param client: RateLimitedServerProxy
     :param search: package names to search for
     """
     # previously we used the more efficient "search" XMLRPC method, but
@@ -96,7 +144,7 @@ def write_plugins_index(file_name, plugins):
 
 
 def main():
-    client = ServerProxy("https://pypi.org/pypi")
+    client = RateLimitedServerProxy("https://pypi.org/pypi")
     plugins = sorted(iter_plugins(client, BLACKLIST, consider_classifier=False))
 
     if write_plugins_index(INDEX_FILE_NAME, plugins):