diff --git a/mod/forum/lib.php b/mod/forum/lib.php
index 8994e713475..928fda435d5 100644
--- a/mod/forum/lib.php
+++ b/mod/forum/lib.php
@@ -7060,21 +7060,26 @@ function forum_get_separate_modules($courseid) {
 }
 
 /**
- * @global object
- * @global object
- * @global object
- * @param object $forum
- * @param object $cm
- * @return bool
+ * Handles the situation where the user has reached the blocking or warning threshold.
+ * The function will either echo out a message, or throw an exception depending on the
+ * threshold reached (warning or blocked). If the forum passed is invalid false is
+ * returned, otherwise if no restriction is needed true is returned.
+ *
+ * @param int|stdClass $forum the forum id or the forum object
+ * @param stdClass $cm the course module
+ * @param bool $display do we want to echo out the message?
+ * @return bool returns false if $forum is invalid or true
+ *         if there is no message to show.
  */
-function forum_check_throttling($forum, $cm=null) {
+function forum_check_throttling($forum, $cm = null, $display = true) {
     global $USER, $CFG, $DB, $OUTPUT;
 
     if (is_numeric($forum)) {
         $forum = $DB->get_record('forum',array('id'=>$forum));
     }
+
     if (!is_object($forum)) {
-        return false;  // this is broken.
+        return false; // This is broken.
     }
 
     if (empty($forum->blockafter)) {
@@ -7092,18 +7097,18 @@ function forum_check_throttling($forum, $cm=null) {
     }
 
     $modcontext = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_MODULE, $cm->id);
-    if(has_capability('mod/forum:postwithoutthrottling', $modcontext)) {
+    if (has_capability('mod/forum:postwithoutthrottling', $modcontext)) {
         return true;
     }
 
-    // get the number of posts in the last period we care about
+    // Get the number of posts in the last period we care about.
     $timenow = time();
     $timeafter = $timenow - $forum->blockperiod;
 
-    $numposts = $DB->count_records_sql('SELECT COUNT(p.id) FROM {forum_posts} p'
-                                      .' JOIN {forum_discussions} d'
-                                      .' ON p.discussion = d.id WHERE d.forum = ?'
-                                      .' AND p.userid = ? AND p.created > ?', array($forum->id, $USER->id, $timeafter));
+    $numposts = $DB->count_records_sql('SELECT COUNT(p.id) FROM {forum_posts} p
+                                        JOIN {forum_discussions} d
+                                        ON p.discussion = d.id WHERE d.forum = ?
+                                        AND p.userid = ? AND p.created > ?', array($forum->id, $USER->id, $timeafter));
 
     $a = new stdClass();
     $a->blockafter = $forum->blockafter;
@@ -7113,11 +7118,12 @@ function forum_check_throttling($forum, $cm=null) {
     if ($forum->blockafter <= $numposts) {
         print_error('forumblockingtoomanyposts', 'error', $CFG->wwwroot.'/mod/forum/view.php?f='.$forum->id, $a);
     }
+
     if ($forum->warnafter <= $numposts) {
-        echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('forumblockingalmosttoomanyposts','forum',$a));
+        if ($display) {
+            echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('forumblockingalmosttoomanyposts', 'forum', $a));
+        }
     }
-
-
 }
 
 
diff --git a/mod/forum/post.php b/mod/forum/post.php
index 3ecf2ab188d..da522fce053 100644
--- a/mod/forum/post.php
+++ b/mod/forum/post.php
@@ -680,7 +680,11 @@ if ($fromform = $mform_post->get_data()) {
 
 
     } else if ($fromform->discussion) { // Adding a new post to an existing discussion
+        // Before we add this we must check that the user will not exceed the blocking threshold.
+        forum_check_throttling($forum, $cm, false);
+
         unset($fromform->groupid);
+
         $message = '';
         $addpost = $fromform;
         $addpost->forum=$forum->id;
@@ -728,7 +732,10 @@ if ($fromform = $mform_post->get_data()) {
         }
         exit;
 
-    } else {                     // Adding a new discussion
+    } else { // Adding a new discussion.
+        // Before we add this we must check that the user will not exceed the blocking threshold.
+        forum_check_throttling($forum, $cm, false);
+
         if (!forum_user_can_post_discussion($forum, $fromform->groupid, -1, $cm, $modcontext)) {
             print_error('cannotcreatediscussion', 'forum');
         }