diff --git a/cmd/influx/write.go b/cmd/influx/write.go
index cf28586993..3798e559ef 100644
--- a/cmd/influx/write.go
+++ b/cmd/influx/write.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"regexp"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/fujiwara/shapeio"
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ type writeFlagsType struct {
 	IgnoreDataTypeInColumnName bool
 	Encoding                   string
 	ErrorsFile                 string
-	RateLimit                  float64
+	RateLimit                  string
 }
 
 var writeFlags writeFlagsType
@@ -93,7 +95,7 @@ func cmdWrite(f *globalFlags, opt genericCLIOpts) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().MarkHidden("xIgnoreDataTypeInColumnName") // should be used only upon explicit advice
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&writeFlags.Encoding, "encoding", "UTF-8", "Character encoding of input files or stdin")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&writeFlags.ErrorsFile, "errors-file", "", "The path to the file to write rejected rows to")
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().Float64Var(&writeFlags.RateLimit, "rate-limit", 0.0, "How many megabytes per minute the write will allow. Defaults to zero, which disables throttling.")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&writeFlags.RateLimit, "rate-limit", "", "Throttles write, examples: \"5 MB / 5 min\" , \"17kBs\". \"\" (default) disables throttling.")
 
 	cmdDryRun := opt.newCmd("dryrun", fluxWriteDryrunF, false)
 	cmdDryRun.Args = cobra.MaximumNArgs(1)
@@ -246,12 +248,16 @@ func (writeFlags *writeFlagsType) createLineReader(ctx context.Context, cmd *cob
 		r = csvReader
 	}
 	// throttle reader if requested
-	if writeFlags.RateLimit > 0.0 {
+	rateLimit, err := ToBytesPerSecond(writeFlags.RateLimit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, csv2lp.MultiCloser(closers...), err
+	}
+	if rateLimit > 0.0 {
 		// LineReader ensures that original reader is consumed in the smallest possible
 		// units (at most one protocol line) to avoid bigger pauses in throttling
 		r = csv2lp.NewLineReader(r)
 		throttledReader := shapeio.NewReaderWithContext(r, ctx)
-		throttledReader.SetRateLimit(writeFlags.RateLimit * 1024 * 1024 / 60) // convert from MB/minute to bytes/sec
+		throttledReader.SetRateLimit(rateLimit)
 		r = throttledReader
 	}
 
@@ -374,3 +380,43 @@ func isCharacterDevice(reader io.Reader) bool {
 	}
 	return (info.Mode() & os.ModeCharDevice) == os.ModeCharDevice
 }
+
+var rateLimitRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^(\d*\.?\d*)(B|kB|MB)/?(\d*)?(s|sec|m|min)$`)
+var bytesUnitMultiplier = map[string]float64{"B": 1, "kB": 1024, "MB": 1_048_576}
+var timeUnitMultiplier = map[string]float64{"s": 1, "sec": 1, "m": 60, "min": 60}
+
+// ToBytesPerSecond converts rate from string to number. The supplied string
+// value format must be COUNT(B|kB|MB)/TIME(s|sec|m|min) with / and TIME being optional.
+// All spaces are ignored, they can help with formatting. Examples: "5 MB / 5 min", 17kbs. 5.1MB5m.
+func ToBytesPerSecond(rateLimit string) (float64, error) {
+	// ignore all spaces
+	strVal := strings.ReplaceAll(rateLimit, " ", "")
+	if len(strVal) == 0 {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+
+	matches := rateLimitRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(strVal)
+	if matches == nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid rate limit %q: it does not match format COUNT(B|kB|MB)/TIME(s|sec|m|min) with / and TIME being optional, rexpexp: %v", strVal, rateLimitRegexp)
+	}
+	bytes, err := strconv.ParseFloat(matches[1], 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid rate limit %q: '%v' is not count of bytes: %v", strVal, matches[1], err)
+	}
+	bytes = bytes * bytesUnitMultiplier[matches[2]]
+	var time float64
+	if len(matches[3]) == 0 {
+		time = 1 // number is not specified, for example 5kbs or 1Mb/s
+	} else {
+		int64Val, err := strconv.ParseUint(matches[3], 10, 32)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid rate limit %q: time is out of range: %v", strVal, err)
+		}
+		if int64Val <= 0 {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid rate limit %q: possitive time expected but %v supplied", strVal, matches[3])
+		}
+		time = float64(int64Val)
+	}
+	time = time * timeUnitMultiplier[matches[4]]
+	return bytes / time, nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/influx/write_test.go b/cmd/influx/write_test.go
index 598020daf1..5d687ee385 100644
--- a/cmd/influx/write_test.go
+++ b/cmd/influx/write_test.go
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func Test_writeFlags_createLineReader(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "read data from CSV file + transform to line protocol + throttle read to 1MB/min",
 			flags: writeFlagsType{
 				Files:     []string{csvFile1},
-				RateLimit: 1.0,
+				RateLimit: "1MBs",
 			},
 			lines: []string{
 				"f1 b=f2,c=f3,d=f4",
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func Test_writeFlags_createLineReader(t *testing.T) {
 			defer closer.Close()
 			require.Nil(t, err)
 			require.NotNil(t, reader)
-			if !test.lpData && test.flags.RateLimit == 0.0 {
+			if !test.lpData && len(test.flags.RateLimit) == 0 {
 				csvToLineReader, ok := reader.(*csv2lp.CsvToLineReader)
 				require.True(t, ok)
 				require.Equal(t, csvToLineReader.LineNumber, test.firstLineCorrection)
@@ -572,3 +572,61 @@ func Test_writeFlags_errorsFile(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, "# error : line 3: column 'a': '1.1' cannot fit into long data type\nm,1.1", strings.Trim(string(errorLines), "\n"))
 }
+
+func Test_ToBytesPerSecond(t *testing.T) {
+	var tests = []struct {
+		in    string
+		out   float64
+		error string
+	}{
+		{
+			in:  "5 MB / 5 min",
+			out: float64(5*1024*1024) / float64(5*60),
+		},
+		{
+			in:  "17kBs",
+			out: float64(17 * 1024),
+		},
+		{
+			in:  "1B/m",
+			out: float64(1) / float64(60),
+		},
+		{
+			in:  "1B/2sec",
+			out: float64(1) / float64(2),
+		},
+		{
+			in:  "",
+			out: 0,
+		},
+		{
+			in:    "1B/munite",
+			error: `invalid rate limit "1B/munite": it does not match format COUNT(B|kB|MB)/TIME(s|sec|m|min) with / and TIME being optional`,
+		},
+		{
+			in:    ".B/s",
+			error: `invalid rate limit ".B/s": '.' is not count of bytes:`,
+		},
+		{
+			in:    "1B0s",
+			error: `invalid rate limit "1B0s": possitive time expected but 0 supplied`,
+		},
+		{
+			in:    "1MB/42949672950s",
+			error: `invalid rate limit "1MB/42949672950s": time is out of range`,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.in, func(t *testing.T) {
+			bytesPerSec, err := ToBytesPerSecond(test.in)
+			if len(test.error) == 0 {
+				require.Equal(t, test.out, bytesPerSec)
+				require.Nil(t, err)
+			} else {
+				require.NotNil(t, err)
+				// contains is used, since the error messages contains root cause that may evolve with go versions
+				require.Contains(t, fmt.Sprintf("%s", err), test.error)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}