diff --git a/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/Receiver.scala b/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/Receiver.scala
index 5b5a3fe648602..c3078cd4ad35f 100644
--- a/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/Receiver.scala
+++ b/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/Receiver.scala
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ abstract class Receiver[T](val storageLevel: StorageLevel) extends Serializable
   }
 
   /** Get the attached executor. */
-  private def executor = {
+  private[streaming] def executor = {
     assert(executor_ != null, "Executor has not been attached to this receiver")
     executor_
   }
diff --git a/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisor.scala b/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisor.scala
index eeb14ca3a49e9..944d893b9bbf7 100644
--- a/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisor.scala
+++ b/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisor.scala
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ private[streaming] abstract class ReceiverSupervisor(
   /** Time between a receiver is stopped and started again */
   private val defaultRestartDelay = conf.getInt("spark.streaming.receiverRestartDelay", 2000)
 
+  /** The current maximum rate limit for this receiver. */
+  private[streaming] def getCurrentRateLimit: Option[Int] = None
+
   /** Exception associated with the stopping of the receiver */
   @volatile protected var stoppingError: Throwable = null
 
diff --git a/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisorImpl.scala b/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisorImpl.scala
index 6e819460b1b23..edb0fc3718fc7 100644
--- a/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisorImpl.scala
+++ b/streaming/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/receiver/ReceiverSupervisorImpl.scala
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ private[streaming] class ReceiverSupervisorImpl(
     }
   }, streamId, env.conf)
 
+  override private[streaming] def getCurrentRateLimit: Option[Int] =
+    Some(blockGenerator.currentRateLimit.get)
+
   /** Push a single record of received data into block generator. */
   def pushSingle(data: Any) {
     blockGenerator.addData(data)
diff --git a/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/TestSuiteBase.scala b/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/TestSuiteBase.scala
index 0d58a7b54412f..d0ac371db9aad 100644
--- a/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/TestSuiteBase.scala
+++ b/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/TestSuiteBase.scala
@@ -537,4 +537,19 @@ trait TestSuiteBase extends SparkFunSuite with BeforeAndAfter with Logging {
       verifyOutput[W](output, expectedOutput, useSet)
     }
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Wait until `cond` becomes true, or timeout ms have passed. This method checks the condition
+   * every 100ms, so it won't wait more than 100ms more than necessary.
+   *
+   * @param cond     A boolean that should become `true`
+   * @param timemout How many millis to wait before giving up
+   */
+  def waitUntil(cond: => Boolean, timeout: Int): Unit = {
+    val start = System.currentTimeMillis()
+    val end = start + timeout
+    while ((System.currentTimeMillis() < end) && !cond) {
+      Thread.sleep(100)
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/scheduler/ReceiverTrackerSuite.scala b/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/scheduler/ReceiverTrackerSuite.scala
index a6e783861dbe6..9da851b5e6c1e 100644
--- a/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/scheduler/ReceiverTrackerSuite.scala
+++ b/streaming/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/streaming/scheduler/ReceiverTrackerSuite.scala
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ import org.apache.spark.SparkConf
 import org.apache.spark.storage.StorageLevel
 import org.apache.spark.streaming.receiver._
 import org.apache.spark.util.Utils
+import org.apache.spark.streaming.dstream.InputDStream
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
+import org.apache.spark.streaming.dstream.ReceiverInputDStream
 
 /** Testsuite for receiver scheduling */
 class ReceiverTrackerSuite extends TestSuiteBase {
@@ -72,15 +75,46 @@ class ReceiverTrackerSuite extends TestSuiteBase {
     assert(locations(0).length === 1)
     assert(locations(3).length === 1)
   }
+
+  test("Receiver tracker - propagates rate limit") {
+    val newRateLimit = 100
+    val ids = new TestReceiverInputDStream(ssc)
+    val tracker = new ReceiverTracker(ssc)
+    tracker.start()
+    waitUntil(TestDummyReceiver.started, 5000)
+    tracker.sendRateUpdate(ids.id, newRateLimit)
+    // this is an async message, we need to wait a bit for it to be processed
+    waitUntil(ids.getRateLimit.get == newRateLimit, 1000)
+    assert(ids.getRateLimit.get === newRateLimit)
+  }
+}
+
+/** An input DStream with a hard-coded receiver that gives access to internals for testing. */
+private class TestReceiverInputDStream(@transient ssc_ : StreamingContext)
+  extends ReceiverInputDStream[Int](ssc_) {
+
+  override def getReceiver(): DummyReceiver = TestDummyReceiver
+
+  def getRateLimit: Option[Int] =
+    TestDummyReceiver.executor.getCurrentRateLimit
 }
 
+/**
+ * We need the receiver to be an object, otherwise serialization will create another one
+ * and we won't be able to read its rate limit.
+ */
+private object TestDummyReceiver extends DummyReceiver
+
 /**
  * Dummy receiver implementation
  */
 private class DummyReceiver(host: Option[String] = None)
   extends Receiver[Int](StorageLevel.MEMORY_ONLY) {
 
+  var started = false
+
   def onStart() {
+    started = true
   }
 
   def onStop() {