diff --git a/sampler.go b/sampler.go
index 81db5c86..c80feec2 100644
--- a/sampler.go
+++ b/sampler.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ package jaeger
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 	"net/url"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ func NewRateLimitingSampler(maxTracesPerSecond float64) Sampler {
 	}
 	return &rateLimitingSampler{
 		maxTracesPerSecond: maxTracesPerSecond,
-		rateLimiter:        utils.NewRateLimiter(maxTracesPerSecond, 1.0),
+		rateLimiter:        utils.NewRateLimiter(maxTracesPerSecond, math.Max(maxTracesPerSecond, 1.0)),
 		tags:               tags,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sampler_test.go b/sampler_test.go
index c3914f50..ad58ee82 100644
--- a/sampler_test.go
+++ b/sampler_test.go
@@ -148,6 +148,20 @@ func TestRateLimitingSampler(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, sampler.Equal(sampler2))
 	assert.False(t, sampler.Equal(sampler3))
 	assert.False(t, sampler.Equal(NewConstSampler(false)))
+
+	sampler = NewRateLimitingSampler(2)
+	sampled, _ := sampler.IsSampled(TraceID{}, testOperationName)
+	assert.True(t, sampled)
+	sampled, _ = sampler.IsSampled(TraceID{}, testOperationName)
+	assert.True(t, sampled)
+	sampled, _ = sampler.IsSampled(TraceID{}, testOperationName)
+	assert.False(t, sampled)
+
+	sampler = NewRateLimitingSampler(0.1)
+	sampled, _ = sampler.IsSampled(TraceID{}, testOperationName)
+	assert.True(t, sampled)
+	sampled, _ = sampler.IsSampled(TraceID{}, testOperationName)
+	assert.False(t, sampled)
 }
 
 func TestGuaranteedThroughputProbabilisticSamplerUpdate(t *testing.T) {