diff --git a/axes/handlers/base.py b/axes/handlers/base.py
index 3e5aca9..04391b1 100644
--- a/axes/handlers/base.py
+++ b/axes/handlers/base.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from axes.conf import settings
 from axes.helpers import (
+    get_failure_limit,
     is_client_ip_address_blacklisted,
     is_client_ip_address_whitelisted,
     is_client_method_whitelisted,
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ class AxesHandler:  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
         """
 
         if settings.AXES_LOCK_OUT_AT_FAILURE:
-            return self.get_failures(request, credentials) >= settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT
+            return self.get_failures(request, credentials) >= get_failure_limit(request, credentials)
 
         return False
 
diff --git a/axes/handlers/cache.py b/axes/handlers/cache.py
index 517ced2..e3b067c 100644
--- a/axes/handlers/cache.py
+++ b/axes/handlers/cache.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from axes.helpers import (
     get_client_str,
     get_client_username,
     get_credentials,
+    get_failure_limit,
 )
 
 log = getLogger(settings.AXES_LOGGER)
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ class AxesCacheHandler(AxesHandler):  # pylint: disable=too-many-locals
                 'AXES: Repeated login failure by %s. Count = %d of %d. Updating existing record in the cache.',
                 client_str,
                 failures_since_start,
-                settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT,
+                get_failure_limit(request, credentials),
             )
         else:
             log.warning(
diff --git a/axes/handlers/database.py b/axes/handlers/database.py
index 07b9aab..19fc01b 100644
--- a/axes/handlers/database.py
+++ b/axes/handlers/database.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from axes.helpers import (
     get_client_str,
     get_client_username,
     get_credentials,
+    get_failure_limit,
     get_query_str,
 )
 
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ class AxesDatabaseHandler(AxesHandler):  # pylint: disable=too-many-locals
                 'AXES: Repeated login failure by %s. Count = %d of %d. Updating existing record in the database.',
                 client_str,
                 failures_since_start,
-                settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT,
+                get_failure_limit(request, credentials),
             )
 
             separator = '\n---------\n'
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ class AxesDatabaseHandler(AxesHandler):  # pylint: disable=too-many-locals
                 attempt_time=request.axes_attempt_time,
             )
 
-        if failures_since_start >= settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT:
+        if failures_since_start >= get_failure_limit(request, credentials):
             log.warning('AXES: Locking out %s after repeated login failures.', client_str)
 
             request.axes_locked_out = True
diff --git a/axes/helpers.py b/axes/helpers.py
index d02e5aa..da9ae2b 100644
--- a/axes/helpers.py
+++ b/axes/helpers.py
@@ -252,6 +252,14 @@ def get_query_str(query: Type[QueryDict], max_length: int = 1024) -> str:
     return query_str[:max_length]
 
 
+def get_failure_limit(request, credentials) -> int:
+    if callable(settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT):
+        return settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT(request, credentials)
+    if isinstance(settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT, int):
+        return settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT
+    raise TypeError('settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT needs to be a callable or an integer')
+
+
 def get_lockout_message() -> str:
     if settings.AXES_COOLOFF_TIME:
         return settings.AXES_COOLOFF_MESSAGE
@@ -261,7 +269,7 @@ def get_lockout_message() -> str:
 def get_lockout_response(request, credentials: dict = None) -> HttpResponse:
     status = 403
     context = {
-        'failure_limit': settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT,
+        'failure_limit': get_failure_limit(request, credentials),
         'username': get_client_username(request, credentials) or ''
     }
 
diff --git a/axes/tests/base.py b/axes/tests/base.py
index fd18c73..499be9d 100644
--- a/axes/tests/base.py
+++ b/axes/tests/base.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from axes.helpers import (
     get_client_user_agent,
     get_cool_off,
     get_credentials,
+    get_failure_limit,
 )
 from axes.models import AccessAttempt
 
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ class AxesTestCase(TestCase):
         self.assertNotContains(response, self.LOGIN_FORM_KEY, status_code=self.ALLOWED, html=True)
 
     def almost_lockout(self):
-        for _ in range(1, settings.AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT):
+        for _ in range(1, get_failure_limit(None, None)):
             response = self.login()
             self.assertContains(response, self.LOGIN_FORM_KEY, html=True)
 
diff --git a/axes/tests/test_handlers.py b/axes/tests/test_handlers.py
index f5cc249..e90eafe 100644
--- a/axes/tests/test_handlers.py
+++ b/axes/tests/test_handlers.py
@@ -111,6 +111,15 @@ class AxesDatabaseHandlerTestCase(AxesHandlerBaseTestCase):
     def test_handler_without_reset(self):
         self.check_handler()
 
+    @override_settings(AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT=lambda *args: 3)
+    def test_handler_callable_failure_limit(self):
+        self.check_handler()
+
+    @override_settings(AXES_FAILURE_LIMIT='3')
+    def test_handler_invalid_failure_limit(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            self.check_handler()
+
     @patch('axes.handlers.database.log')
     def test_empty_request(self, log):
         self.check_empty_request(log, 'AxesDatabaseHandler')