diff --git a/mautrix_telegram/portal.py b/mautrix_telegram/portal.py
index dd2d697b..96ce8369 100644
--- a/mautrix_telegram/portal.py
+++ b/mautrix_telegram/portal.py
@@ -2319,8 +2319,7 @@ class Portal(DBPortal, BasePortal):
         existing_reacts = await DBReaction.get_by_sender(msg.mxid, msg.mx_room, user.tgid)
         new_tg_reactions: list[TypeReaction] = []
         reactions_to_remove: list[DBReaction] = []
-        # TODO use config https://corefork.telegram.org/api/config#reactions-user-max-default
-        max_reactions = 3 if user.is_premium else 1
+        max_reactions = await user.get_max_reactions()
         max_reactions -= 1  # Leave one reaction of space for the new reaction
         for db_reaction in existing_reacts:
             if db_reaction.reaction == emoji_id:
@@ -2862,12 +2861,12 @@ class Portal(DBPortal, BasePortal):
         return False
 
     @staticmethod
-    async def _get_reaction_limit(sender: TelegramID) -> int:
+    async def _get_reaction_limit(source: au.AbstractUser, sender: TelegramID) -> int:
         puppet = await p.Puppet.get_by_tgid(sender, create=False)
-        # TODO use config https://corefork.telegram.org/api/config#reactions-user-max-default
-        if puppet and puppet.is_premium:
-            return 3
-        return 1
+        is_premium = puppet and puppet.is_premium
+        if isinstance(source, u.User) and not source.is_bot:
+            return await source.get_max_reactions(is_premium)
+        return 3 if is_premium else 1
 
     async def _handle_telegram_reactions_locked(
         self,
@@ -2903,7 +2902,7 @@ class Portal(DBPortal, BasePortal):
             else:
                 if is_full or (
                     new_reactions is not None
-                    and len(new_reactions) == await self._get_reaction_limit(sender_id)
+                    and len(new_reactions) == await self._get_reaction_limit(source, sender_id)
                 ):
                     removed.append(existing_reaction)
                 # else: assume the reaction is still there, too much effort to fetch it
diff --git a/mautrix_telegram/user.py b/mautrix_telegram/user.py
index d0f9f689..c03d8cfd 100644
--- a/mautrix_telegram/user.py
+++ b/mautrix_telegram/user.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, AsyncGenerator, AsyncIterable, Awaitable, NamedTuple, cast
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, AsyncGenerator, AsyncIterable, Awaitable, NamedTuple, cast
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 import asyncio
 import time
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from telethon.errors import AuthKeyDuplicatedError, RPCError, UnauthorizedError
 from telethon.tl.custom import Dialog
 from telethon.tl.functions.account import UpdateStatusRequest
 from telethon.tl.functions.contacts import GetContactsRequest, SearchRequest
+from telethon.tl.functions.help import GetAppConfigRequest
 from telethon.tl.functions.messages import GetAvailableReactionsRequest
 from telethon.tl.functions.updates import GetStateRequest
 from telethon.tl.functions.users import GetUsersRequest
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ from mautrix.types import PushActionType, PushRuleKind, PushRuleScope, RoomID, R
 from mautrix.util.bridge_state import BridgeState, BridgeStateEvent
 from mautrix.util.opt_prometheus import Gauge
 
-from . import portal as po, puppet as pu
+from . import portal as po, puppet as pu, util
 from .abstract_user import AbstractUser
 from .db import Message as DBMessage, PgSession, User as DBUser
 from .types import TelegramID
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ class User(DBUser, AbstractUser, BaseUser):
     _available_emoji_reactions_hash: int | None
     _available_emoji_reactions_fetched: float
     _available_emoji_reactions_lock: asyncio.Lock
+    _app_config: dict[str, Any] | None
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -121,6 +123,7 @@ class User(DBUser, AbstractUser, BaseUser):
         self._available_emoji_reactions_hash = None
         self._available_emoji_reactions_fetched = 0
         self._available_emoji_reactions_lock = asyncio.Lock()
+        self._app_config = None
 
         (
             self.relaybot_whitelisted,
@@ -734,6 +737,25 @@ class User(DBUser, AbstractUser, BaseUser):
                 )
             return self._available_emoji_reactions
 
+    def tl_to_json(self) -> Any:
+        pass
+
+    async def get_app_config(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        if not self._app_config:
+            cfg = await self.client(GetAppConfigRequest())
+            self._app_config = util.parse_tl_json(cfg)
+        return self._app_config
+
+    async def get_max_reactions(self, is_premium: bool | None = None) -> int:
+        if is_premium is None:
+            is_premium = self.is_premium
+        cfg = await self.get_app_config()
+        return (
+            cfg.get("reactions_user_max_premium", 3)
+            if is_premium
+            else cfg.get("reactions_user_max_default", 1)
+        )
+
     # endregion
     # region Class instance lookup
 
diff --git a/mautrix_telegram/util/__init__.py b/mautrix_telegram/util/__init__.py
index 08c390d9..eb5a7e21 100644
--- a/mautrix_telegram/util/__init__.py
+++ b/mautrix_telegram/util/__init__.py
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ from .file_transfer import (
 )
 from .parallel_file_transfer import parallel_transfer_to_telegram
 from .recursive_dict import recursive_del, recursive_get, recursive_set
+from .tl_json import parse_tl_json
diff --git a/mautrix_telegram/util/tl_json.py b/mautrix_telegram/util/tl_json.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b99b26d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mautrix_telegram/util/tl_json.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# mautrix-telegram - A Matrix-Telegram puppeting bridge
+# Copyright (C) 2022 Tulir Asokan
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+from telethon.tl.types import (
+    JsonArray,
+    JsonBool,
+    JsonNull,
+    JsonNumber,
+    JsonObject,
+    JsonObjectValue,
+    JsonString,
+    TypeJSONValue,
+)
+
+from mautrix.types import JSON
+
+
+def parse_tl_json(val: TypeJSONValue) -> JSON:
+    if isinstance(val, JsonObject):
+        return {entry.key: parse_tl_json(entry.value) for entry in val.value}
+    elif isinstance(val, JsonArray):
+        return [parse_tl_json(item) for item in val.value]
+    elif isinstance(val, (JsonBool, JsonNumber, JsonString)):
+        return val.value
+    elif isinstance(val, JsonNull):
+        return None
+    raise ValueError(f"Unsupported type {type(val)} in TL JSON object")