diff --git a/src/Core/System.php b/src/Core/System.php
index 55b4bb8cf..0c1e499d9 100644
--- a/src/Core/System.php
+++ b/src/Core/System.php
@@ -442,17 +442,24 @@ class System
 	 */
 	public static function getLoadAvg(): array
 	{
-		$content = file_get_contents('/proc/loadavg');
+		$content = @file_get_contents('/proc/loadavg');
 		if (empty($content)) {
 			$content = shell_exec('cat /proc/loadavg');
 		}
-		if (empty($content)) {
-			return [];
+		if (empty($content) || !preg_match("#([.\d]+)\s([.\d]+)\s([.\d]+)\s(\d+)/(\d+)#", $content, $matches)) {
+			$load_arr = sys_getloadavg();
+			if (empty($load_arr)) {
+				return [];
+			}
+			return [
+				'average1'  => $load_arr[0],
+				'average5'  => $load_arr[1],
+				'average15' => $load_arr[2],
+				'runnable'  => 0,
+				'scheduled' => 0
+			];
 		}
 
-		if (!preg_match("#([.\d]+)\s([.\d]+)\s([.\d]+)\s(\d+)/(\d+)#", $content, $matches)) {
-			return [];
-		}
 		return [
 			'average1'  => (float)$matches[1],
 			'average5'  => (float)$matches[2],
diff --git a/src/Core/Worker.php b/src/Core/Worker.php
index 830e02983..036f065d4 100644
--- a/src/Core/Worker.php
+++ b/src/Core/Worker.php
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class Worker
 			}
 
 			// Quit the worker once every cron interval
-			if (time() > ($starttime + (DI::config()->get('system', 'cron_interval') * 60))) {
+			if (time() > ($starttime + (DI::config()->get('system', 'cron_interval') * 60)) && !self::systemLimitReached()) {
 				Logger::info('Process lifetime reached, respawning.');
 				self::unclaimProcess($process);
 				if (Worker\Daemon::isMode()) {
@@ -444,6 +444,87 @@ class Worker
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Checks if system limits are reached.
+	 *
+	 * @return boolean
+	 */
+	private static function systemLimitReached(): bool
+	{
+		$load_cooldown      = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_load_cooldown');
+		$processes_cooldown = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_processes_cooldown');
+
+		if (($load_cooldown == 0) && ($processes_cooldown == 0)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		$load = System::getLoadAvg();
+		if (empty($load)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		if (($load_cooldown > 0) && ($load['average1'] > $load_cooldown)) {
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		if (($processes_cooldown > 0) && ($load['scheduled'] > $processes_cooldown)) {
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Slow the execution down if the system load is too high
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function coolDown()
+	{
+		$cooldown = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_cooldown', 0);
+		if ($cooldown > 0) {
+			Logger::debug('Wait for cooldown.', ['cooldown' => $cooldown]);
+			if ($cooldown < 1) {
+				usleep($cooldown * 1000000);
+			} else {
+				sleep($cooldown);
+			}
+		}
+
+		$load_cooldown      = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_load_cooldown');
+		$processes_cooldown = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_processes_cooldown');
+
+		if (($load_cooldown == 0) && ($processes_cooldown == 0)) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$sleeping = false;
+
+		while ($load = System::getLoadAvg()) {
+			if (($load_cooldown > 0) && ($load['average1'] > $load_cooldown)) {
+				if (!$sleeping) {
+					Logger::notice('Load induced pre execution cooldown.', ['max' => $load_cooldown, 'load' => $load, 'called-by' => System::callstack(1)]);
+					$sleeping = true;
+				}
+				sleep(1);
+				continue;
+			}
+			if (($processes_cooldown > 0) && ($load['scheduled'] > $processes_cooldown)) {
+				if (!$sleeping) {
+					Logger::notice('Process induced pre execution cooldown.', ['max' => $processes_cooldown, 'load' => $load, 'called-by' => System::callstack(1)]);
+					$sleeping = true;
+				}
+				sleep(1);
+				continue;
+			}
+			break;
+		}
+
+		if ($sleeping) {
+			Logger::notice('Cooldown ended.', ['max-load' => $load_cooldown, 'max-processes' => $processes_cooldown, 'load' => $load, 'called-by' => System::callstack(1)]);
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Execute a function from the queue
 	 *
@@ -458,28 +539,7 @@ class Worker
 	{
 		$a = DI::app();
 
-		$cooldown = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_cooldown', 0);
-		if ($cooldown > 0) {
-			Logger::debug('Pre execution cooldown.', ['cooldown' => $cooldown, 'id' => $queue['id'], 'priority' => $queue['priority'], 'command' => $queue['command']]);
-			sleep($cooldown);
-		}
-
-		$load_cooldown      = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_load_cooldown');
-		$processes_cooldown = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_processes_cooldown');
-
-		while ((($load_cooldown > 0) || ($processes_cooldown > 0)) && ($load = System::getLoadAvg())) {
-			if (($load_cooldown > 0) && ($load['average1'] > $load_cooldown)) {
-				Logger::debug('Load induced pre execution cooldown.', ['max' => $load_cooldown, 'load' => $load, 'id' => $queue['id'], 'priority' => $queue['priority'], 'command' => $queue['command']]);
-				sleep(1);
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (($processes_cooldown > 0) && ($load['scheduled'] > $processes_cooldown)) {
-				Logger::debug('Process induced pre execution cooldown.', ['max' => $processes_cooldown, 'load' => $load, 'id' => $queue['id'], 'priority' => $queue['priority'], 'command' => $queue['command']]);
-				sleep(1);
-				continue;
-			}
-			break;
-		}
+		self::coolDown();
 
 		Logger::enableWorker($funcname);
 
@@ -527,6 +587,8 @@ class Worker
 
 		Logger::info('Performance:', ['state' => self::$state, 'count' => $dbcount, 'stat' => $dbstat, 'write' => $dbwrite, 'lock' => $dblock, 'total' => $dbtotal, 'rest' => $rest, 'exec' => $exec]);
 
+		self::coolDown();
+
 		self::$up_start = microtime(true);
 		self::$db_duration = 0;
 		self::$db_duration_count = 0;
@@ -547,11 +609,6 @@ class Worker
 		Logger::info('Process done.', ['priority' => $queue['priority'], 'id' => $queue['id'], 'duration' => round($duration, 3)]);
 
 		DI::profiler()->saveLog(DI::logger(), 'ID ' . $queue['id'] . ': ' . $funcname);
-
-		if ($cooldown > 0) {
-			Logger::info('Post execution cooldown.', ['priority' => $queue['priority'], 'id' => $queue['id'], 'cooldown' => $cooldown]);
-			sleep($cooldown);
-		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -744,7 +801,7 @@ class Worker
 			Logger::notice('Load: ' . $load . '/' . $maxsysload . ' - processes: ' . $deferred . '/' . $active . '/' . $waiting_processes . $processlist . ' - maximum: ' . $queues . '/' . $maxqueues);
 
 			// Are there fewer workers running as possible? Then fork a new one.
-			if (!DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_dont_fork', false) && ($queues > ($active + 1)) && self::entriesExists()) {
+			if (!DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_dont_fork', false) && ($queues > ($active + 1)) && self::entriesExists() && !self::systemLimitReached()) {
 				Logger::info('There are fewer workers as possible, fork a new worker.', ['active' => $active, 'queues' => $queues]);
 				if (Worker\Daemon::isMode()) {
 					Worker\IPC::SetJobState(true);
@@ -1222,7 +1279,7 @@ class Worker
 		Worker\Daemon::checkState();
 
 		// Should we quit and wait for the worker to be called as a cronjob?
-		if ($dont_fork) {
+		if ($dont_fork || self::systemLimitReached()) {
 			return $added;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/Protocol/ActivityPub/Delivery.php b/src/Protocol/ActivityPub/Delivery.php
index f66febb82..3b8e539e9 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/ActivityPub/Delivery.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/ActivityPub/Delivery.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 namespace Friendica\Protocol\ActivityPub;
 
 use Friendica\Core\Logger;
+use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\DI;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ class Delivery
 					Logger::notice('Inbox delivery has a server failure', ['inbox' => $inbox]);
 					$serverfail = true;
 				}
+				Worker::coolDown();
 			}
 
 			if ($serverfail || (!$result['success'] && !$result['drop'])) {
diff --git a/src/Worker/Notifier.php b/src/Worker/Notifier.php
index 76eb260a0..3b4e1478c 100644
--- a/src/Worker/Notifier.php
+++ b/src/Worker/Notifier.php
@@ -573,6 +573,7 @@ class Notifier
 			if (Worker::add($deliver_options, 'Delivery', $cmd, $post_uriid, (int)$contact['id'], $sender_uid)) {
 				$delivery_queue_count++;
 			}
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 		return $delivery_queue_count;
 	}
@@ -695,6 +696,7 @@ class Notifier
 			Logger::info('Account removal via ActivityPub', ['uid' => $self_user_id, 'inbox' => $inbox]);
 			Worker::add(['priority' => PRIORITY_NEGLIGIBLE, 'created' => $created, 'dont_fork' => true],
 				'APDelivery', Delivery::REMOVAL, 0, $inbox, $self_user_id, $receivers);
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 
 		return true;
@@ -818,6 +820,7 @@ class Notifier
 					$delivery_queue_count++;
 				}
 			}
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 
 		// We deliver posts to relay servers slightly delayed to priorize the direct delivery
@@ -833,6 +836,7 @@ class Notifier
 					$delivery_queue_count++;
 				}
 			}
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 
 		return ['count' => $delivery_queue_count, 'contacts' => $contacts];
diff --git a/src/Worker/PollContacts.php b/src/Worker/PollContacts.php
index b61f5aebb..b4312ef0c 100644
--- a/src/Worker/PollContacts.php
+++ b/src/Worker/PollContacts.php
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ class PollContacts
 			Logger::notice("Polling " . $contact["network"] . " " . $contact["id"] . " " . $contact['priority'] . " " . $contact["nick"] . " " . $contact["name"]);
 
 			Worker::add(['priority' => $priority, 'dont_fork' => true, 'force_priority' => true], 'OnePoll', (int)$contact['id']);
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 		DBA::close($contacts);
 	}
diff --git a/src/Worker/UpdateContacts.php b/src/Worker/UpdateContacts.php
index 31426e79f..7e352a27c 100644
--- a/src/Worker/UpdateContacts.php
+++ b/src/Worker/UpdateContacts.php
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ class UpdateContacts
 			if (Worker::add(['priority' => PRIORITY_LOW, 'dont_fork' => true], "UpdateContact", $contact['id'])) {
 				++$count;
 			}
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 		DBA::close($contacts);
 
diff --git a/src/Worker/UpdateGServers.php b/src/Worker/UpdateGServers.php
index e53754584..108482eae 100644
--- a/src/Worker/UpdateGServers.php
+++ b/src/Worker/UpdateGServers.php
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class UpdateGServers
 					$count++;
 				}
 			}
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 		DBA::close($gservers);
 		Logger::info('Updated servers', ['count' => $count]);
diff --git a/src/Worker/UpdateServerPeers.php b/src/Worker/UpdateServerPeers.php
index 09c88499e..8c916504e 100644
--- a/src/Worker/UpdateServerPeers.php
+++ b/src/Worker/UpdateServerPeers.php
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class UpdateServerPeers
 			// This endpoint doesn't offer the schema. So we assume that it is HTTPS.
 			GServer::add('https://' . $peer);
 			++$added;
+			Worker::coolDown();
 		}
 		Logger::info('Server peer update ended', ['total' => $total, 'added' => $added, 'url' => $url]);
 	}
diff --git a/static/defaults.config.php b/static/defaults.config.php
index fb6727491..b02f53774 100644
--- a/static/defaults.config.php
+++ b/static/defaults.config.php
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ return [
 		// Minimum for this config value is 1. Maximum is 64 as the resulting profile URL mustn't be longer than 255 chars.
 		'username_max_length' => 48,
 
-		// worker_cooldown (Integer)
+		// worker_cooldown (Float)
 		// Cooldown period in seconds before each worker function call.
 		'worker_cooldown' => 0,