diff --git a/include/items.php b/include/items.php
index 8649a1bd1a..31a709fcbf 100644
--- a/include/items.php
+++ b/include/items.php
@@ -2124,6 +2124,10 @@ function drop_item($id, $interactive = true) {
 
 	$item = $r[0];
 
+	if ($item['deleted']) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	$owner = $item['uid'];
 
 	$contact_id = 0;
diff --git a/include/notifier.php b/include/notifier.php
index c110984dde..81f55f7101 100644
--- a/include/notifier.php
+++ b/include/notifier.php
@@ -519,8 +519,8 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 			}
 
 			$r1 = q("SELECT `batch`, ANY_VALUE(`id`) AS `id`, ANY_VALUE(`name`) AS `name`, ANY_VALUE(`network`) AS `network`
-				FROM `contact` WHERE `network` = '%s'
-				AND `uid` = %d AND `rel` != %d AND NOT `blocked` AND NOT `pending` AND NOT `archive` GROUP BY `batch` ORDER BY rand()",
+				FROM `contact` WHERE `network` = '%s' AND `batch` != ''
+				AND `uid` = %d AND `rel` != %d AND NOT `blocked` AND NOT `pending` AND NOT `archive` GROUP BY `batch`",
 				dbesc(NETWORK_DIASPORA),
 				intval($owner['uid']),
 				intval(CONTACT_IS_SHARING)
@@ -528,8 +528,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 		}
 
 		$r2 = q("SELECT `id`, `name`,`network` FROM `contact`
-			WHERE `network` in ( '%s', '%s')  AND `uid` = %d AND NOT `blocked` AND NOT `pending` AND NOT `archive`
-			AND `rel` != %d order by rand() ",
+			WHERE `network` in ('%s', '%s') AND `uid` = %d AND NOT `blocked` AND NOT `pending` AND NOT `archive` AND `rel` != %d",
 			dbesc(NETWORK_DFRN),
 			dbesc(NETWORK_MAIL2),
 			intval($owner['uid']),
diff --git a/include/poller.php b/include/poller.php
index 29a31a96f8..379aadcd67 100644
--- a/include/poller.php
+++ b/include/poller.php
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ function poller_worker_process() {
 	$poller_db_duration += (microtime(true) - $stamp);
 
 	if ($found) {
-		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `workerqueue` WHERE `pid` = %d", intval(getmypid()));
+		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `workerqueue` WHERE `pid` = %d AND NOT `done`", intval(getmypid()));
 	}
 	return $r;
 }