diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index f9f8794e50..59011bc64f 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ require_once 'include/features.php';
 require_once 'include/identity.php';
 require_once 'update.php';
 require_once 'include/dbstructure.php';
+require_once 'include/poller.php';
 
 define ( 'FRIENDICA_PLATFORM',     'Friendica');
 define ( 'FRIENDICA_CODENAME',     'Asparagus');
@@ -1095,18 +1096,8 @@ function proc_run($cmd) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	// Checking number of workers
-	$workers = q("SELECT COUNT(*) AS `workers` FROM `workerqueue` WHERE `executed` > '%s'", dbesc(NULL_DATE));
-
-	// Get number of allowed number of worker threads
-	$queues = intval(get_config("system", "worker_queues"));
-
-	if ($queues == 0) {
-		$queues = 4;
-	}
-
 	// If there are already enough workers running, don't fork another one
-	if ($workers[0]["workers"] >= $queues) {
+	if (poller_too_much_workers()) {
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/cron.php b/include/cron.php
index 3702bf8b36..70b87e9696 100644
--- a/include/cron.php
+++ b/include/cron.php
@@ -246,10 +246,11 @@ function cron_poll_contacts($argc, $argv) {
 			logger("Polling " . $contact["network"] . " " . $contact["id"] . " " . $contact["nick"] . " " . $contact["name"]);
 
 			if (($contact['network'] == NETWORK_FEED) AND ($contact['priority'] <= 3)) {
-				proc_run(PRIORITY_MEDIUM, 'include/onepoll.php', intval($contact['id']));
+				$priority = PRIORITY_MEDIUM;
 			} else {
-				proc_run(PRIORITY_LOW, 'include/onepoll.php', intval($contact['id']));
+				$priority = PRIORITY_LOW;
 			}
+			proc_run(array('priority' => $priority, 'dont_fork' => true), 'include/onepoll.php', intval($contact['id']));
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/include/notifier.php b/include/notifier.php
index 74cfabb6cd..a08057f677 100644
--- a/include/notifier.php
+++ b/include/notifier.php
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 			}
 			logger("Deliver ".$target_item["guid"]." to ".$contact['url']." via network ".$contact['network'], LOGGER_DEBUG);
 
-			proc_run($priority, 'include/delivery.php', $cmd, $item_id, $contact['id']);
+			proc_run(array('priority' => $priority, 'dont_fork' => true), 'include/delivery.php', $cmd, $item_id, $contact['id']);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 				if ((! $mail) && (! $fsuggest) && (! $followup)) {
 					logger('notifier: delivery agent: '.$rr['name'].' '.$rr['id'].' '.$rr['network'].' '.$target_item["guid"]);
-					proc_run($priority, 'include/delivery.php', $cmd, $item_id, $rr['id']);
+					proc_run(array('priority' => $priority, 'dont_fork' => true), 'include/delivery.php', $cmd, $item_id, $rr['id']);
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 		}
 
 		// Handling the pubsubhubbub requests
-		proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH, 'include/pubsubpublish.php');
+		proc_run(array('priority' => PRIORITY_HIGH, 'dont_fork' => true), 'include/pubsubpublish.php');
 	}
 
 	logger('notifier: calling hooks', LOGGER_DEBUG);
diff --git a/include/pubsubpublish.php b/include/pubsubpublish.php
index 24d7b69637..bb94ea3b20 100644
--- a/include/pubsubpublish.php
+++ b/include/pubsubpublish.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ function pubsubpublish_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 		foreach ($r as $rr) {
 			logger("Publish feed to ".$rr["callback_url"], LOGGER_DEBUG);
-			proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH, 'include/pubsubpublish.php', $rr["id"]);
+			proc_run(array('priority' => PRIORITY_HIGH, 'dont_fork' => true), 'include/pubsubpublish.php', $rr["id"]);
 		}
 	}