diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index 5cc3499311..fe4e5a2757 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ require_once('include/cache.php');
 require_once('library/Mobile_Detect/Mobile_Detect.php');
 require_once('include/features.php');
 require_once('include/identity.php');
-
+require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 require_once('update.php');
 require_once('include/dbstructure.php');
 
@@ -1098,6 +1098,41 @@ class App {
 		return($this->is_friendica_app);
 	}
 
+	function maxload_reached() {
+
+		$maxsysload = intval(get_config('system', 'maxloadavg'));
+		if ($maxsysload < 1)
+			$maxsysload = 50;
+
+		$load = current_load();
+		if ($load) {
+			if (intval($load) > $maxsysload) {
+				logger('system: load '.$load.' too high.');
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	function is_already_running($task, $taskname, $timeout = 540) {
+
+		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
+		if ($lockpath != '') {
+			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, $taskname);
+			if ($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
+				logger("Already running");
+				if ($pidfile->running_time() > $timeout) {
+					$pidfile->kill();
+					logger("killed stale process");
+					// Calling a new instance
+					if ($task != "")
+						proc_run('php', $task);
+				}
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/cron.php b/include/cron.php
index 6143281710..1c3297c932 100644
--- a/include/cron.php
+++ b/include/cron.php
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ function cron_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	require_once('include/Contact.php');
 	require_once('include/email.php');
 	require_once('include/socgraph.php');
-	require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 	require_once('mod/nodeinfo.php');
 
 	load_config('config');
@@ -42,32 +41,10 @@ function cron_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
 	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$maxsysload = intval(get_config('system','maxloadavg'));
-		if($maxsysload < 1)
-			$maxsysload = 50;
-
-		$load = current_load();
-		if($load) {
-			if(intval($load) > $maxsysload) {
-				logger('system: load '.$load.' too high. cron deferred to next scheduled run.');
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-
-		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
-		if ($lockpath != '') {
-			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'cron');
-			if($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
-				logger("cron: Already running");
-				if ($pidfile->running_time() > 9*60) {
-					$pidfile->kill();
-					logger("cron: killed stale process");
-					// Calling a new instance
-					proc_run('php','include/cron.php');
-				}
-				exit;
-			}
-		}
+		if (App::maxload_reached())
+			return;
+		if (App::is_already_running('include/cron.php', 'cron', 540))
+			return;
 	}
 
 	$last = get_config('system','last_cron');
diff --git a/include/cronhooks.php b/include/cronhooks.php
index 71cb0fb7b2..22812fb864 100644
--- a/include/cronhooks.php
+++ b/include/cronhooks.php
@@ -19,39 +19,16 @@ function cronhooks_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 	require_once('include/session.php');
 	require_once('include/datetime.php');
-	require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 
 	load_config('config');
 	load_config('system');
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
 	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$maxsysload = intval(get_config('system','maxloadavg'));
-		if($maxsysload < 1)
-			$maxsysload = 50;
-
-		$load = current_load();
-		if($load) {
-			if(intval($load) > $maxsysload) {
-				logger('system: load ' . $load . ' too high. Cronhooks deferred to next scheduled run.');
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-
-		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
-		if ($lockpath != '') {
-			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'cronhooks');
-			if($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
-				logger("cronhooks: Already running");
-				if ($pidfile->running_time() > 19*60) {
-					$pidfile->kill();
-					logger("cronhooks: killed stale process");
-					// Calling a new instance
-					proc_run('php','include/cronhooks.php');
-				}
-				exit;
-			}
-		}
+		if (App::maxload_reached())
+			return;
+		if (App::is_already_running('include/cronhooks.php', 'cronhooks', 1140))
+			return;
 	}
 
 	$last = get_config('system','last_cronhook');
diff --git a/include/delivery.php b/include/delivery.php
index 021ceb9968..e5ca0946b3 100644
--- a/include/delivery.php
+++ b/include/delivery.php
@@ -57,17 +57,8 @@ function delivery_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		$maxsysload = intval(get_config('system','maxloadavg'));
-		if($maxsysload < 1)
-			$maxsysload = 50;
-
-		$load = current_load();
-		if($load) {
-			if(intval($load) > $maxsysload) {
-				logger('system: load ' . $load . ' too high. Delivery deferred to next queue run.');
-				return;
-			}
-		}
+		if (App::maxload_reached())
+			return;
 
 		// It's ours to deliver. Remove it from the queue.
 
diff --git a/include/discover_poco.php b/include/discover_poco.php
index 550c9897be..8ba2bb2365 100644
--- a/include/discover_poco.php
+++ b/include/discover_poco.php
@@ -20,25 +20,14 @@ function discover_poco_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 	require_once('include/session.php');
 	require_once('include/datetime.php');
-	require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 
 	load_config('config');
 	load_config('system');
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
-	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$maxsysload = intval(get_config('system','maxloadavg'));
-		if($maxsysload < 1)
-			$maxsysload = 50;
-
-		$load = current_load();
-		if($load) {
-			if(intval($load) > $maxsysload) {
-				logger('system: load '.$load.' too high. discover_poco deferred to next scheduled run.');
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run")
+		if (App::maxload_reached())
+			return;
 
 	if(($argc > 2) && ($argv[1] == "dirsearch")) {
 		$search = urldecode($argv[2]);
@@ -54,23 +43,9 @@ function discover_poco_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 		die("Unknown or missing parameter ".$argv[1]."\n");
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
-	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
-		if ($lockpath != '') {
-			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'discover_poco'.$mode.urlencode($search));
-			if($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
-				logger("discover_poco: Already running");
-				if ($pidfile->running_time() > 19*60) {
-					$pidfile->kill();
-					logger("discover_poco: killed stale process");
-					// Calling a new instance
-					if ($mode == 0)
-						proc_run('php','include/discover_poco.php');
-				}
-				exit;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run")
+		if (App::is_already_running('include/discover_poco.php', 'discover_poco'.$mode.urlencode($search), 1140))
+			return;
 
 	$a->set_baseurl(get_config('system','url'));
 
diff --git a/include/onepoll.php b/include/onepoll.php
index 8b91070dcc..4d270f6135 100644
--- a/include/onepoll.php
+++ b/include/onepoll.php
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ function onepoll_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	require_once('include/Contact.php');
 	require_once('include/email.php');
 	require_once('include/socgraph.php');
-	require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 	require_once('include/queue_fn.php');
 
 	load_config('config');
@@ -61,20 +60,9 @@ function onepoll_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	}
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
-	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
-		if ($lockpath != '') {
-			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'onepoll'.$contact_id);
-			if ($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
-				logger("onepoll: Already running for contact ".$contact_id);
-				if ($pidfile->running_time() > 9*60) {
-					$pidfile->kill();
-					logger("killed stale process");
-				}
-				exit;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run")
+		if (App::is_already_running('', 'onepoll'.$contact_id, 540))
+			return;
 
 	$d = datetime_convert();
 
diff --git a/include/poller.php b/include/poller.php
index 755862eb6b..7ffd47aa68 100644
--- a/include/poller.php
+++ b/include/poller.php
@@ -29,17 +29,8 @@ function poller_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	if (poller_max_connections_reached())
 		return;
 
-	$load = current_load();
-	if($load) {
-		$maxsysload = intval(get_config('system','maxloadavg'));
-		if($maxsysload < 1)
-			$maxsysload = 50;
-
-		if(intval($load) > $maxsysload) {
-			logger('system: load ' . $load . ' too high. poller deferred to next scheduled run.');
-			return;
-		}
-	}
+	if (App::maxload_reached())
+		return;
 
 	// Checking the number of workers
 	if (poller_too_much_workers(1)) {
diff --git a/include/pubsubpublish.php b/include/pubsubpublish.php
index e7a55f5f09..b438b36e6b 100644
--- a/include/pubsubpublish.php
+++ b/include/pubsubpublish.php
@@ -74,28 +74,14 @@ function pubsubpublish_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	};
 
 	require_once('include/items.php');
-	require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 
 	load_config('config');
 	load_config('system');
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
-	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
-		if ($lockpath != '') {
-			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'pubsubpublish');
-			if($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
-				logger("Already running");
-				if ($pidfile->running_time() > 9*60) {
-					$pidfile->kill();
-					logger("killed stale process");
-					// Calling a new instance
-					proc_run('php',"include/pubsubpublish.php");
-				}
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run")
+		if (App::is_already_running("include/pubsubpublish.php", 'pubsubpublish', 540))
+			return;
 
 	$a->set_baseurl(get_config('system','url'));
 
diff --git a/include/queue.php b/include/queue.php
index 157fc88d94..1222199c70 100644
--- a/include/queue.php
+++ b/include/queue.php
@@ -22,29 +22,15 @@ function queue_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	require_once("include/datetime.php");
 	require_once('include/items.php');
 	require_once('include/bbcode.php');
-	require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 	require_once('include/socgraph.php');
 
 	load_config('config');
 	load_config('system');
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
-	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
-		if ($lockpath != '') {
-			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'queue');
-			if($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
-				logger("queue: Already running");
-				if ($pidfile->running_time() > 9*60) {
-					$pidfile->kill();
-					logger("queue: killed stale process");
-					// Calling a new instance
-					proc_run('php',"include/queue.php");
-				}
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run")
+		if (App::is_already_running('include/queue.php', 'queue', 540))
+			return;
 
 	$a->set_baseurl(get_config('system','url'));
 
diff --git a/include/update_gcontact.php b/include/update_gcontact.php
index b7bf25aa24..25c11806a2 100644
--- a/include/update_gcontact.php
+++ b/include/update_gcontact.php
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ function update_gcontact_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 		unset($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
 	};
 
-	require_once('include/pidfile.php');
 	require_once('include/Scrape.php');
 	require_once("include/socgraph.php");
 
@@ -38,20 +37,9 @@ function update_gcontact_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	}
 
 	// Don't check this stuff if the function is called by the poller
-	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run") {
-		$lockpath = get_lockpath();
-		if ($lockpath != '') {
-			$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'update_gcontact'.$contact_id);
-			if ($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
-				logger("update_gcontact: Already running for contact ".$contact_id);
-				if ($pidfile->running_time() > 9*60) {
-					$pidfile->kill();
-					logger("killed stale process");
-				}
-				exit;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	if (App::callstack() != "poller_run")
+		if (App::is_already_running('', 'update_gcontact'.$contact_id, 540))
+			return;
 
 	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `gcontact` WHERE `id` = %d", intval($contact_id));