diff --git a/doc/htconfig.md b/doc/htconfig.md
index b2f7cf66e..2c8b44439 100644
--- a/doc/htconfig.md
+++ b/doc/htconfig.md
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ Example: To set the directory value please add this line to your .htconfig.php:
 * **max_batch_queue** - Default value is 1000.
 * **max_processes_backend** - Maximum number of concurrent database processes for background tasks. Default value is 5.
 * **max_processes_frontend** - Maximum number of concurrent database processes for foreground tasks. Default value is 20.
+* **min_poll_interval** - minimal distance in minutes between two polls for a contact. Default is 1. Reasonable values are between 1 and 59.
 * **memcache** (Boolean) - Use memcache. To use memcache the PECL extension "memcache" has to be installed and activated.
 * **memcache_host** - Hostname of the memcache daemon. Default is '127.0.0.1'.
 * **memcache_port** - Portnumber of the memcache daemon. Default is 11211.
diff --git a/include/cron.php b/include/cron.php
index bac9c8a3d..3702bf8b3 100644
--- a/include/cron.php
+++ b/include/cron.php
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ function cron_poll_contacts($argc, $argv) {
 		$force     = true;
 	}
 
+	$min_poll_interval = Config::get('system', 'min_poll_interval', 1);
+
 	$sql_extra = (($manual_id) ? " AND `id` = $manual_id " : "");
 
 	reload_plugins();
@@ -195,7 +197,7 @@ function cron_poll_contacts($argc, $argv) {
 				$contact['priority'] = (($poll_interval !== false) ? intval($poll_interval) : 3);
 			}
 
-			if ($contact['priority'] AND !$force) {
+			if (($contact['priority'] >= 0) AND !$force) {
 				$update = false;
 
 				$t = $contact['last-update'];
@@ -225,11 +227,16 @@ function cron_poll_contacts($argc, $argv) {
 						}
 						break;
 					case 1:
-					default:
 						if (datetime_convert('UTC', 'UTC', 'now') > datetime_convert('UTC', 'UTC', $t . " + 1 hour")) {
 							$update = true;
 						}
 						break;
+					case 0:
+					default:
+						if (datetime_convert('UTC', 'UTC', 'now') > datetime_convert('UTC', 'UTC', $t . " + ".$min_poll_interval." minute")) {
+							$update = true;
+						}
+						break;
 				}
 				if (!$update) {
 					continue;
diff --git a/include/items.php b/include/items.php
index c36b842b4..4a68bd286 100644
--- a/include/items.php
+++ b/include/items.php
@@ -2076,7 +2076,7 @@ function item_expire($uid, $days, $network = "", $force = false) {
 		drop_item($item['id'], false);
 	}
 
-	proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH, "include/notifier.php", "expire", $uid);
+	proc_run(PRIORITY_LOW, "include/notifier.php", "expire", $uid);
 
 }
 
@@ -2099,7 +2099,7 @@ function drop_items($items) {
 	// multiple threads may have been deleted, send an expire notification
 
 	if ($uid) {
-		proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH, "include/notifier.php", "expire", $uid);
+		proc_run(PRIORITY_LOW, "include/notifier.php", "expire", $uid);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2290,11 +2290,12 @@ function drop_item($id, $interactive = true) {
 			}
 		}
 
+		// send the notification upstream/downstream
+		// The priority depends on how the deletion is done.
 		$drop_id = intval($item['id']);
+		$priority = ($interactive ? PRIORITY_HIGH : PRIORITY_LOW);
 
-		// send the notification upstream/downstream as the case may be
-
-		proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH, "include/notifier.php", "drop", $drop_id);
+		proc_run($priority, "include/notifier.php", "drop", $drop_id);
 
 		if (! $interactive) {
 			return $owner;
diff --git a/include/notifier.php b/include/notifier.php
index 4f9b34d01..f0396798f 100644
--- a/include/notifier.php
+++ b/include/notifier.php
@@ -55,6 +55,17 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 		return;
 	}
 
+	// Inherit the priority
+	$queue = dba::select('workerqueue', array('priority'), array('pid' => getmypid()), array('limit' => 1));
+	if (dbm::is_result($queue)) {
+		$priority = (int)$queue['priority'];
+		logger('inherited priority: '.$priority);
+	} else {
+		// Normally this shouldn't happen.
+		$priority = PRIORITY_HIGH;
+		logger('no inherited priority! Something is wrong.');
+	}
+
 	logger('notifier: invoked: ' . print_r($argv,true), LOGGER_DEBUG);
 
 	$cmd = $argv[1];
@@ -348,7 +359,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 			// a delivery fork. private groups (forum_mode == 2) do not uplink
 
 			if ((intval($parent['forum_mode']) == 1) && (! $top_level) && ($cmd !== 'uplink')) {
-				proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH,'include/notifier.php','uplink',$item_id);
+				proc_run($priority, 'include/notifier.php', 'uplink', $item_id);
 			}
 
 			$conversants = array();
@@ -487,7 +498,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 			}
 			logger("Deliver ".$target_item["guid"]." to ".$contact['url']." via network ".$contact['network'], LOGGER_DEBUG);
 
-			proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH,'include/delivery.php', $cmd, $item_id, $contact['id']);
+			proc_run($priority, 'include/delivery.php', $cmd, $item_id, $contact['id']);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -552,7 +563,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 				if ((! $mail) && (! $fsuggest) && (! $followup)) {
 					logger('notifier: delivery agent: '.$rr['name'].' '.$rr['id'].' '.$rr['network'].' '.$target_item["guid"]);
-					proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH,'include/delivery.php',$cmd,$item_id,$rr['id']);
+					proc_run($priority, 'include/delivery.php', $cmd, $item_id, $rr['id']);
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -592,7 +603,7 @@ function notifier_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 		}
 
 		// Handling the pubsubhubbub requests
-		proc_run(PRIORITY_HIGH,'include/pubsubpublish.php');
+		proc_run($priority, 'include/pubsubpublish.php');
 	}
 
 	logger('notifier: calling hooks', LOGGER_DEBUG);