diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py b/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py
index 4896e07d9..a9ca17e24 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from django.utils import timezone
 
 from bookwyrm import models
 from bookwyrm.redis_store import RedisStore, r
-from bookwyrm.tasks import app
+from bookwyrm.tasks import app, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH
 
 
 class ActivityStream(RedisStore):
@@ -277,7 +277,18 @@ def add_status_on_create(sender, instance, created, *args, **kwargs):
 
 def add_status_on_create_command(sender, instance, created):
     """runs this code only after the database commit completes"""
-    add_status_task.delay(instance.id, increment_unread=created)
+    priority=HIGH
+    # check if this is an old status, de-prioritize if so
+    # (this will happen if federation is very slow, or, more expectedly, on csv import)
+    one_day = 60 * 60 * 24
+    if (instance.created_date - instance.published_date).seconds > one_day:
+        priority=LOW
+
+    add_status_task.apply_async(
+        args=(instance.id,),
+        kwargs={"increment_unread": created},
+        queue=priority,
+    )
 
     if sender == models.Boost:
         handle_boost_task.delay(instance.id)
@@ -409,7 +420,7 @@ def remove_statuses_on_unshelve(sender, instance, *args, **kwargs):
 # ---- TASKS
 
 
-@app.task(queue="low_priority")
+@app.task(queue=LOW)
 def add_book_statuses_task(user_id, book_id):
     """add statuses related to a book on shelve"""
     user = models.User.objects.get(id=user_id)
@@ -417,7 +428,7 @@ def add_book_statuses_task(user_id, book_id):
     BooksStream().add_book_statuses(user, book)
 
 
-@app.task(queue="low_priority")
+@app.task(queue=LOW)
 def remove_book_statuses_task(user_id, book_id):
     """remove statuses about a book from a user's books feed"""
     user = models.User.objects.get(id=user_id)
@@ -425,7 +436,7 @@ def remove_book_statuses_task(user_id, book_id):
     BooksStream().remove_book_statuses(user, book)
 
 
-@app.task(queue="medium_priority")
+@app.task(queue=MEDIUM)
 def populate_stream_task(stream, user_id):
     """background task for populating an empty activitystream"""
     user = models.User.objects.get(id=user_id)
@@ -433,7 +444,7 @@ def populate_stream_task(stream, user_id):
     stream.populate_streams(user)
 
 
-@app.task(queue="medium_priority")
+@app.task(queue=MEDIUM)
 def remove_status_task(status_ids):
     """remove a status from any stream it might be in"""
     # this can take an id or a list of ids
@@ -446,7 +457,7 @@ def remove_status_task(status_ids):
             stream.remove_object_from_related_stores(status)
 
 
-@app.task(queue="high_priority")
+@app.task(queue=HIGH)
 def add_status_task(status_id, increment_unread=False):
     """add a status to any stream it should be in"""
     status = models.Status.objects.get(id=status_id)
@@ -458,7 +469,7 @@ def add_status_task(status_id, increment_unread=False):
         stream.add_status(status, increment_unread=increment_unread)
 
 
-@app.task(queue="medium_priority")
+@app.task(queue=MEDIUM)
 def remove_user_statuses_task(viewer_id, user_id, stream_list=None):
     """remove all statuses by a user from a viewer's stream"""
     stream_list = [streams[s] for s in stream_list] if stream_list else streams.values()
@@ -468,7 +479,7 @@ def remove_user_statuses_task(viewer_id, user_id, stream_list=None):
         stream.remove_user_statuses(viewer, user)
 
 
-@app.task(queue="medium_priority")
+@app.task(queue=MEDIUM)
 def add_user_statuses_task(viewer_id, user_id, stream_list=None):
     """add all statuses by a user to a viewer's stream"""
     stream_list = [streams[s] for s in stream_list] if stream_list else streams.values()
@@ -478,7 +489,7 @@ def add_user_statuses_task(viewer_id, user_id, stream_list=None):
         stream.add_user_statuses(viewer, user)
 
 
-@app.task(queue="medium_priority")
+@app.task(queue=MEDIUM)
 def handle_boost_task(boost_id):
     """remove the original post and other, earlier boosts"""
     instance = models.Status.objects.get(id=boost_id)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py b/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py
index d7f32c88e..3e0b0c282 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/importers/importer.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
 
 from bookwyrm import models
 from bookwyrm.models import ImportJob, ImportItem
-from bookwyrm.tasks import app
+from bookwyrm.tasks import app, LOW
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -201,4 +201,4 @@ def handle_imported_book(source, user, item, include_reviews, privacy):
                 privacy=privacy,
             )
         # only broadcast this review to other bookwyrm instances
-        review.save(software="bookwyrm")
+        review.save(software="bookwyrm", priority=LOW)