diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py b/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py
index 88a68a5a4..35c8757b4 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitystreams.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from django.db.models import signals, Q
 
 from bookwyrm import models
 from bookwyrm.redis_store import RedisStore, r
+from bookwyrm.tasks import app
 from bookwyrm.views.helpers import privacy_filter
 
 
@@ -374,3 +375,11 @@ def remove_statuses_on_shelve(sender, instance, *args, **kwargs):
         return
 
     BooksStream().remove_book_statuses(instance.user, instance.book)
+
+
+@app.task
+def populate_stream_task(stream, user_id):
+    """background task for populating an empty activitystream"""
+    user = models.User.objects.get(id=user_id)
+    stream = streams[stream]
+    stream.populate_streams(user)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_streams.py b/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_streams.py
index 37559f082..a04d7f5ad 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_streams.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_streams.py
@@ -3,22 +3,35 @@ from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 from bookwyrm import activitystreams, models
 
 
-def populate_streams():
+def populate_streams(stream=None):
     """build all the streams for all the users"""
+    streams = [stream] if stream else activitystreams.streams.keys()
+    print("Populations streams", streams)
     users = models.User.objects.filter(
         local=True,
         is_active=True,
-    ).order_by("last_active_date")
+    ).order_by("-last_active_date")
+    print("This may take a long time! Please be patient.")
     for user in users:
-        for stream in activitystreams.streams.values():
-            stream.populate_streams(user)
+        for stream_key in streams:
+            print(".", end="")
+            activitystreams.populate_stream_task.delay(stream_key, user.id)
 
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     """start all over with user streams"""
 
     help = "Populate streams for all users"
+
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--stream",
+            default=None,
+            help="Specifies which time of stream to populate",
+        )
+
     # pylint: disable=no-self-use,unused-argument
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         """run feed builder"""
-        populate_streams()
+        stream = options.get("stream")
+        populate_streams(stream=stream)
diff --git a/bw-dev b/bw-dev
index e5e46e5f3..a2f04bfb6 100755
--- a/bw-dev
+++ b/bw-dev
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ case "$CMD" in
         makeitblack
         ;;
     populate_streams)
-        runweb python manage.py populate_streams
+        runweb python manage.py populate_streams $@
         ;;
     populate_suggestions)
         runweb python manage.py populate_suggestions
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ case "$CMD" in
         echo "    build"
         echo "    clean"
         echo "    black"
-        echo "    populate_streams"
+        echo "    populate_streams [--stream=<stream name>]"
         echo "    populate_suggestions"
         echo "    generate_preview_images [--all]"
         echo "    copy_media_to_s3"
diff --git a/celerywyrm/celery.py b/celerywyrm/celery.py
index 3ab338621..de5e56304 100644
--- a/celerywyrm/celery.py
+++ b/celerywyrm/celery.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ app.config_from_object("django.conf:settings", namespace="CELERY")
 # Load task modules from all registered Django app configs.
 app.autodiscover_tasks()
 app.autodiscover_tasks(["bookwyrm"], related_name="activitypub.base_activity")
+app.autodiscover_tasks(["bookwyrm"], related_name="activitystreams")
 app.autodiscover_tasks(["bookwyrm"], related_name="broadcast")
 app.autodiscover_tasks(["bookwyrm"], related_name="connectors.abstract_connector")
 app.autodiscover_tasks(["bookwyrm"], related_name="emailing")