diff --git a/src/packetserver/runner/podman.py b/src/packetserver/runner/podman.py
index 4f64c4c..b0d0c40 100644
--- a/src/packetserver/runner/podman.py
+++ b/src/packetserver/runner/podman.py
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ class PodmanOrchestrator(Orchestrator):
         self.started = False
         self.user_containers = {}
         self.manager_thread = None
+        self._client = None
+        self._five_min_ticker = 600
 
         if uri:
             self.uri = uri
@@ -174,8 +176,9 @@ class PodmanOrchestrator(Orchestrator):
         if uri_parsed.scheme == "unix":
             if not os.path.exists(uri_parsed.path):
                 raise FileNotFoundError(f"Podman socket not found: {self.uri}")
-
-        logging.debug(f"Testing podman socket. Version: {self.client.version()}")
+        test_client = self.new_client()
+        logging.debug(f"Testing podman socket. Version: {test_client.info()}")
+        self._client = None
 
         self.username_containers = {}
         if options:
@@ -185,8 +188,13 @@ class PodmanOrchestrator(Orchestrator):
                                   container_keepalive=300, name_prefix="packetserver_")
 
     @property
-    def client(self):
-        return podman.PodmanClient(base_url=self.uri)
+    def client(self) -> Optional[podman.PodmanClient]:
+        return self._client
+
+    def new_client(self) -> podman.PodmanClient:
+        cli =  podman.PodmanClient(base_url=self.uri)
+        self._client = cli
+        return cli
 
     def add_file_to_user_container(self, username: str, data: bytes, path: str, root_owned=False):
         cli = self.client
@@ -416,7 +424,10 @@ class PodmanOrchestrator(Orchestrator):
                 if not r.is_finished():
                     self.touch_user_container(r.username)
             self.clean_containers()
-            self.clean_orphaned_containers()
+
+            if self._five_min_ticker >= 600:
+                self.clean_orphaned_containers()
+                self._five_min_ticker = 0
 
     def manager(self):
         logging.debug("Starting podman orchestrator thread.")
@@ -427,7 +438,9 @@ class PodmanOrchestrator(Orchestrator):
 
     def start(self):
         if not self.started:
+            self.new_client()
             self.clean_orphaned_containers()
+            self._five_min_ticker = 0
             self.started = True
             self.manager_thread = Thread(target=self.manager)
             self.manager_thread.start()
@@ -438,6 +451,7 @@ class PodmanOrchestrator(Orchestrator):
 
     def stop(self):
         logging.debug("Stopping podman orchestrator.")
+        self._client = None
         self.started = False
         cli = self.client
         self.user_containers = {}
diff --git a/src/packetserver/server/__init__.py b/src/packetserver/server/__init__.py
index 5af3d1c..08315aa 100644
--- a/src/packetserver/server/__init__.py
+++ b/src/packetserver/server/__init__.py
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ class Server:
         self.started = False
         self.orchestrator = None
         self.worker_thread = None
+        self.check_job_queue = True
+        self.last_check_job_queue = datetime.datetime.now()
         if data_dir:
             data_path = Path(data_dir)
         else:
@@ -114,6 +116,10 @@ class Server:
     def data_file(self) -> str:
         return str(Path(self.home_dir).joinpath('data.zopedb'))
 
+    def ping_job_queue(self):
+        self.check_job_queue = True
+        self.last_check_job_queue = datetime.datetime.now()
+
     def server_connection_bouncer(self, conn: PacketServerConnection):
         logging.debug("new connection bouncer checking user status")
         # blacklist check
@@ -184,6 +190,7 @@ class Server:
                     connection.send_data(b"BAD REQUEST. DID NOT RECEIVE A REQUEST MESSAGE.")
                 logging.debug(f"attempting to handle request {request}")
                 self.handle_request(request, connection)
+                self.ping_job_queue()
                 logging.debug("request handled")
 
     def server_receiver(self, conn: PacketServerConnection):
@@ -201,8 +208,10 @@ class Server:
         if not self.started:
             return
         # Add things to do here:
-
-        if (self.orchestrator is not None) and self.orchestrator.started:
+        now = datetime.datetime.now()
+        if (now - self.last_check_job_queue).total_seconds() > 60:
+            self.ping_job_queue()
+        if (self.orchestrator is not None) and self.orchestrator.started and self.check_job_queue:
             with self.db.transaction() as storage:
                 # queue as many jobs as possible
                 while self.orchestrator.runners_available():
@@ -222,6 +231,10 @@ class Server:
                             logging.info(f"Started job {job}")
                     else:
                         break
+                if len(storage.root.job_queue) == 0:
+                    self.check_job_queue = False
+                else:
+                    self.ping_job_queue()
 
             finished_runners = []
             for runner in self.orchestrator.runners: