diff --git a/daemon.py b/daemon.py
index 15e8c5e09..7de30ca2d 100644
--- a/daemon.py
+++ b/daemon.py
@@ -790,6 +790,12 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                           messageBytes: str) -> int:
         """Update the inbox queue
         """
+        if self.server.restartInboxQueueInProgress:
+            self._503()
+            print('Message arrrived but currently restarting inbox queue')
+            self.server.POSTbusy = False
+            return 2
+
         # check for blocked domains so that they can be rejected early
         messageDomain = None
         if messageJson.get('actor'):
@@ -810,6 +816,8 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                 print('Queue: Inbox queue is full')
             self._503()
             self.server.POSTbusy = False
+            if not restartInboxQueueInProgress:
+                self.server.restartInboxQueue=True
             return 2
 
         # Convert the headers needed for signature verification to dict
@@ -7258,6 +7266,11 @@ def runDaemon(blogsInstance: bool, mediaInstance: bool,
     httpd.thrPostSchedule = \
         threadWithTrace(target=runPostSchedule,
                         args=(baseDir, httpd, 20), daemon=True)
+
+    # flags used when restarting the inbox queue
+    httpd.restartInboxQueueInProgress=False
+    httpd.restartInboxQueue=False
+
     if not unitTest:
         print('Creating inbox queue watchdog')
         httpd.thrWatchdog = \
diff --git a/inbox.py b/inbox.py
index 430275180..609f20c44 100644
--- a/inbox.py
+++ b/inbox.py
@@ -2185,11 +2185,15 @@ def runInboxQueueWatchdog(projectVersion: str, httpd) -> None:
     httpd.thrInboxQueue.start()
     while True:
         time.sleep(20)
-        if not httpd.thrInboxQueue.isAlive():
+        if not httpd.thrInboxQueue.isAlive() or httpd.restartInboxQueue:
+            httpd.restartInboxQueueInProgress=True
             httpd.thrInboxQueue.kill()
             httpd.thrInboxQueue = inboxQueueOriginal.clone(runInboxQueue)
+            httpd.inboxQueue.clear()
             httpd.thrInboxQueue.start()
             print('Restarting inbox queue...')
+            httpd.restartInboxQueueInProgress=False
+            httpd.restartInboxQueue=False
 
 
 def runInboxQueue(recentPostsCache: {}, maxRecentPosts: int,