diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index aea353b..5cc059d 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -1066,7 +1066,7 @@ int send_email(char *msg)
 
 
 void process_user_queue_item(snac *snac, xs_dict *q_item)
-/* processes an item from the queue */
+/* processes an item from the user queue */
 {
     char *type;
     int queue_retry_max = xs_number_get(xs_dict_get(srv_config, "queue_retry_max"));
@@ -1172,7 +1172,7 @@ void process_user_queue(snac *snac)
         xs *q_item = dequeue(fn);
 
         if (q_item == NULL) {
-            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("process_queue q_item error"));
+            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("process_user_queue q_item error"));
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -1181,6 +1181,33 @@ void process_user_queue(snac *snac)
 }
 
 
+void process_queue_item(xs_dict *q_item)
+/* processes an item from the global queue */
+{
+}
+
+
+void process_queue(void)
+/* processes the global queue */
+{
+    xs *list = queue();
+
+    xs_list *p = list;
+    xs_str *fn;
+
+    while (xs_list_iter(&p, &fn)) {
+        xs *q_item = dequeue(fn);
+
+        if (q_item == NULL) {
+            srv_log(xs_fmt("process_queue q_item error"));
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        process_queue_item(q_item);
+    }
+}
+
+
 /** HTTP handlers */
 
 int activitypub_get_handler(d_char *req, char *q_path,
diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 1adf4cd..96583aa 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ int srv_open(char *basedir, int auto_upgrade)
     if (error != NULL)
         srv_log(error);
 
+    /* create the queue/ subdir, just in case */
+    xs *qdir = xs_fmt("%s/queue", srv_basedir);
+    mkdir(qdir, 0755);
+
 #ifdef __OpenBSD__
     char *v = xs_dict_get(srv_config, "disable_openbsd_security");
 
@@ -1429,10 +1433,39 @@ xs_list *user_queue(snac *snac)
         time_t t2 = atol(bn + 1);
 
         if (t2 > t)
-            snac_debug(snac, 2, xs_fmt("queue not yet time for %s [%ld]", v, t));
+            snac_debug(snac, 2, xs_fmt("user_queue not yet time for %s [%ld]", v, t));
         else {
             list = xs_list_append(list, v);
-            snac_debug(snac, 2, xs_fmt("queue ready for %s", v));
+            snac_debug(snac, 2, xs_fmt("user_queue ready for %s", v));
+        }
+    }
+
+    return list;
+}
+
+
+xs_list *queue(void)
+/* returns a list with filenames that can be dequeued */
+{
+    xs *spec      = xs_fmt("%s/queue/" "*.json", srv_basedir);
+    xs_list *list = xs_list_new();
+    time_t t      = time(NULL);
+    xs_list *p;
+    xs_val *v;
+
+    xs *fns = xs_glob(spec, 0, 0);
+
+    p = fns;
+    while (xs_list_iter(&p, &v)) {
+        /* get the retry time from the basename */
+        char *bn  = strrchr(v, '/');
+        time_t t2 = atol(bn + 1);
+
+        if (t2 > t)
+            srv_debug(2, xs_fmt("queue not yet time for %s [%ld]", v, t));
+        else {
+            list = xs_list_append(list, v);
+            srv_debug(2, xs_fmt("queue ready for %s", v));
         }
     }