diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 64b1cec..de555e8 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -4693,9 +4693,10 @@ name = "upub"
 version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "apb",
- "axum",
+ "async-trait",
  "base64 0.22.1",
  "chrono",
+ "httpsign",
  "jrd",
  "mdhtml",
  "nodeinfo",
@@ -4718,7 +4719,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "upub-bin"
-version = "0.2.0"
+version = "0.3.0"
 dependencies = [
  "clap",
  "sea-orm",
@@ -4730,6 +4731,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "upub-cli",
  "upub-migrations",
  "upub-routes",
+ "upub-worker",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -4746,7 +4748,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "sha256",
  "tracing",
  "upub",
- "upub-processor",
  "uuid",
 ]
 
@@ -4757,25 +4758,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "sea-orm-migration",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "upub-processor"
-version = "0.2.0"
-dependencies = [
- "apb",
- "async-trait",
- "chrono",
- "httpsign",
- "jrd",
- "mdhtml",
- "reqwest",
- "sea-orm",
- "serde_json",
- "thiserror",
- "tokio",
- "tracing",
- "upub",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "upub-routes"
 version = "0.2.0"
@@ -4829,6 +4811,26 @@ dependencies = [
  "web-sys",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "upub-worker"
+version = "0.2.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "apb",
+ "async-trait",
+ "chrono",
+ "httpsign",
+ "jrd",
+ "mdhtml",
+ "regex",
+ "reqwest",
+ "sea-orm",
+ "serde_json",
+ "thiserror",
+ "tokio",
+ "tracing",
+ "upub",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "uriproxy"
 version = "0.1.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index cd3c787..15b64ee 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ members = [
 	"upub/cli",
 	"upub/migrations",
 	"upub/routes",
-	"upub/processor",
+	"upub/worker",
 	"web",
 	"utils/httpsign",
 	"utils/mdhtml",
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ members = [
 
 [package]
 name = "upub-bin"
-version = "0.2.0"
+version = "0.3.0"
 edition = "2021"
 authors = [ "alemi <me@alemi.dev>" ]
 description = "Traits and types to handle ActivityPub objects"
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@ upub = { path = "upub/core" }
 upub-cli = { path = "upub/cli", optional = true }
 upub-migrations = { path = "upub/migrations", optional = true }
 upub-routes = { path = "upub/routes", optional = true }
+upub-worker = { path = "upub/worker", optional = true }
 
 [features]
-default = ["serve", "migrate", "cli"]
+default = ["serve", "migrate", "cli", "worker"]
 serve = ["dep:upub-routes"]
 migrate = ["dep:upub-migrations"]
 cli = ["dep:upub-cli"]
+worker = ["dep:upub-worker"]
diff --git a/main.rs b/main.rs
index 171d559..6156053 100644
--- a/main.rs
+++ b/main.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ use upub_migrations as migrations;
 #[cfg(feature = "serve")]
 use upub_routes as routes;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "worker")]
+use upub_worker as worker;
+
 
 #[derive(Parser)]
 /// all names were taken
@@ -53,13 +56,52 @@ enum Mode {
 		command: cli::CliCommand,
 	},
 
+	#[cfg(all(feature = "serve", feature = "worker"))]
+	/// start both api routes and background workers
+	Monolith {
+		#[arg(short, long, default_value="127.0.0.1:3000")]
+		/// addr to bind and serve onto
+		bind: String,
+
+		#[arg(short, long, default_value_t = 4)]
+		/// how many concurrent jobs to process with this worker
+		tasks: usize,
+
+		#[arg(short, long, default_value_t = 20)]
+		/// interval for polling new tasks
+		poll: u64,
+	},
+
 	#[cfg(feature = "serve")]
-	/// run fediverse server
+	/// start api routes server
 	Serve {
 		#[arg(short, long, default_value="127.0.0.1:3000")]
 		/// addr to bind and serve onto
 		bind: String,
 	},
+
+	#[cfg(feature = "worker")]
+	/// start background job worker
+	Work {
+		/// only run tasks of this type, run all if not given
+		filter: Filter,
+
+		/// how many concurrent jobs to process with this worker
+		#[arg(short, long, default_value_t = 4)]
+		tasks: usize,
+
+		#[arg(short, long, default_value_t = 20)]
+		/// interval for polling new tasks
+		poll: u64,
+	},
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, clap::ValueEnum)]
+enum Filter {
+	All,
+	Local,
+	Inbound,
+	Outbound,
 }
 
 #[tokio::main]
@@ -118,5 +160,29 @@ async fn main() {
 		Mode::Serve { bind } =>
 			routes::serve(ctx, bind)
 				.await.expect("failed serving api routes"),
+
+		#[cfg(feature = "worker")]
+		Mode::Work { filter, tasks, poll } =>
+			worker::spawn(ctx, tasks, poll, filter.into())
+				.await.expect("failed running worker"),
+
+		#[cfg(all(feature = "serve", feature = "worker"))]
+		Mode::Monolith { bind, tasks, poll } => {
+			worker::spawn(ctx.clone(), tasks, poll, None);
+
+			routes::serve(ctx, bind)
+				.await.expect("failed serving api routes");
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+impl From<Filter> for Option<upub::model::job::JobType> {
+	fn from(value: Filter) -> Self {
+		match value {
+			Filter::All => None,
+			Filter::Local => Some(upub::model::job::JobType::Local),
+			Filter::Inbound => Some(upub::model::job::JobType::Inbound),
+			Filter::Outbound => Some(upub::model::job::JobType::Outbound),
+		}
 	}
 }