diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index 5cc059d..9c9ea7c 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ void notify(snac *snac, char *type, char *utype, char *actor, char *msg)
         body = xs_str_cat(body, s1);
     }
 
-    enqueue_email(snac, body, 0);
+    enqueue_email(body, 0);
 }
 
 
@@ -1137,26 +1137,6 @@ void process_user_queue_item(snac *snac, xs_dict *q_item)
             }
         }
     }
-    else
-    if (strcmp(type, "email") == 0) {
-        /* send this email */
-        xs_str *msg = xs_dict_get(q_item, "message");
-        int retries = xs_number_get(xs_dict_get(q_item, "retries"));
-
-        if (!send_email(msg))
-            snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("email message sent"));
-        else {
-            if (retries > queue_retry_max)
-                snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("process_queue email giving up (errno: %d)", errno));
-            else {
-                /* requeue */
-                snac_log(snac, xs_fmt(
-                    "process_queue email requeue #%d (errno: %d)", retries + 1, errno));
-
-                enqueue_email(snac, msg, retries + 1);
-            }
-        }
-    }
 }
 
 
@@ -1184,6 +1164,30 @@ void process_user_queue(snac *snac)
 void process_queue_item(xs_dict *q_item)
 /* processes an item from the global queue */
 {
+    char *type = xs_dict_get(q_item, "type");
+    int queue_retry_max = xs_number_get(xs_dict_get(srv_config, "queue_retry_max"));
+
+    if (strcmp(type, "email") == 0) {
+        /* send this email */
+        xs_str *msg = xs_dict_get(q_item, "message");
+        int retries = xs_number_get(xs_dict_get(q_item, "retries"));
+
+        if (!send_email(msg))
+            srv_debug(1, xs_fmt("email message sent"));
+        else {
+            retries++;
+
+            if (retries > queue_retry_max)
+                srv_log(xs_fmt("process_queue email giving up (errno: %d)", errno));
+            else {
+                /* requeue */
+                srv_log(xs_fmt(
+                    "process_queue email requeue #%d (errno: %d)", retries, errno));
+
+                enqueue_email(msg, retries);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 96583aa..da8d422 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -1389,16 +1389,16 @@ void enqueue_output_by_actor(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_str *actor, int retrie
 }
 
 
-void enqueue_email(snac *snac, xs_str *msg, int retries)
+void enqueue_email(xs_str *msg, int retries)
 /* enqueues an email message to be sent */
 {
     xs *qmsg   = _new_qmsg("email", msg, retries);
     char *ntid = xs_dict_get(qmsg, "ntid");
-    xs *fn     = xs_fmt("%s/queue/%s.json", snac->basedir, ntid);
+    xs *fn     = xs_fmt("%s/queue/%s.json", srv_basedir, ntid);
 
     qmsg = _enqueue_put(fn, qmsg);
 
-    snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("enqueue_email %d", retries));
+    srv_debug(1, xs_fmt("enqueue_email %d", retries));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/httpd.c b/httpd.c
index c47b841..7932982 100644
--- a/httpd.c
+++ b/httpd.c
@@ -280,6 +280,9 @@ static void *queue_thread(void *arg)
             }
         }
 
+        /* global queue */
+        process_queue();
+
         /* time to purge? */
         if ((t = time(NULL)) > purge_time) {
             pthread_t pth;
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index 55ed49d..78007f7 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -126,10 +126,11 @@ d_char *history_list(snac *snac);
 void enqueue_input(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_dict *req, int retries);
 void enqueue_output(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_str *inbox, int retries);
 void enqueue_output_by_actor(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_str *actor, int retries);
-void enqueue_email(snac *snac, xs_str *msg, int retries);
+void enqueue_email(xs_str *msg, int retries);
 void enqueue_message(snac *snac, char *msg);
 
 xs_list *user_queue(snac *snac);
+xs_list *queue(void);
 xs_dict *dequeue(const char *fn);
 
 void purge(snac *snac);
@@ -165,7 +166,11 @@ int send_to_inbox(snac *snac, char *inbox, char *msg, d_char **payload, int *p_s
 d_char *get_actor_inbox(snac *snac, char *actor);
 int send_to_actor(snac *snac, char *actor, char *msg, d_char **payload, int *p_size, int timeout);
 int is_msg_public(snac *snac, char *msg);
+
 void process_user_queue(snac *snac);
+
+void process_queue(void);
+
 void post(snac *snac, char *msg);
 int activitypub_get_handler(d_char *req, char *q_path,
                             char **body, int *b_size, char **ctype);