diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index b6a07c9..08f79ed 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -2244,6 +2244,22 @@ void process_user_queue_item(snac *snac, xs_dict *q_item)
     if (strcmp(type, "verify_links") == 0) {
         verify_links(snac);
     }
+    else
+    if (strcmp(type, "actor_request") == 0) {
+        const char *actor = xs_dict_get(q_item, "actor");
+        double mtime = object_mtime(actor);
+        double max_time = 3600.0 * 36.0;
+
+        if (mtime + max_time < (double) time(NULL)) {
+            xs *actor_o = NULL;
+            int status;
+
+            if (valid_status((status = activitypub_request(snac, actor, &actor_o))))
+                actor_add(actor, actor_o);
+
+            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("refresh actor %s %d", actor, status));
+        }
+    }
     else
         snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("unexpected user q_item type '%s'", type));
 }
diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 44ce628..77d81d5 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -797,6 +797,20 @@ double object_ctime(const char *id)
 }
 
 
+double object_mtime_by_md5(const char *md5)
+{
+    xs *fn = _object_fn_by_md5(md5, "object_mtime_by_md5");
+    return mtime(fn);
+}
+
+
+double object_mtime(const char *id)
+{
+    xs *md5 = xs_md5_hex(id, strlen(id));
+    return object_mtime_by_md5(md5);
+}
+
+
 xs_str *_object_index_fn(const char *id, const char *idxsfx)
 /* returns the filename of an object's index */
 {
@@ -1552,7 +1566,6 @@ int actor_get(const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
     else
         d = xs_free(d);
 
-#ifdef STALE_ACTORS
     xs *fn = _object_fn(actor);
     double max_time;
 
@@ -1561,13 +1574,20 @@ int actor_get(const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
 
     if (mtime(fn) + max_time < (double) time(NULL)) {
         /* actor data exists but also stinks */
-
-        /* touch the file */
-        utimes(fn, NULL);
-
         status = 205; /* "205: Reset Content" "110: Response Is Stale" */
     }
-#endif /* STALE_ACTORS */
+
+    return status;
+}
+
+
+int actor_get_refresh(snac *user, const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
+/* gets an actor and requests and refresh if it's stale */
+{
+    int status = actor_get(actor, data);
+
+    if (status == 205)
+        enqueue_actor_request(user, actor);
 
     return status;
 }
@@ -2429,6 +2449,21 @@ void enqueue_verify_links(snac *user)
 }
 
 
+void enqueue_actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor)
+/* enqueues an actor request */
+{
+    xs *qmsg   = _new_qmsg("actor_request", "", 0);
+    char *ntid = xs_dict_get(qmsg, "ntid");
+    xs *fn     = xs_fmt("%s/queue/%s.json", user->basedir, ntid);
+
+    qmsg = xs_dict_append(qmsg, "actor", actor);
+
+    qmsg = _enqueue_put(fn, qmsg);
+
+    snac_debug(user, 1, xs_fmt("enqueue_actor_request %s", user->actor));
+}
+
+
 void enqueue_request_replies(snac *user, const char *id)
 /* enqueues a request for the replies of a message */
 {
diff --git a/html.c b/html.c
index 59fd6c9..da37558 100644
--- a/html.c
+++ b/html.c
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ xs_html *html_msg_icon(snac *user, char *actor_id, const xs_dict *msg)
     xs *actor = NULL;
     xs_html *actor_icon = NULL;
 
-    if (actor_id && valid_status(actor_get(actor_id, &actor))) {
+    if (actor_id && valid_status(actor_get_refresh(user, actor_id, &actor))) {
         char *date  = NULL;
         char *udate = NULL;
         char *url   = NULL;
diff --git a/mastoapi.c b/mastoapi.c
index e14fc47..10fa40b 100644
--- a/mastoapi.c
+++ b/mastoapi.c
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ xs_dict *mastoapi_status(snac *snac, const xs_dict *msg)
 /* converts an ActivityPub note to a Mastodon status */
 {
     xs *actor = NULL;
-    actor_get(get_atto(msg), &actor);
+    actor_get_refresh(snac, get_atto(msg), &actor);
 
     /* if the author is not here, discard */
     if (actor == NULL)
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index f2bcedb..6876747 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ int object_del(const char *id);
 int object_del_if_unref(const char *id);
 double object_ctime_by_md5(const char *md5);
 double object_ctime(const char *id);
+double object_mtime_by_md5(const char *md5);
+double object_mtime(const char *id);
 int object_admire(const char *id, const char *actor, int like);
 int object_unadmire(const char *id, const char *actor, int like);
 
@@ -172,6 +174,7 @@ xs_list *tag_search(char *tag, int skip, int show);
 
 int actor_add(const char *actor, xs_dict *msg);
 int actor_get(const char *actor, xs_dict **data);
+int actor_get_refresh(snac *user, const char *actor, xs_dict **data);
 
 int static_get(snac *snac, const char *id, xs_val **data, int *size, const char *inm, xs_str **etag);
 void static_put(snac *snac, const char *id, const char *data, int size);
@@ -218,6 +221,7 @@ void enqueue_ntfy(const xs_str *msg, const char *ntfy_server, const char *ntfy_t
 void enqueue_message(snac *snac, const xs_dict *msg);
 void enqueue_close_question(snac *user, const char *id, int end_secs);
 void enqueue_verify_links(snac *user);
+void enqueue_actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor);
 void enqueue_request_replies(snac *user, const char *id);
 int was_question_voted(snac *user, const char *id);