diff --git a/src/Core/Worker.php b/src/Core/Worker.php
index 0c6b67f85..d7eaeb15e 100644
--- a/src/Core/Worker.php
+++ b/src/Core/Worker.php
@@ -1379,10 +1379,11 @@ class Worker
 	/**
 	 * Defers the current worker entry
 	 *
+	 * @param int $worker_defer_limit Maximum defer limit 
 	 * @return boolean had the entry been deferred?
 	 * @throws \Exception
 	 */
-	public static function defer(): bool
+	public static function defer(int $worker_defer_limit = 0): bool
 	{
 		$queue = DI::app()->getQueue();
 
@@ -1395,6 +1396,10 @@ class Worker
 
 		$max_level = DI::config()->get('system', 'worker_defer_limit');
 
+		if ($worker_defer_limit) {
+			$max_level = min($worker_defer_limit, $max_level);
+		}
+
 		$new_retrial = self::getNextRetrial($queue, $max_level);
 
 		if ($new_retrial > $max_level) {
diff --git a/src/Worker/Contact/RevokeFollow.php b/src/Worker/Contact/RevokeFollow.php
index 51116ac64..714866f42 100644
--- a/src/Worker/Contact/RevokeFollow.php
+++ b/src/Worker/Contact/RevokeFollow.php
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ use Friendica\Network\HTTPException;
 
 class RevokeFollow
 {
+	const WORKER_DEFER_LIMIT = 5;
+
 	/**
 	 * Issue asynchronous follow revocation message to remote servers.
 	 * The local relationship has already been updated, so we can't use the user-specific contact
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ class RevokeFollow
 		}
 
 		if (!Protocol::revokeFollow($contact, $owner)) {
-			Worker::defer();
+			Worker::defer(self::WORKER_DEFER_LIMIT);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/Worker/Contact/Unfollow.php b/src/Worker/Contact/Unfollow.php
index 20170be56..8956d882d 100644
--- a/src/Worker/Contact/Unfollow.php
+++ b/src/Worker/Contact/Unfollow.php
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ use Friendica\Model\User;
 
 class Unfollow
 {
+	const WORKER_DEFER_LIMIT = 5;
+
 	/**
 	 * Issue asynchronous unfollow message to remote servers.
 	 * The local relationship has already been updated, so we can't use the user-specific contact.
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ class Unfollow
 
 		$result = Protocol::unfollow($contact, $owner);
 		if ($result === false) {
-			Worker::defer();
+			Worker::defer(self::WORKER_DEFER_LIMIT);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/Worker/FetchMissingActivity.php b/src/Worker/FetchMissingActivity.php
index d48d834c6..4d1b23b06 100644
--- a/src/Worker/FetchMissingActivity.php
+++ b/src/Worker/FetchMissingActivity.php
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ use Friendica\Protocol\ActivityPub\Receiver;
 
 class FetchMissingActivity
 {
+	const WORKER_DEFER_LIMIT = 5;
+
 	/**
 	 * Fetch missing activities
 	 * @param string $url Contact URL
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ class FetchMissingActivity
 		$result = ActivityPub\Processor::fetchMissingActivity($url, $child, $relay_actor, $completion);
 		if ($result) {
 			Logger::info('Successfully fetched missing activity', ['url' => $url]);
-		} elseif (!Worker::defer()) {
+		} elseif (!Worker::defer(self::WORKER_DEFER_LIMIT)) {
 			Logger::info('Activity could not be fetched', ['url' => $url]);
 
 			// recursively delete all entries that belong to this worker task