diff --git a/include/discover_poco.php b/include/discover_poco.php
index 7dbafcafd..68f483dab 100644
--- a/include/discover_poco.php
+++ b/include/discover_poco.php
@@ -38,23 +38,26 @@ function discover_poco_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 	if(($argc > 2) && ($argv[1] == "dirsearch")) {
 		$search = urldecode($argv[2]);
-		$searchmode = 1;
+		$mode = 1;
+	} elseif(($argc == 2) && ($argv[1] == "checkcontact")) {
+		$mode = 2;
 	} elseif ($argc == 1) {
 		$search = "";
-		$searchmode = 0;
+		$mode = 0;
 	} else
 		die("Unknown or missing parameter ".$argv[1]."\n");
 
 	$lockpath = get_lockpath();
 	if ($lockpath != '') {
-		$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'discover_poco'.urlencode($search));
+		$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'discover_poco'.$mode.urlencode($search));
 		if($pidfile->is_already_running()) {
 			logger("discover_poco: Already running");
 			if ($pidfile->running_time() > 19*60) {
                                 $pidfile->kill();
                                 logger("discover_poco: killed stale process");
 				// Calling a new instance
-				proc_run('php','include/discover_poco.php');
+				if ($mode == 0)
+					proc_run('php','include/discover_poco.php');
                         }
 			exit;
 		}
@@ -66,9 +69,11 @@ function discover_poco_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 	logger('start '.$search);
 
-	if (($search != "") and get_config('system','poco_local_search'))
+	if (($mode == 2) AND get_config('system','poco_completion'))
+		discover_users();
+	elseif (($mode == 1) AND ($search != "") and get_config('system','poco_local_search'))
 		discover_directory($search);
-	elseif (($search == "") and get_config('system','poco_discovery') > 0)
+	elseif (($mode == 0) AND ($search == "") and (get_config('system','poco_discovery') > 0))
 		poco_discover();
 
 	logger('end '.$search);
@@ -76,6 +81,21 @@ function discover_poco_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	return;
 }
 
+function discover_users() {
+	$users = q("SELECT `url` FROM `gcontact` WHERE `updated` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' AND
+			`last_contact` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' AND `last_failure` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' AND
+			`network` IN ('%s', '%s', '%s') ORDER BY rand() LIMIT 50",
+			dbesc(NETWORK_DFRN), dbesc(NETWORK_DIASPORA), dbesc(NETWORK_OSTATUS));
+
+	if (!$users)
+		return;
+
+	foreach ($users AS $user) {
+		logger('Check user '.$user["url"]);
+		poco_last_updated($user["url"]);
+	}
+}
+
 function discover_directory($search) {
 
 	$data = Cache::get("dirsearch:".$search);
diff --git a/include/poller.php b/include/poller.php
index 44ac94daa..7cc1a2852 100644
--- a/include/poller.php
+++ b/include/poller.php
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ function poller_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 
 	proc_run('php',"include/discover_poco.php");
 
+	// run the process to update locally stored global contacts in the background
+
+	proc_run('php',"include/discover_poco.php", "checkcontact");
+
 	// expire any expired accounts
 
 	q("UPDATE user SET `account_expired` = 1 where `account_expired` = 0
diff --git a/include/socgraph.php b/include/socgraph.php
index 0c78cfe23..53763626d 100644
--- a/include/socgraph.php
+++ b/include/socgraph.php
@@ -266,17 +266,17 @@ function poco_check($profile_url, $name, $network, $profile_photo, $about, $loca
 	poco_check_server($server_url, $network);
 
 	// Fetch last update manually if it is enabled in the system
-	if (get_config('system','poco_completion') AND ($orig_updated == "0000-00-00 00:00:00")
-		AND poco_do_update($created, $updated, $last_failure, $last_contact)
-		AND poco_reachable($profile_url, $server_url, $network)) {
-		$last_updated = poco_last_updated($profile_url);
-		if ($last_updated) {
-			$updated = $last_updated;
-			$last_contact = datetime_convert();
-			logger("Last updated for profile ".$profile_url.": ".$updated, LOGGER_DEBUG);
-		} else
-			$last_failure = datetime_convert();
-	}
+	//if (get_config('system','poco_completion') AND ($orig_updated == "0000-00-00 00:00:00")
+	//	AND poco_do_update($created, $updated, $last_failure, $last_contact)
+	//	AND poco_reachable($profile_url, $server_url, $network)) {
+	//	$last_updated = poco_last_updated($profile_url);
+	//	if ($last_updated) {
+	//		$updated = $last_updated;
+	//		$last_contact = datetime_convert();
+	//		logger("Last updated for profile ".$profile_url.": ".$updated, LOGGER_DEBUG);
+	//	} else
+	//		$last_failure = datetime_convert();
+	//}
 
 	if(count($x)) {
 		$gcid = $x[0]['id'];