diff --git a/src/Model/Item.php b/src/Model/Item.php
index 72d7c364bc..cb5857388a 100644
--- a/src/Model/Item.php
+++ b/src/Model/Item.php
@@ -2881,10 +2881,10 @@ class Item
 		return $recipients;
 	}
 
-	public static function expire(int $uid, int $days, string $network = "", bool $force = false)
+	public static function expire(int $uid, int $days, string $network = "", bool $force = false): int
 	{
 		if (!$uid || ($days < 1)) {
-			return;
+			return 0;
 		}
 
 		$condition = [
@@ -2913,7 +2913,7 @@ class Item
 		$items = Post::select(['resource-id', 'starred', 'id', 'post-type', 'uid', 'uri-id'], $condition);
 
 		if (!DBA::isResult($items)) {
-			return;
+			return 0;
 		}
 
 		$expire_items = (bool)DI::pConfig()->get($uid, 'expire', 'items', true);
@@ -2955,6 +2955,7 @@ class Item
 		}
 		DBA::close($items);
 		Logger::notice('Expired', ['user' => $uid, 'days' => $days, 'network' => $network, 'force' => $force, 'expired' => $expired, 'expire items' => $expire_items, 'expire notes' => $expire_notes, 'expire starred' => $expire_starred, 'expire photos' => $expire_photos, 'condition' => $condition]);
+		return $expired;
 	}
 
 	public static function firstPostDate(int $uid, bool $wall = false)
diff --git a/src/Worker/Cron.php b/src/Worker/Cron.php
index a0dcfc2f71..1c21bf5065 100644
--- a/src/Worker/Cron.php
+++ b/src/Worker/Cron.php
@@ -107,12 +107,16 @@ class Cron
 
 			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'ExpireSearchIndex');
 
+			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'Expire');
+
 			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'RemoveUnusedTags');
 
 			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'RemoveUnusedContacts');
 
 			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'RemoveUnusedAvatars');
 
+			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'NodeInfo');
+
 			// check upstream version?
 			Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'CheckVersion');
 
diff --git a/src/Worker/Expire.php b/src/Worker/Expire.php
index 6f2d0edae1..e7d77fdbd7 100644
--- a/src/Worker/Expire.php
+++ b/src/Worker/Expire.php
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ class Expire
 			$user = DBA::selectFirst('user', ['uid', 'username', 'expire'], ['uid' => $param]);
 			if (DBA::isResult($user)) {
 				Logger::info('Expire items', ['user' => $user['uid'], 'username' => $user['username'], 'interval' => $user['expire']]);
-				Item::expire($user['uid'], $user['expire']);
-				Logger::info('Expire items done', ['user' => $user['uid'], 'username' => $user['username'], 'interval' => $user['expire']]);
+				$expired = Item::expire($user['uid'], $user['expire']);
+				Logger::info('Expire items done', ['user' => $user['uid'], 'username' => $user['username'], 'interval' => $user['expire'], 'expired' => $expired]);
 			}
 			return;
 		} elseif ($param == 'hook' && !empty($hook_function)) {
diff --git a/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php b/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php
index 582888a78f..c05a92f80a 100644
--- a/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php
+++ b/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php
@@ -27,32 +27,36 @@ class ExpirePosts
 	 */
 	public static function execute()
 	{
+		Logger::notice('Expire posts - start');
+
 		if (!DBA::acquireOptimizeLock()) {
 			Logger::warning('Lock could not be acquired');
+			Worker::defer();
 			return;
 		}
 
+		Logger::notice('Expire posts - Delete expired origin posts');
 		self::deleteExpiredOriginPosts();
 
+		Logger::notice('Expire posts - Delete orphaned entries');
 		self::deleteOrphanedEntries();
 
+		Logger::notice('Expire posts - delete unused item-uri entries');
 		self::deleteUnusedItemUri();
 
+		Logger::notice('Expire posts - delete external posts');
 		self::deleteExpiredExternalPosts();
 
 		if (DI::config()->get('system', 'add_missing_posts')) {
+			Logger::notice('Expire posts - add missing posts');
 			self::addMissingEntries();
 		}
 
+		Logger::notice('Expire posts - delete unused attachments');
 		self::deleteUnusedAttachments();
 
 		DBA::releaseOptimizeLock();
-
-		// Set the expiry for origin posts
-		Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'Expire');
-
-		// update nodeinfo data after everything is cleaned up
-		Worker::add(Worker::PRIORITY_LOW, 'NodeInfo');
+		Logger::notice('Expire posts - done');
 	}
 
 	/**