diff --git a/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon
index d09664ce..5cd4584e 100755
--- a/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon
+++ b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon
@@ -10,15 +10,14 @@ use Role::Tiny;
 use Try::Tiny;
 
 my $pp = Parallel::Prefork->new(
-  max_workers => (setting('daemon_workers') || 2),
+  max_workers => (setting('daemon_workers') || 5),
   spawn_interval => 1,
-  before_fork => \&next_worker_role,
+  before_fork => \&set_next_worker_role,
   after_fork  => \&register_worker,
   on_child_reap => \&unregister_worker,
   trap_signals => {
     TERM => 'TERM',
     INT  => 'TERM',
-    HUP  =>  undef, # catch but don't relay to workers
   },
 );
 
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ newdaemon(
 );
 
 sub gd_preconfig {
-  my $self = shift;
+  my $gd = shift;
   my $daemon = schema('daemon');
 
   # deploy the daemon's local DB schema
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ sub gd_preconfig {
   }
 
   # used for locking jobs in central Pg queue
-  $self->{nd_host} = hostfqdn;
+  $gd->{nd_host} = hostfqdn;
 
   # do not remove this line - required by Daemon::Generic
   return ();
@@ -60,25 +59,25 @@ sub gd_preconfig {
 
 # main loop
 sub gd_run_body {
-  my $self = shift;
+  my $gd = shift;
 
-  $self->handle_term
+  $gd->handle_term
     if $pp->signal_received =~ m/^(?:TERM|INT)$/;
 
-  $self->handle_hup
+  $gd->handle_hup
     if $pp->signal_received eq 'HUP';
 
   if ($pp->num_workers < $pp->max_workers) {
       $pp->start and return;
       with "Netdisco::Daemon::Worker::$next_role";
-      print STDERR ">>> I am a $next_role Worker\n";
-      $self->worker_body;
+      print STDERR ">>> new $next_role worker started.\n";
+      $gd->worker_body;
       $pp->finish;
   }
 
   # I don't think Parallel::Prefork ever returns from start()
   # until a child exits. Not sure this is ever reached.
-  $self->gd_sleep( setting('daemon_sleep_time') || 5 );
+  $gd->gd_sleep( setting('daemon_sleep_time') || 5 );
 }
 
 sub register_worker {
@@ -100,40 +99,34 @@ sub unregister_worker {
   catch { warn "error reverting jobs for pid $pid: $_\n" };
 }
 
-sub next_worker_role {
-  my $self = shift;
+sub set_next_worker_role {
+  my $pp = shift;
+  $next_role = _find_next_worker_role();
+}
 
+sub _find_next_worker_role {
   my @cur = values %workers;
   my $manager = scalar grep {$_ eq 'Manager'} @cur;
   my $poller  = scalar grep {$_ eq 'Poller'} @cur;
   my $inter   = scalar grep {$_ eq 'Interactive'} @cur;
 
-  if ($manager < 1) {
-      $next_role = 'Manager';
-      return;
-  }
+  return 'Manager' if $manager < 1;
 
-  my $need_poller  = $poller < (setting('daemon_pollers') || 0);
-  my $need_inter   = $inter < (setting('daemon_interactive') || 2);
+  my $need_poller  = $poller < (setting('daemon_pollers') || 2);
+  my $need_inter   = $inter < (setting('daemon_interactives') || 2);
 
   if ($need_poller and $need_inter) {
-      $next_role = (int(rand(2)) ? 'Interactive' : 'Poller');
-      return;
+      return (int(rand(2)) ? 'Interactive' : 'Poller');
   }
 
-  $next_role = 'Interactive' if $need_inter;
-  $next_role = 'Poller' if $need_poller;
-}
-
-sub handle_hup {
-  my $self = shift;
-  print "HUP is not supported. Please <restart> instead.\n";
+  return 'Interactive' if $need_inter;
+  return 'Poller' if $need_poller;
 }
 
 sub handle_term {
-  my $self = shift;
+  my $gd = shift;
   $pp->wait_all_children;
-  $self->gd_quit_event
+  $gd->gd_quit_event
 }
 
 # in case we screw up and die ourselves
diff --git a/Netdisco/config.yml b/Netdisco/config.yml
index 50225a7d..518bed90 100644
--- a/Netdisco/config.yml
+++ b/Netdisco/config.yml
@@ -27,3 +27,8 @@ engines:
     end_tag:   '%]'
     PRE_CHOMP: 1
 
+# how many daemon processes
+# NB one worker will always be a Queue Manager
+daemon_workers: 2
+daemon_pollers: 0
+daemon_interactives: 2