diff --git a/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg
index 5cfcb5eb..a3a8f618 100755
--- a/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg
+++ b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg
@@ -41,24 +41,23 @@ setpgrp(0,0); # only portable variety of setpgrp
 prctl 'netdisco-daemon: master';
 
 # shared local job queue
-my $Q = MCE::Queue->new;
+my $queue = MCE::Queue->new;
 
 mce_flow {
   task_name => [qw/ scheduler manager poller /],
-  max_workers => [ 1, 1, 'AUTO * 2' ], # FIXME allow setting override
+  max_workers => [ 1, 1, setting('workers')->{pollers} ],
   tmp_dir => $tmp_dir,
-  on_post_exit => sub { MCE->restart_worker() },
+  on_post_exit => sub { MCE->restart_worker },
 }, _mk_wkr('Scheduler'), _mk_wkr('Manager'), _mk_wkr('Poller');
 
 sub _mk_wkr {
   my $role = shift;
   return sub {
     my $self = shift;
-    my $wid = $self->wid;
-    $self->{Q} = $Q; # FIXME make it a method
+    $self->{queue} = $queue;
 
-    prctl sprintf 'netdisco-daemon: worker #%s %s: init', $wid, lc($role);
-    info "applying role $role to worker $wid";
+    prctl sprintf 'netdisco-daemon: worker #%s %s: init', MCE->wid, lc($role);
+    info sprintf 'applying role %s to worker %s', $role, MCE->wid;
 
     # post-fork, become manager, scheduler, poller, etc
     Role::Tiny->apply_roles_to_object(
@@ -69,81 +68,6 @@ sub _mk_wkr {
   };
 }
 
-#use List::Util 'sum';
-#sub num_workers {
-#  return sum( 0, map { setting('workers')->{$_} }
-#                     values %{setting('job_type_keys')} );
-#}
-
-#sub restart_this_worker {
-#  my ($self, $e) = @_;
-#  reset_jobs($e->{wid});
-#
-#  debug "restarting worker ". MCE->wid();
-#  MCE->restart_worker();
-#  $self->restart_worker($e->{wid});
-#}
-
-#sub build_tasks_list {
-#  # NB MCE does not like max_workers => 0
-#  my $tasks = [];
-#
-#  push @$tasks, {
-#    max_workers => 1,
-#    user_begin => worker_factory('Manager'),
-#  } if num_workers() > 0;
-#
-#  push @$tasks, {
-#    max_workers => 1,
-#    user_begin => worker_factory('Scheduler'),
-#  } if setting('schedule');
-#
-#  my @logmsg = ();
-#  foreach my $key (keys %{setting('job_type_keys')}) {
-#      my $val = setting('job_type_keys')->{$key};
-#
-#      setting('workers')->{$val} = 2
-#        if !defined setting('workers')->{$val};
-#
-#      push @logmsg, setting('workers')->{$val} ." $key";
-#      push @$tasks, {
-#        max_workers => setting('workers')->{$val},
-#        user_begin => worker_factory($key),
-#      } if setting('workers')->{$val};
-#  }
-#
-#  info sprintf "MCE will load: %s Manager, %s Scheduler, %s",
-#    (num_workers() ? 1 : 0),
-#    (setting('schedule') ? 1 : 0),
-#    (join ', ', @logmsg);
-#
-#  return $tasks;
-#}
-
-#sub worker_factory {
-#  my $role = shift;
-#  return sub {
-#    my $self = shift;
-#    my $wid = $self->wid;
-#    prctl sprintf 'netdisco-daemon: worker #%s %s: init', $wid, lc($role);
-#    info "applying role $role to worker $wid";
-#
-#    # $self->sendto('stderr', ">>> worker $wid starting with role $role\n");
-#    Role::Tiny->apply_roles_to_object($self, "App::Netdisco::Daemon::Worker::$role");
-#
-#    $self->worker_begin if $self->can('worker_begin');
-#  };
-#}
-
-#my $mce = MCE->new(
-#  spawn_delay => 0.15,
-#  job_delay   => 1.15,
-#  tmp_dir     => $tmp_dir,
-#  user_func    => sub { $_[0]->worker_body },
-#  on_post_exit => \&restart_this_worker,
-#  user_tasks   => build_tasks_list(),
-#)->run();
-
 =head1 NAME
 
 netdisco-daemon-fg - Job Control for Netdisco
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Configuration.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Configuration.pm
index 504c6aca..8e22995e 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Configuration.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Configuration.pm
@@ -48,8 +48,16 @@ setting('plugins')->{DBIC}->{daemon} = {
 
 # defaults for workers
 setting('workers')->{queue} ||= 'PostgreSQL';
-setting('workers')->{interactives} = 1
-  if setting('workers') and not exists setting('workers')->{interactives};
+if (exists setting('workers')->{interactives}
+    or exists setting('workers')->{pollers}) {
+
+    setting('workers')->{pollers} = (
+      (setting('workers')->{pollers} || 0)
+      .' + '. (setting('workers')->{interactives} || 0)
+    ) if setting('workers')->{interactives};
+
+    delete setting('workers')->{interactives};
+}
 
 # force skipped DNS resolution, if unset
 setting('dns')->{hosts_file} ||= '/etc/hosts';
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Common.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Common.pm
index edc0bda5..c0394b70 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Common.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Common.pm
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ sub worker_body {
 
   while (1) {
       prctl sprintf 'netdisco-daemon: worker #%s %s: idle', $wid, lc($type);
-      my $jobs = [ $self->{Q}->dequeue(1) ]; # FIXME multiple take, take type, thaw
+      my $jobs = [ $self->{queue}->dequeue(1) ]; # FIXME multiple take, take type, thaw
 
       foreach my $job (@$jobs) {
           next unless defined $job;
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
index ea1a9d04..830950a0 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ sub worker_begin {
   if (scalar @jobs) {
       info sprintf "mgr (%s): found %s jobs booked to this processing node",
         $wid, scalar @jobs;
-      $self->{Q}->enqueue(@jobs); # FIXME priority and freeze
+      $self->{queue}->enqueue(@jobs); # FIXME priority and freeze
   }
 }
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ sub worker_body {
     if setting('workers')->{'no_manager'};
 
   # FIXME really the best strategy?
-  my $num_slots = (MCE::Util::get_ncpu() * 2) - $self->{Q}->pending();
+  my $num_slots = (MCE::Util::get_ncpu() * 2) - $self->{queue}->pending();
 
   while (1) {
       debug "mgr ($wid): getting potential jobs for $num_slots workers";
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ sub worker_body {
             $wid, $job->id;
 
           # copy job to local queue
-          $self->{Q}->enqueue($job); # FIXME priority and freeze
+          $self->{queue}->enqueue($job); # FIXME priority and freeze
       }
 
       debug "mgr ($wid): sleeping now...";
diff --git a/Netdisco/share/config.yml b/Netdisco/share/config.yml
index 397a344f..4c70e44f 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/config.yml
+++ b/Netdisco/share/config.yml
@@ -170,8 +170,7 @@ port_control_reasons:
 # --------------
 
 workers:
-  interactives: 1
-  pollers: 10
+  pollers: 'AUTO * 2'
   sleep_time: 1
   queue: PostgreSQL