diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
index 361d976e..d28f0ff1 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use App::Netdisco::Util::Daemon;
 use Role::Tiny;
 use namespace::clean;
 
-use App::Netdisco::JobQueue qw/jq_locked jq_getsome jq_lock/;
+use App::Netdisco::JobQueue qw/jq_locked jq_getsome jq_getsomep jq_lock/;
 use MCE::Util ();
 
 sub worker_begin {
@@ -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->{queue}->enqueue(@jobs);
+      $self->{queue}->enqueuep(100, @jobs);
   }
 }
 
@@ -40,15 +40,34 @@ sub worker_body {
       return debug "mgr ($wid): no need for manager... quitting"
   }
 
-  my $num_slots =
-    MCE::Util::_parse_max_workers( setting('workers')->{tasks} )
-      - $self->{queue}->pending();
-
   while (1) {
-      debug "mgr ($wid): getting potential jobs for $num_slots workers";
       prctl sprintf 'netdisco-daemon: worker #%s manager: gathering', $wid;
+      my $num_slots = 0;
 
-      # get some pending jobs
+      $num_slots =
+        MCE::Util::_parse_max_workers( setting('workers')->{tasks} )
+          - $self->{queue}->pending();
+      debug "mgr ($wid): getting potential jobs for $num_slots workers (HP)";
+
+      # get some high priority jobs
+      # TODO also check for stale jobs in Netdisco DB
+      foreach my $job ( jq_getsomep($num_slots) ) {
+
+          # mark job as running
+          next unless jq_lock($job);
+          info sprintf "mgr (%s): job %s booked out for this processing node",
+            $wid, $job->job;
+
+          # copy job to local queue
+          $self->{queue}->enqueuep(100, $job);
+      }
+
+      $num_slots =
+        MCE::Util::_parse_max_workers( setting('workers')->{tasks} )
+          - $self->{queue}->pending();
+      debug "mgr ($wid): getting potential jobs for $num_slots workers (NP)";
+
+      # get some normal priority jobs
       # TODO also check for stale jobs in Netdisco DB
       foreach my $job ( jq_getsome($num_slots) ) {
 
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue.pm
index d8485888..fd93e726 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue.pm
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use base 'Exporter';
 our @EXPORT = ();
 our @EXPORT_OK = qw/
   jq_getsome
+  jq_getsomep
   jq_locked
   jq_queued
   jq_log
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ Returns a list of randomly selected queued jobs. Default is to return one job,
 unless C<$num> is provided. Jobs are returned as objects which implement the
 Netdisco job instance interface (see below).
 
+=head2 jq_getsomep( $num? )
+
+Same as C<jq_getsome> but for high priority jobs.
+
 =head2 jq_locked()
 
 Returns the list of jobs currently booked out to this processing node (denoted
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue/PostgreSQL.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue/PostgreSQL.pm
index 03a93c3a..02d77d3a 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue/PostgreSQL.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/JobQueue/PostgreSQL.pm
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use base 'Exporter';
 our @EXPORT = ();
 our @EXPORT_OK = qw/
   jq_getsome
+  jq_getsomep
   jq_locked
   jq_queued
   jq_log
@@ -25,29 +26,26 @@ our @EXPORT_OK = qw/
 our %EXPORT_TAGS = ( all => \@EXPORT_OK );
 
 sub jq_getsome {
-  my $num_slots = shift;
+  my ($num_slots, $prio) = @_;
+  return () if defined $num_slots and $num_slots eq '0';
+  $num_slots ||= 1;
+  $prio ||= 'normal';
   my @returned = ();
 
   my $rs = schema('netdisco')->resultset('Admin')
     ->search(
-      {status => 'queued', action => { -in => setting('job_prio')->{high} } },
+      {status => 'queued', action => { -in => setting('job_prio')->{$prio} } },
       {order_by => 'random()', rows => ($num_slots || 1)},
     );
 
-  unless ($rs->count) {
-      $rs = schema('netdisco')->resultset('Admin')
-        ->search(
-          {status => 'queued', action => { -in => setting('job_prio')->{normal} } },
-          {order_by => 'random()', rows => ($num_slots || 1)},
-        );
-  }
-
   while (my $job = $rs->next) {
       push @returned, App::Netdisco::Daemon::Job->new({ $job->get_columns });
   }
   return @returned;
 }
 
+sub jq_getsomep { return jq_getsome(shift, 'high') }
+
 sub jq_locked {
   my $fqdn = hostfqdn || 'localhost';
   my @returned = ();