diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5f0035c334..b69f193a7f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ dummyusers:
 	cd contentcuration/ && python manage.py loaddata contentcuration/fixtures/admin_user_token.json
 
 prodceleryworkers:
-	cd contentcuration/ && celery -A contentcuration worker -l info --concurrency=3 --task-events --without-mingle --without-gossip
+	cd contentcuration/ && celery -A contentcuration worker -l info --concurrency=3 --task-events
 
 prodcelerydashboard:
 	# connect to the celery dashboard by visiting http://localhost:5555
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/app.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/app.py
index 5653ee4f7a..6be59ca3f3 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/app.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/app.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import base64
+import json
+
 from celery import Celery
 
 from contentcuration.utils.celery.tasks import CeleryTask
@@ -18,3 +21,26 @@ def on_init(self):
     @property
     def AsyncResult(self):
         return self._result_cls
+
+    def get_queued_tasks(self, queue_name="celery"):
+        """
+        Returns the list of tasks in the queue.
+
+        Use `app.control.inspect()` to get information about tasks no longer in the queue
+
+        :param queue_name: The queue name, defaults to the default "celery" queue
+        :return: dict[]
+        """
+        decoded_tasks = []
+        with self.pool.acquire(block=True) as conn:
+            tasks = conn.default_channel.client.lrange(queue_name, 0, -1)
+
+        for task in tasks:
+            try:
+                j = json.loads(task)
+                body = json.loads(base64.b64decode(j['body']))
+                decoded_tasks.append(body)
+            except (TypeError, json.JSONDecodeError, AttributeError):
+                pass
+
+        return decoded_tasks
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/tasks.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/tasks.py
index f98ae4af5b..92ae0b68fe 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/tasks.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/utils/celery/tasks.py
@@ -76,6 +76,11 @@ def my_task(self):
     # custom task option
     track_progress = False
 
+    # ensure our tasks are restarted if they're interrupted
+    acks_late = True
+    acks_on_failure_or_timeout = True
+    reject_on_worker_lost = True
+
     _progress_tracker = None
 
     def after_return(self, status, retval, task_id, args, kwargs, einfo):