diff --git a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
index 30cbe1149..0857378d1 100644
--- a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
         #only do it if it is an email address
         if diaspora_id?(params[:q])
           people = Person.where(:diaspora_handle => params[:q].downcase)
-          webfinger(params[:q]) if people.empty?
+          Webfinger.in_background(params[:q]) if people.empty?
         else
           people = Person.search(params[:q], current_user)
         end
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
         #only do it if it is an email address
         if diaspora_id?(params[:q])
           people = Person.where(:diaspora_handle => params[:q])
-          webfinger(params[:q]) if people.empty?
+          Webfinger.in_background(params[:q]) if people.empty?
         else
           people = Person.search(params[:q], current_user)
         end
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
 
   def retrieve_remote
     if params[:diaspora_handle]
-      webfinger(params[:diaspora_handle], :single_aspect_form => true)
+      Webfinger.in_background(params[:diaspora_handle], :single_aspect_form => true)
       render :nothing => true
     else
       render :nothing => true, :status => 422
@@ -161,7 +161,6 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
       @contact = current_user.contact_for(@person) || Contact.new
       render :partial => 'aspect_membership_dropdown', :locals => {:contact => @contact, :person => @person, :hang => 'left'}
     end
-    Webfinger.new(account, opts)
   end
 
   def diaspora_id?(query)
@@ -169,9 +168,6 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   private
-  def webfinger(account, opts = {})
-    Webfinger.new(account, opts)
-  end
 
   def remote_profile_with_no_user_session?
     @person && @person.remote? && !user_signed_in?
diff --git a/app/models/jobs/fetch_webfinger.rb b/app/models/jobs/fetch_webfinger.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b4aec6d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/jobs/fetch_webfinger.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#   Copyright (c) 2010-2011, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
+#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
+#   the COPYRIGHT file.
+
+require 'lib/webfinger'
+module Jobs
+  class FetchWebfinger < Base
+    @queue = :socket_webfinger
+
+    def self.perform(account)
+      Webfinger.new(account).fetch
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/webfinger.rb b/lib/webfinger.rb
index d22f7aba0..975557b40 100644
--- a/lib/webfinger.rb
+++ b/lib/webfinger.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ class Webfinger
     Rails.logger.info("event=webfinger status=initialized target=#{account}")
   end
 
+  def self.in_background(account, opts={})
+    Resque.enqueue(Jobs::FetchWebfinger, account)
+  end
+
   def fetch
     begin
       person = Person.by_account_identifier(@account)
diff --git a/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb
index e776a4eb5..332033cd8 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/people_controller_spec.rb
@@ -385,11 +385,4 @@ describe PeopleController do
       @controller.diaspora_id?("ilya_2%3@joindiaspora.com").should be_false
     end
   end
-
-  describe '#webfinger' do
-    it 'calls Webfinger.new' do
-      Webfinger.should_receive(:new).with(@user.diaspora_handle, anything).once
-      get :retrieve_remote, :diaspora_handle => @user.diaspora_handle
-    end
-  end
 end