diff --git a/config/initializers/resque.rb b/config/initializers/resque.rb
index 48336f818..22be0cec2 100644
--- a/config/initializers/resque.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/resque.rb
@@ -5,10 +5,16 @@ require 'resque'
 
 begin
   if Diaspora::Application.config.work_in_process
+    if Rails.env == 'production'
+      puts "WARNING: You are running Diaspora in production without Resque workers turned on.  Please don't do this."
+    end
+
     module Resque
       def enqueue(klass, *args)
         klass.send(:perform, *args)
       end
     end
   end
+rescue
+  nil
 end
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/web_socket.rb b/lib/diaspora/web_socket.rb
index f27527ca8..9df317df2 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/web_socket.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/web_socket.rb
@@ -60,11 +60,19 @@ module Diaspora
 
   module Socketable
     def socket_to_user(user_or_id, opts={})
-      SocketsController.new.outgoing(user_or_id, self, opts)
+      begin
+        SocketsController.new.outgoing(user_or_id, self, opts)
+      rescue
+        nil
+      end
     end
 
     def unsocket_from_user(user_or_id, opts={})
-      SocketsController.new.outgoing(user_or_id, Retraction.for(self), opts)
+      begin
+        SocketsController.new.outgoing(user_or_id, Retraction.for(self), opts)
+      rescue
+        nil
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora/web_socket_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora/web_socket_spec.rb
index 551b874d0..37fda4e68 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora/web_socket_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora/web_socket_spec.rb
@@ -63,4 +63,11 @@ describe Diaspora::Socketable do
     Diaspora::WebSocket.should_receive(:queue_to_user)
     @post.socket_to_user(@user, :aspect_ids => @aspect.id)
   end
+
+  it 'no-ops if redis isnt present' do
+    Diaspora::WebSocket.stub(:redis).and_return(nil)
+    lambda {
+      @post.socket_to_user(@user, :aspect_ids => @aspect.id)
+    }.should_not raise_error
+  end
 end