diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f769fa501..7c0119520 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -14,15 +14,14 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "activitypub_federation"
-version = "0.4.1"
+version = "0.4.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f85cab86a72489b908adfeec61a4f104124b01784b9a5bb721c988727c363dad"
+checksum = "27540f6c4b72c91176610ed5279061a021387f972c7c6f42c41032b78a808267"
 dependencies = [
  "activitystreams-kinds",
  "actix-web",
  "anyhow",
  "async-trait",
- "background-jobs",
  "base64 0.21.2",
  "bytes",
  "chrono",
@@ -46,6 +45,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_json",
  "sha2",
  "thiserror",
+ "tokio",
  "tracing",
  "url",
 ]
@@ -418,15 +418,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 1.0.103",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "async-mutex"
-version = "1.4.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "479db852db25d9dbf6204e6cb6253698f175c15726470f78af0d918e99d6156e"
-dependencies = [
- "event-listener",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "async-stream"
 version = "0.3.3"
@@ -602,56 +593,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "tower-service",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "background-jobs"
-version = "0.13.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "793a813f9145c5f3a27b8dcd834c0927de68bbd60d53a369e5894f3cc5759020"
-dependencies = [
- "background-jobs-actix",
- "background-jobs-core",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "background-jobs-actix"
-version = "0.13.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8660626a2d8781b50cbe0e3b63d8e2a7e08a90e80fa2bca8e8cc19deff72ebf4"
-dependencies = [
- "actix-rt",
- "anyhow",
- "async-mutex",
- "async-trait",
- "background-jobs-core",
- "num_cpus",
- "serde",
- "serde_json",
- "thiserror",
- "tokio",
- "tracing",
- "tracing-futures",
- "uuid",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "background-jobs-core"
-version = "0.13.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "48e78e842fe2ae461319e3d1843c12e301630e65650332b02032ac70b0dfc66f"
-dependencies = [
- "actix-rt",
- "anyhow",
- "async-trait",
- "event-listener",
- "serde",
- "serde_json",
- "thiserror",
- "time 0.3.15",
- "tracing",
- "tracing-futures",
- "uuid",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "backtrace"
 version = "0.3.67"
@@ -1762,12 +1703,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "event-listener"
-version = "2.5.3"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0206175f82b8d6bf6652ff7d71a1e27fd2e4efde587fd368662814d6ec1d9ce0"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "eyre"
 version = "0.6.8"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 14398c5ff..bbeae05e3 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ lemmy_routes = { version = "=0.18.0-rc.5", path = "./crates/routes" }
 lemmy_db_views = { version = "=0.18.0-rc.5", path = "./crates/db_views" }
 lemmy_db_views_actor = { version = "=0.18.0-rc.5", path = "./crates/db_views_actor" }
 lemmy_db_views_moderator = { version = "=0.18.0-rc.5", path = "./crates/db_views_moderator" }
-activitypub_federation = { version = "0.4.1", default-features = false, features = ["actix-web"] }
+activitypub_federation = { version = "0.4.4", default-features = false, features = ["actix-web"] }
 diesel = "2.1.0"
 diesel_migrations = "2.1.0"
 diesel-async = "0.3.1"
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/objects/mod.rs b/crates/apub/src/objects/mod.rs
index 5d133e9b8..b204efb08 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/objects/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/objects/mod.rs
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
       .domain("example.com")
       .app_data(context)
       .build()
+      .await
       .unwrap();
     config.to_request_data()
   }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f6ca79540..86cf400b6 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -139,21 +139,23 @@ pub async fn start_lemmy_server() -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
     });
   }
 
+  let federation_config = FederationConfig::builder()
+    .domain(settings.hostname.clone())
+    .app_data(context.clone())
+    .client(client.clone())
+    .http_fetch_limit(FEDERATION_HTTP_FETCH_LIMIT)
+    .worker_count(local_site.federation_worker_count as usize)
+    .debug(cfg!(debug_assertions))
+    .http_signature_compat(true)
+    .url_verifier(Box::new(VerifyUrlData(context.pool().clone())))
+    .build()
+    .await
+    .expect("configure federation");
+
   // Create Http server with websocket support
   let settings_bind = settings.clone();
   HttpServer::new(move || {
     let context = context.clone();
-    let federation_config = FederationConfig::builder()
-      .domain(settings.hostname.clone())
-      .app_data(context.clone())
-      .client(client.clone())
-      .http_fetch_limit(FEDERATION_HTTP_FETCH_LIMIT)
-      .worker_count(local_site.federation_worker_count as u64)
-      .debug(cfg!(debug_assertions))
-      .http_signature_compat(true)
-      .url_verifier(Box::new(VerifyUrlData(context.pool().clone())))
-      .build()
-      .expect("configure federation");
 
     let cors_config = if cfg!(debug_assertions) {
       Cors::permissive()
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ pub async fn start_lemmy_server() -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
       .wrap(TracingLogger::<QuieterRootSpanBuilder>::new())
       .app_data(Data::new(context))
       .app_data(Data::new(rate_limit_cell.clone()))
-      .wrap(FederationMiddleware::new(federation_config))
+      .wrap(FederationMiddleware::new(federation_config.clone()))
       // The routes
       .configure(|cfg| api_routes_http::config(cfg, rate_limit_cell))
       .configure(|cfg| {