diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index f82901c9..ba141e4b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ COPY ./bin/celery_worker.sh /celery_worker.sh
 COPY ./bin/celery_flower.sh /celery_flower.sh
 COPY ./bin/check_celery_worker_liveness.py ./bin/
 COPY ./bin/setup_configuration.sh /setup_configuration.sh
-RUN mkdir /app/log /app/config
+RUN mkdir /app/log /app/config /app/tmp
 
 # copy frontend build statics
 COPY --from=frontend-build /app/src/objects/static /app/src/objects/static
diff --git a/bin/celery_worker.sh b/bin/celery_worker.sh
index 33fdf84a..031a2ec1 100755
--- a/bin/celery_worker.sh
+++ b/bin/celery_worker.sh
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ if [[ "$ENABLE_COVERAGE" ]]; then
 fi
 
 echo "Starting celery worker $WORKER_NAME with queue $QUEUE"
-exec $_binary --workdir src --app objects.celery worker \
+exec $_binary --workdir src --app "objects.celery" worker \
     -Q $QUEUE \
     -n $WORKER_NAME \
     -l $LOGLEVEL \
     -O fair \
-    -c $CONCURRENCY
+    -c $CONCURRENCY \
+    -E \
+    --max-tasks-per-child=50
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 7ff54493..cf49c46c 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@ services:
       - DEMO_TOKEN=demo-random-string
       - DEMO_PERSON=Demo
       - DEMO_EMAIL=demo@demo.local
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "python", "-c", "import requests; exit(requests.head('http://localhost:8000/admin/').status_code not in [200, 302])"]
+      interval: 30s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 3
+      # This should allow for enough time for migrations to run before the max
+      # retries have passed. This healthcheck in turn allows other containers
+      # to wait for the database migrations.
+      start_period: 30s      
     ports:
       - 8000:8000
     depends_on:
@@ -59,9 +68,15 @@ services:
     build: *web_build
     environment: *web_env
     command: /celery_worker.sh
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "python", "/app/bin/check_celery_worker_liveness.py"]
+      interval: 30s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 3
+      start_period: 10s    
     depends_on:
-      - db
-      - redis
+      web:
+        condition: service_healthy
     volumes: *web_volumes
 
   celery-flower:
diff --git a/src/objects/celery.py b/src/objects/celery.py
index f5c5e0e0..5103a886 100644
--- a/src/objects/celery.py
+++ b/src/objects/celery.py
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-from celery import Celery
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from django.conf import settings
+
+from celery import Celery, bootsteps
+from celery.signals import setup_logging, worker_ready, worker_shutdown
 
 from .setup import setup_env
 
@@ -6,4 +11,62 @@
 
 app = Celery("objects")
 app.config_from_object("django.conf:settings", namespace="CELERY")
+app.conf.ONCE = {
+    "backend": "celery_once.backends.Redis",
+    "settings": {
+        "url": settings.CELERY_BROKER_URL,
+        "default_timeout": 60 * 60,  # one hour
+    },
+}
+
 app.autodiscover_tasks()
+
+
+# Use django's logging settings as these are reset by Celery by default
+@setup_logging.connect()
+def config_loggers(*args, **kwargs):
+    from logging.config import dictConfig
+
+    dictConfig(settings.LOGGING)
+
+
+HEARTBEAT_FILE = Path(settings.BASE_DIR) / "tmp" / "celery_worker_heartbeat"
+READINESS_FILE = Path(settings.BASE_DIR) / "tmp" / "celery_worker_ready"
+
+
+#
+# Utilities for checking the health of celery workers
+#
+class LivenessProbe(bootsteps.StartStopStep):
+    requires = {"celery.worker.components:Timer"}
+
+    def __init__(self, worker, **kwargs):
+        self.requests = []
+        self.tref = None
+
+    def start(self, worker):
+        self.tref = worker.timer.call_repeatedly(
+            10.0,
+            self.update_heartbeat_file,
+            (worker,),
+            priority=10,
+        )
+
+    def stop(self, worker):
+        HEARTBEAT_FILE.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+    def update_heartbeat_file(self, worker):
+        HEARTBEAT_FILE.touch()
+
+
+@worker_ready.connect
+def worker_ready(**_):
+    READINESS_FILE.touch()
+
+
+@worker_shutdown.connect
+def worker_shutdown(**_):
+    READINESS_FILE.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+
+app.steps["worker"].add(LivenessProbe)