diff --git a/include/cronhooks.php b/include/cronhooks.php
index 15d49fe547..cf1d13765f 100644
--- a/include/cronhooks.php
+++ b/include/cronhooks.php
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ function cronhooks_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	if(is_null($a)) {
 		$a = new App;
 	}
-  
+
 	if(is_null($db)) {
 	    @include(".htconfig.php");
     	require_once("include/dba.php");
@@ -24,6 +24,17 @@ function cronhooks_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	load_config('config');
 	load_config('system');
 
+	$maxsysload = intval(get_config('system','maxloadavg'));
+	if($maxsysload < 1)
+		$maxsysload = 50;
+	if(function_exists('sys_getloadavg')) {
+		$load = sys_getloadavg();
+		if(intval($load[0]) > $maxsysload) {
+			logger('system: load ' . $load . ' too high. Poller deferred to next scheduled run.');
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+
 	$lockpath = get_config('system','lockpath');
 	if ($lockpath != '') {
 		$pidfile = new pidfile($lockpath, 'cron.lck');
@@ -38,7 +49,7 @@ function cronhooks_run(&$argv, &$argc){
 	load_hooks();
 
 	logger('cronhooks: start');
-	
+
 
 	$d = datetime_convert();