diff --git a/lib/mix/tasks/fix_ap_users.ex b/lib/mix/tasks/fix_ap_users.ex
deleted file mode 100644
index 7e970850e..000000000
--- a/lib/mix/tasks/fix_ap_users.ex
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-defmodule Mix.Tasks.FixApUsers do
-  use Mix.Task
-  import Ecto.Query
-  alias Pleroma.{Repo, User}
-
-  @shortdoc "Grab all ap users again"
-  def run([]) do
-    Mix.Task.run("app.start")
-
-    q =
-      from(
-        u in User,
-        where: fragment("? @> ?", u.info, ^%{"ap_enabled" => true}),
-        where: u.local == false
-      )
-
-    users = Repo.all(q)
-
-    Enum.each(users, fn user ->
-      try do
-        IO.puts("Fetching #{user.nickname}")
-        Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Transmogrifier.upgrade_user_from_ap_id(user.ap_id, false)
-      rescue
-        e -> IO.inspect(e)
-      end
-    end)
-  end
-end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user.ex b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
index 1dad30e87..e3e6aa0d8 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User do
     field(:info, :map, default: %{})
     field(:follower_address, :string)
     field(:search_distance, :float, virtual: true)
+    field(:last_refreshed_at, :naive_datetime)
     has_many(:notifications, Notification)
 
     timestamps()
@@ -112,8 +113,12 @@ def update_changeset(struct, params \\ %{}) do
   end
 
   def upgrade_changeset(struct, params \\ %{}) do
+    params =
+      params
+      |> Map.put(:last_refreshed_at, NaiveDateTime.utc_now())
+
     struct
-    |> cast(params, [:bio, :name, :info, :follower_address, :avatar])
+    |> cast(params, [:bio, :name, :info, :follower_address, :avatar, :last_refreshed_at])
     |> unique_constraint(:nickname)
     |> validate_format(:nickname, ~r/^[a-zA-Z\d]+$/)
     |> validate_length(:bio, max: 5000)
@@ -169,6 +174,16 @@ def register_changeset(struct, params \\ %{}) do
     end
   end
 
+  def needs_update?(%User{local: true}), do: false
+
+  def needs_update?(%User{local: false, last_refreshed_at: nil}), do: true
+
+  def needs_update?(%User{local: false} = user) do
+    NaiveDateTime.diff(NaiveDateTime.utc_now(), user.last_refreshed_at) >= 86400
+  end
+
+  def needs_update?(_), do: true
+
   def maybe_direct_follow(%User{} = follower, %User{info: info} = followed) do
     user_config = Application.get_env(:pleroma, :user)
     deny_follow_blocked = Keyword.get(user_config, :deny_follow_blocked)
@@ -655,7 +670,9 @@ def delete(%User{} = user) do
   end
 
   def get_or_fetch_by_ap_id(ap_id) do
-    if user = get_by_ap_id(ap_id) do
+    user = get_by_ap_id(ap_id)
+
+    if !is_nil(user) and !User.needs_update?(user) do
       user
     else
       ap_try = ActivityPub.make_user_from_ap_id(ap_id)
diff --git a/priv/repo/migrations/20180919060348_users_add_last_refreshed_at.exs b/priv/repo/migrations/20180919060348_users_add_last_refreshed_at.exs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1942e4e9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/priv/repo/migrations/20180919060348_users_add_last_refreshed_at.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+defmodule Pleroma.Repo.Migrations.UsersAddLastRefreshedAt do
+  use Ecto.Migration
+
+  def change do
+    alter table(:users) do
+      add :last_refreshed_at, :naive_datetime
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/user_test.exs b/test/user_test.exs
index 5c61b0930..58fe6eeda 100644
--- a/test/user_test.exs
+++ b/test/user_test.exs
@@ -166,6 +166,25 @@ test "returns nil for nonexistant local user" do
       fetched_user = User.get_or_fetch_by_nickname("nonexistant")
       assert fetched_user == nil
     end
+
+    test "updates an existing user, if stale" do
+      a_week_ago = NaiveDateTime.add(NaiveDateTime.utc_now(), -604_800)
+
+      orig_user =
+        insert(
+          :user,
+          local: false,
+          nickname: "admin@mastodon.example.org",
+          ap_id: "http://mastodon.example.org/users/admin",
+          last_refreshed_at: a_week_ago
+        )
+
+      assert orig_user.last_refreshed_at == a_week_ago
+
+      user = User.get_or_fetch_by_ap_id("http://mastodon.example.org/users/admin")
+
+      refute user.last_refreshed_at == orig_user.last_refreshed_at
+    end
   end
 
   test "returns an ap_id for a user" do