diff --git a/bgs/bgs.go b/bgs/bgs.go
index 1199a1ae8..11cf2fc3a 100644
--- a/bgs/bgs.go
+++ b/bgs/bgs.go
@@ -143,6 +143,10 @@ func NewBGS(db *gorm.DB, ix *indexer.Indexer, repoman *repomgr.RepoManager, evtm
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	compactor := NewCompactor(nil)
+	compactor.Start(bgs)
+	bgs.compactor = compactor
+
 	return bgs, nil
 }
 
@@ -366,6 +370,8 @@ func (bgs *BGS) Shutdown() []error {
 		errs = append(errs, err)
 	}
 
+	bgs.compactor.Shutdown()
+
 	return errs
 }
 
diff --git a/bgs/compact.go b/bgs/compact.go
index 4d0779acf..d200404bb 100644
--- a/bgs/compact.go
+++ b/bgs/compact.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func (q *queue) Append(uid models.Uid, fast bool) {
 
 	q.q = append(q.q, queueItem{uid: uid, fast: fast})
 	q.members[uid] = struct{}{}
+	compactionQueueDepth.Inc()
 }
 
 func (q *queue) Prepend(uid models.Uid, fast bool) {
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ func (q *queue) Prepend(uid models.Uid, fast bool) {
 
 	q.q = append([]queueItem{{uid: uid, fast: fast}}, q.q...)
 	q.members[uid] = struct{}{}
+	compactionQueueDepth.Inc()
 }
 
 func (q *queue) Has(uid models.Uid) bool {
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@ func (q *queue) Remove(uid models.Uid) {
 	}
 
 	delete(q.members, uid)
+	compactionQueueDepth.Dec()
 }
 
 func (q *queue) Pop() (*queueItem, bool) {
@@ -85,6 +88,7 @@ func (q *queue) Pop() (*queueItem, bool) {
 	q.q = q.q[1:]
 	delete(q.members, item.uid)
 
+	compactionQueueDepth.Dec()
 	return &item, true
 }
 
@@ -96,19 +100,49 @@ type CompactorState struct {
 }
 
 type Compactor struct {
-	q       *queue
-	state   *CompactorState
-	stateLk sync.RWMutex
-	exit    chan struct{}
+	q                 *queue
+	state             *CompactorState
+	stateLk           sync.RWMutex
+	exit              chan struct{}
+	exited            chan struct{}
+	requeueInterval   time.Duration
+	requeueLimit      int
+	requeueShardCount int
+	requeueFast       bool
 }
 
-func NewCompactor() *Compactor {
+type CompactorOptions struct {
+	RequeueInterval   time.Duration
+	RequeueLimit      int
+	RequeueShardCount int
+	RequeueFast       bool
+}
+
+func DefaultCompactorOptions() *CompactorOptions {
+	return &CompactorOptions{
+		RequeueInterval:   time.Hour * 12,
+		RequeueLimit:      0,
+		RequeueShardCount: 50,
+		RequeueFast:       true,
+	}
+}
+
+func NewCompactor(opts *CompactorOptions) *Compactor {
+	if opts == nil {
+		opts = DefaultCompactorOptions()
+	}
+
 	return &Compactor{
 		q: &queue{
 			members: make(map[models.Uid]struct{}),
 		},
-		state: &CompactorState{},
-		exit:  make(chan struct{}),
+		state:             &CompactorState{},
+		exit:              make(chan struct{}),
+		exited:            make(chan struct{}),
+		requeueInterval:   opts.RequeueInterval,
+		requeueLimit:      opts.RequeueLimit,
+		requeueFast:       opts.RequeueFast,
+		requeueShardCount: opts.RequeueShardCount,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -141,11 +175,55 @@ func (c *Compactor) GetState() *CompactorState {
 
 var errNoReposToCompact = fmt.Errorf("no repos to compact")
 
-func (c *Compactor) Run(bgs *BGS) {
+func (c *Compactor) Start(bgs *BGS) {
+	log.Info("starting compactor")
+	go c.DoWork(bgs)
+	go func() {
+		log.Infow("starting compactor requeue routine",
+			"interval", c.requeueInterval,
+			"limit", c.requeueLimit,
+			"shardCount", c.requeueShardCount,
+			"fast", c.requeueFast,
+		)
+
+		// Enqueue all repos on startup
+		ctx := context.Background()
+		ctx, span := otel.Tracer("compactor").Start(ctx, "RequeueRoutine")
+		if err := c.EnqueueAllRepos(ctx, bgs, c.requeueLimit, c.requeueShardCount, c.requeueFast); err != nil {
+			log.Errorw("failed to enqueue all repos", "err", err)
+		}
+		span.End()
+
+		t := time.NewTicker(c.requeueInterval)
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-c.exit:
+				return
+			case <-t.C:
+				ctx := context.Background()
+				ctx, span := otel.Tracer("compactor").Start(ctx, "RequeueRoutine")
+				if err := c.EnqueueAllRepos(ctx, bgs, c.requeueLimit, c.requeueShardCount, c.requeueFast); err != nil {
+					log.Errorw("failed to enqueue all repos", "err", err)
+				}
+				span.End()
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+}
+
+func (c *Compactor) Shutdown() {
+	log.Info("stopping compactor")
+	close(c.exit)
+	<-c.exited
+	log.Info("compactor stopped")
+}
+
+func (c *Compactor) DoWork(bgs *BGS) {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-c.exit:
-			log.Warn("compactor exiting")
+			log.Info("compactor worker exiting, no more active compactions running")
+			close(c.exited)
 			return
 		default:
 		}
@@ -155,7 +233,7 @@ func (c *Compactor) Run(bgs *BGS) {
 		state, err := c.CompactNext(ctx, bgs)
 		if err != nil {
 			if err == errNoReposToCompact {
-				log.Warn("no repos to compact, waiting and retrying")
+				log.Info("no repos to compact, waiting and retrying")
 				time.Sleep(time.Second * 5)
 				continue
 			}
@@ -170,7 +248,7 @@ func (c *Compactor) Run(bgs *BGS) {
 			// Pause for a bit to avoid spamming failed compactions
 			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
 		} else {
-			log.Warnw("compacted repo",
+			log.Infow("compacted repo",
 				"uid", state.latestUID,
 				"repo", state.latestDID,
 				"status", state.status,
@@ -182,7 +260,7 @@ func (c *Compactor) Run(bgs *BGS) {
 }
 
 func (c *Compactor) CompactNext(ctx context.Context, bgs *BGS) (*CompactorState, error) {
-	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("bgs").Start(ctx, "CompactNext")
+	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("compactor").Start(ctx, "CompactNext")
 	defer span.End()
 
 	item, ok := c.q.Pop()
@@ -194,26 +272,40 @@ func (c *Compactor) CompactNext(ctx context.Context, bgs *BGS) (*CompactorState,
 
 	user, err := bgs.lookupUserByUID(ctx, item.uid)
 	if err != nil {
+		span.RecordError(err)
 		c.SetState(item.uid, "unknown", "failed_getting_user", nil)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get user %d: %w", item.uid, err)
 	}
 
+	span.SetAttributes(attribute.String("repo", user.Did), attribute.Int("uid", int(item.uid)))
+
 	c.SetState(item.uid, user.Did, "compacting", nil)
 
 	start := time.Now()
 	st, err := bgs.repoman.CarStore().CompactUserShards(ctx, item.uid, item.fast)
 	if err != nil {
+		span.RecordError(err)
 		c.SetState(item.uid, user.Did, "failed_compacting", nil)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to compact shards for user %d: %w", item.uid, err)
 	}
 	compactionDuration.Observe(time.Since(start).Seconds())
 
+	span.SetAttributes(
+		attribute.Int("shards.deleted", st.ShardsDeleted),
+		attribute.Int("shards.new", st.NewShards),
+		attribute.Int("dupes", st.DupeCount),
+		attribute.Int("shards.skipped", st.SkippedShards),
+		attribute.Int("refs", st.TotalRefs),
+	)
+
 	c.SetState(item.uid, user.Did, "done", st)
 
 	return c.GetState(), nil
 }
 
 func (c *Compactor) EnqueueRepo(ctx context.Context, user User, fast bool) {
+	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("compactor").Start(ctx, "EnqueueRepo")
+	defer span.End()
 	log.Infow("enqueueing compaction for repo", "repo", user.Did, "uid", user.ID, "fast", fast)
 	c.q.Append(user.ID, fast)
 }
@@ -223,7 +315,7 @@ func (c *Compactor) EnqueueRepo(ctx context.Context, user User, fast bool) {
 // shardCount is the number of shards to compact per user (0 = default of 50)
 // fast is whether to use the fast compaction method (skip large shards)
 func (c *Compactor) EnqueueAllRepos(ctx context.Context, bgs *BGS, lim int, shardCount int, fast bool) error {
-	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("bgs").Start(ctx, "EnqueueAllRepos")
+	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("compactor").Start(ctx, "EnqueueAllRepos")
 	defer span.End()
 
 	span.SetAttributes(
@@ -239,7 +331,7 @@ func (c *Compactor) EnqueueAllRepos(ctx context.Context, bgs *BGS, lim int, shar
 	span.SetAttributes(attribute.Int("clampedShardCount", shardCount))
 
 	log := log.With("source", "compactor_enqueue_all_repos", "lim", lim, "shardCount", shardCount, "fast", fast)
-	log.Warn("enqueueing all repos")
+	log.Info("enqueueing all repos")
 
 	repos, err := bgs.repoman.CarStore().GetCompactionTargets(ctx, shardCount)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -258,63 +350,7 @@ func (c *Compactor) EnqueueAllRepos(ctx context.Context, bgs *BGS, lim int, shar
 		c.q.Append(r.Usr, fast)
 	}
 
-	log.Warn("done enqueueing all repos")
+	log.Info("done enqueueing all repos")
 
 	return nil
 }
-
-func (bgs *BGS) runRepoCompaction(ctx context.Context, lim int, dry bool, fast bool) (*compactionStats, error) {
-	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("bgs").Start(ctx, "runRepoCompaction")
-	defer span.End()
-
-	log.Warn("starting repo compaction")
-
-	runStart := time.Now()
-
-	repos, err := bgs.repoman.CarStore().GetCompactionTargets(ctx, 50)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get repos to compact: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	if lim > 0 && len(repos) > lim {
-		repos = repos[:lim]
-	}
-
-	if dry {
-		return &compactionStats{
-			Targets: repos,
-		}, nil
-	}
-
-	results := make(map[models.Uid]*carstore.CompactionStats)
-	for i, r := range repos {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return &compactionStats{
-				Targets:   repos,
-				Completed: results,
-			}, nil
-		default:
-		}
-
-		repostart := time.Now()
-		st, err := bgs.repoman.CarStore().CompactUserShards(context.Background(), r.Usr, fast)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("failed to compact shards for user %d: %s", r.Usr, err)
-			continue
-		}
-		compactionDuration.Observe(time.Since(repostart).Seconds())
-		results[r.Usr] = st
-
-		if i%100 == 0 {
-			log.Warnf("compacted %d repos in %s", i+1, time.Since(runStart))
-		}
-	}
-
-	log.Warnf("compacted %d repos in %s", len(repos), time.Since(runStart))
-
-	return &compactionStats{
-		Targets:   repos,
-		Completed: results,
-	}, nil
-}
diff --git a/bgs/metrics.go b/bgs/metrics.go
index 12b401e04..b33677e6e 100644
--- a/bgs/metrics.go
+++ b/bgs/metrics.go
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ var compactionDuration = promauto.NewHistogram(prometheus.HistogramOpts{
 	Buckets: prometheus.ExponentialBuckets(0.001, 3, 14),
 })
 
+var compactionQueueDepth = promauto.NewGauge(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
+	Name: "compaction_queue_depth",
+	Help: "The current depth of the compaction queue",
+})
+
 var newUsersDiscovered = promauto.NewCounter(prometheus.CounterOpts{
 	Name: "bgs_new_users_discovered",
 	Help: "The total number of new users discovered directly from the firehose (not from refs)",
diff --git a/cmd/bigsky/main.go b/cmd/bigsky/main.go
index fd93c676e..e571628f8 100644
--- a/cmd/bigsky/main.go
+++ b/cmd/bigsky/main.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/api"
-	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/bgs"
+	libbgs "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/bgs"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/blobs"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/carstore"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/did"
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func Bigsky(cctx *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	log.Infow("constructing bgs")
-	bgs, err := bgs.NewBGS(db, ix, repoman, evtman, cachedidr, blobstore, hr, !cctx.Bool("crawl-insecure-ws"))
+	bgs, err := libbgs.NewBGS(db, ix, repoman, evtman, cachedidr, blobstore, hr, !cctx.Bool("crawl-insecure-ws"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}