diff --git a/services/track-changes/app/coffee/PackWorker.coffee b/services/track-changes/app/coffee/PackWorker.coffee
index a6d31b8436..d1afd9f1fa 100644
--- a/services/track-changes/app/coffee/PackWorker.coffee
+++ b/services/track-changes/app/coffee/PackWorker.coffee
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ Settings = require "settings-sharelatex"
 async = require "async"
 _ = require "underscore"
 {db, ObjectId, BSON} = require "./mongojs"
+fs = require "fs"
 logger = require "logger-sharelatex"
 logger.initialize("track-changes-packworker")
 if Settings.sentry?.dsn?
@@ -15,10 +16,19 @@ PackManager = require "./PackManager"
 # this worker script is forked by the main process to look for
 # document histories which can be archived
 
-LIMIT = Number(process.argv[2]) || 1000
+source = process.argv[2]
 DOCUMENT_PACK_DELAY = Number(process.argv[3]) || 1000
 TIMEOUT = Number(process.argv[4]) || 30*60*1000
 
+if source.match(/[^0-9]/)
+	file = fs.readFileSync source
+	result = for line in file.toString().split('\n')
+		[project_id, doc_id] = line.split(' ')
+		{doc_id, project_id}
+	pending = _.filter result, (row) -> row?.doc_id?.match(/^[a-f0-9]{24}$/)
+else
+	LIMIT = Number(process.argv[2]) || 1000
+
 shutDownRequested = false
 shutDownTimer = setTimeout () ->
 	logger.log "pack timed out, requesting shutdown"
@@ -62,10 +72,11 @@ process.on 'exit', (code) ->
 processUpdates = (pending) ->
 	async.eachSeries pending,	(result, callback) ->
 		{_id, project_id, doc_id} = result
+		logger.log {project_id, doc_id}, "processing"
 		if not project_id? or not doc_id?
 			logger.log {project_id, doc_id}, "skipping pack, missing project/doc id"
 			return callback()
-		PackManager.processOldPack project_id, doc_id, _id, (err, result) ->
+		handler = (err, result) ->
 			if err?
 				logger.error {err, result}, "error in pack archive worker"
 				return callback(err)
@@ -75,6 +86,10 @@ processUpdates = (pending) ->
 			setTimeout () ->
 				callback(err, result)
 			, DOCUMENT_PACK_DELAY
+		if not _id?
+			PackManager.pushOldPacks project_id, doc_id, handler
+		else
+			PackManager.processOldPack project_id, doc_id, _id, handler
 	, (err, results) ->
 		if err? and err.message != "shutdown"
 			logger.error {err}, 'error in pack archive worker processUpdates'
@@ -90,18 +105,23 @@ ObjectIdFromDate =  (date) ->
 # find packs to be marked as finalised:true, those which have a newer pack present
 # then only consider finalised:true packs for archiving
 
-db.docHistory.find({
-	expiresAt: {$exists: false}
-	project_id: {$exists: true}
-	v_end: {$exists: true}
-	_id: {$lt: ObjectIdFromDate(new Date(Date.now() - 7 * DAYS))}
-}, {_id:1, doc_id:1, project_id:1}).sort({
-	last_checked:1
-}).limit LIMIT, (err, results) ->
-	if err?
-		logger.log {err}, 'error checking for updates'
-		finish()
-		return
-	pending = _.uniq results, false, (result) -> result.doc_id.toString()
-	logger.log "found #{pending.length} documents to archive"
+if pending?
+	logger.log "got #{pending.length} entries from #{source}"
 	processUpdates pending
+else
+	db.docHistory.find({
+		expiresAt: {$exists: false}
+		project_id: {$exists: true}
+		v_end: {$exists: true}
+		$or: [ {n:512}, {n:1024} ]
+		_id: {$lt: ObjectIdFromDate(new Date(Date.now() - 7 * DAYS))}
+	}, {_id:1, doc_id:1, project_id:1}).sort({
+		last_checked:1
+	}).limit LIMIT, (err, results) ->
+		if err?
+			logger.log {err}, 'error checking for updates'
+			finish()
+			return
+		pending = _.uniq results, false, (result) -> result.doc_id.toString()
+		logger.log "found #{pending.length} documents to archive"
+		processUpdates pending