diff --git a/mx_mysql.c b/mx_mysql.c
index 79922d0d..7e3fc231 100644
--- a/mx_mysql.c
+++ b/mx_mysql.c
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ static int mx__mysql_stmt_execute(struct mx_mysql_stmt *stmt)
 
         case CR_SERVER_GONE_ERROR:
         case CR_SERVER_LOST:
+        case ER_LOCK_DEADLOCK:
             return -(errno=EAGAIN);
 
         case CR_UNKNOWN_ERROR:
diff --git a/mxq_job.c b/mxq_job.c
index eea849e9..28fa0299 100644
--- a/mxq_job.c
+++ b/mxq_job.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ int mxq_load_jobs_in_group_with_status(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job **
     return res;
 }
 
-int mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon, unsigned long slots_per_job)
+int mxq_assign_jobs_from_group_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon, unsigned long slots_per_job, uint64_t limit)
 {
     struct mx_mysql_bind param = {0};
     int res;
@@ -304,6 +304,8 @@ int mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, uint64_t group_i
     assert(daemon->daemon_name);
     assert(*daemon->daemon_name);
     assert(daemon->daemon_id);
+    assert(slots_per_job);
+    assert(limit);
 
     char *query =
             "UPDATE "
@@ -323,9 +325,9 @@ int mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, uint64_t group_i
             " ORDER BY"
               " job_priority,"
               " job_id"
-            " LIMIT 1";
+            " LIMIT ?";
 
-    res = mx_mysql_bind_init_param(&param, 5);
+    res = mx_mysql_bind_init_param(&param, 6);
     assert(res == 0);
 
     idx = 0;
@@ -335,6 +337,7 @@ int mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, uint64_t group_i
     res += mx_mysql_bind_var(&param, idx++, uint64, &slots_per_job);
     res += mx_mysql_bind_var(&param, idx++, string, &daemon->daemon_name);
     res += mx_mysql_bind_var(&param, idx++, uint64, &group_id);
+    res += mx_mysql_bind_var(&param, idx++, uint64, &limit);
     assert(res == 0);
 
     res = mx_mysql_do_statement_noresult(mysql, query, &param);
@@ -681,7 +684,7 @@ int mxq_load_job_from_group_assigned_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mx
 }
 
 int mxq_load_job_from_group_for_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *job, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon,
-    unsigned long slots_per_job)
+    unsigned long slots_per_job, uint64_t jobs_max)
 {
     int res;
     struct mxq_job *jobs_tmp = NULL;
@@ -689,6 +692,7 @@ int mxq_load_job_from_group_for_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *j
     assert(mysql);
     assert(job);
     assert(daemon);
+    assert(jobs_max);
 
     do {
         res = mxq_load_job_from_group_assigned_to_daemon(mysql, &jobs_tmp, group_id, daemon);
@@ -703,13 +707,13 @@ int mxq_load_job_from_group_for_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *j
             break;
         }
 
-        res = mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(mysql, group_id, daemon, slots_per_job);
+        res = mxq_assign_jobs_from_group_to_daemon(mysql, group_id, daemon, slots_per_job, jobs_max);
         if (res < 0) {
-            mx_log_err("  group_id=%lu :: mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(): %m", group_id);
+            mx_log_err("  group_id=%lu :: mxq_assign_jobs_from_group_to_daemon(): %m", group_id);
             return 0;
         }
         if (res == 0) {
-            mx_log_warning("  group_id=%lu :: mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(): No matching job found - maybe another server was a bit faster. ;)", group_id);
+            mx_log_warning("  group_id=%lu :: mxq_assign_jobs_from_group_to_daemon(): No matching job found - maybe another server was a bit faster. ;)", group_id);
             return 0;
         }
     } while (1);
diff --git a/mxq_job.h b/mxq_job.h
index cca5b561..6c05577f 100644
--- a/mxq_job.h
+++ b/mxq_job.h
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ void mxq_job_free_content(struct mxq_job *j);
 int mxq_load_job(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job **mxq_jobs, uint64_t job_id);
 int mxq_load_jobs_in_group(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job **mxq_jobs, struct mxq_group *grp);
 int mxq_load_jobs_in_group_with_status(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job **mxq_jobs, struct mxq_group *grp, uint64_t job_status);
-int mxq_assign_job_from_group_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon, unsigned long slots_per_job);
+int mxq_assign_jobs_from_group_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon, unsigned long slots_per_job, uint64_t limit);
 int mxq_unassign_jobs_of_server(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_daemon *daemon);
 int mxq_set_job_status_loaded_on_server(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *job);
 int mxq_set_job_status_running(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *job);
@@ -109,6 +109,6 @@ int mxq_set_job_status_exited(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *job);
 int mxq_set_job_status_unknown(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *job);
 int mxq_job_set_tmpfilenames(struct mxq_group *g, struct mxq_job *j);
 int mxq_load_job_from_group_assigned_to_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job **jobs_result, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon);
-int mxq_load_job_from_group_for_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *mxqjob, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon,unsigned long slots_per_job);
+int mxq_load_job_from_group_for_daemon(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job *mxqjob, uint64_t group_id, struct mxq_daemon *daemon,unsigned long slots_per_job, uint64_t jobs_max);
 int mxq_load_jobs_running_on_server(struct mx_mysql *mysql, struct mxq_job **jobs_result, struct mxq_daemon *daemon);
 #endif
diff --git a/mxqd.c b/mxqd.c
index 315df8db..3c5e5e17 100644
--- a/mxqd.c
+++ b/mxqd.c
@@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ unsigned long start_job(struct mxq_group_list *glist)
     group  = &glist->group;
     job    = &_mxqjob;
 
-    res = mxq_load_job_from_group_for_daemon(server->mysql, job, group->group_id, daemon, glist->slots_per_job);
+    res = mxq_load_job_from_group_for_daemon(server->mysql, job, group->group_id, daemon, glist->slots_per_job, glist->jobs_max);
     if (!res) {
         return 0;
     }