diff --git a/services/document-updater/app.coffee b/services/document-updater/app.coffee
index 41c7a01958..eafe03e402 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/app.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/app.coffee
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ Settings = require('settings-sharelatex')
 logger = require('logger-sharelatex')
 logger.initialize("documentupdater")
 RedisManager = require('./app/js/RedisManager')
-UpdateManager = require('./app/js/UpdateManager')
 DispatchManager = require('./app/js/DispatchManager')
 Keys = require('./app/js/RedisKeyBuilder')
 Errors = require "./app/js/Errors"
@@ -26,19 +25,8 @@ app.configure ->
 	app.use express.bodyParser()
 	app.use app.router
 
-rclient.subscribe("pending-updates")
-rclient.on "message", (channel, doc_key) ->
-	[project_id, doc_id] = Keys.splitProjectIdAndDocId(doc_key)
-	if !Settings.shuttingDown
-		UpdateManager.processOutstandingUpdatesWithLock project_id, doc_id, (error) ->
-			logger.error err: error, project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, "error processing update" if error?
-	else
-		logger.log project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, "ignoring incoming update"
-
 DispatchManager.createAndStartDispatchers(Settings.dispatcherCount || 10)
 
-UpdateManager.resumeProcessing()
-
 app.get    '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id',       HttpController.getDoc
 app.post   '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id',       HttpController.setDoc
 app.post   '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id/flush', HttpController.flushDocIfLoaded
diff --git a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisKeyBuilder.coffee b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisKeyBuilder.coffee
index 391fd0ace3..e55ae99bde 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisKeyBuilder.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisKeyBuilder.coffee
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ PENDINGUPDATESKEY = "PendingUpdates"
 DOCLINES = "doclines"
 DOCOPS = "DocOps"
 DOCVERSION = "DocVersion"
-DOCIDSWITHPENDINGUPDATES = "DocsWithPendingUpdates"
 DOCSWITHHISTORYOPS = "DocsWithHistoryOps"
 UNCOMPRESSED_HISTORY_OPS = "UncompressedHistoryOps"
 
@@ -20,7 +19,6 @@ module.exports =
 	changeQue : (op)-> CHANGEQUE+":"+op.project_id
 	docsInProject : (op)-> DOCSINPROJECT+":"+op.project_id
 	pendingUpdates : (op)-> PENDINGUPDATESKEY+":"+op.doc_id
-	docsWithPendingUpdates : DOCIDSWITHPENDINGUPDATES
 	combineProjectIdAndDocId: (project_id, doc_id) -> "#{project_id}:#{doc_id}"
 	splitProjectIdAndDocId: (project_and_doc_id) -> project_and_doc_id.split(":")
 	docsWithHistoryOps: (op) -> DOCSWITHHISTORYOPS + ":" + op.project_id
diff --git a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisManager.coffee b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisManager.coffee
index bcb5d28ae0..1215471ce1 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisManager.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/RedisManager.coffee
@@ -88,21 +88,6 @@ module.exports = RedisManager =
 	getUpdatesLength: (doc_id, callback)->
 		rclient.llen keys.pendingUpdates(doc_id:doc_id), callback
 
-	getDocsWithPendingUpdates: (callback = (error, docs) ->) ->
-		rclient.smembers keys.docsWithPendingUpdates, (error, doc_keys) ->
-			return callback(error) if error?
-			docs = doc_keys.map (doc_key) ->
-				[project_id, doc_id] = keys.splitProjectIdAndDocId(doc_key)
-				return {
-					doc_id: doc_id
-					project_id: project_id
-				}
-			callback null, docs
-
-	clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSet: (project_id, doc_id, callback = (error) ->) ->
-		doc_key = keys.combineProjectIdAndDocId(project_id, doc_id)
-		rclient.srem keys.docsWithPendingUpdates, doc_key, callback
-
 	getPreviousDocOps: (doc_id, start, end, callback = (error, jsonOps) ->) ->
 		rclient.llen keys.docOps(doc_id: doc_id), (error, length) ->
 			return callback(error) if error?
diff --git a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/UpdateManager.coffee b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/UpdateManager.coffee
index 2ab74feda1..97c33e8b6f 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/UpdateManager.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/UpdateManager.coffee
@@ -7,26 +7,12 @@ logger = require('logger-sharelatex')
 Metrics = require "./Metrics"
 
 module.exports = UpdateManager =
-	resumeProcessing: (callback = (error) ->) ->
-		RedisManager.getDocsWithPendingUpdates (error, docs) =>
-			return callback(error) if error?
-			jobs = for doc in (docs or [])
-				do (doc) =>
-					(callback) => @processOutstandingUpdatesWithLock doc.project_id, doc.doc_id, callback
-
-			async.parallelLimit jobs, 5, callback
-
-	processOutstandingUpdates: (project_id, doc_id, _callback = (error) ->) ->
+	processOutstandingUpdates: (project_id, doc_id, callback = (error) ->) ->
 		timer = new Metrics.Timer("updateManager.processOutstandingUpdates")
-		callback = (args...) ->
+		UpdateManager.fetchAndApplyUpdates project_id, doc_id, (error) ->
 			timer.done()
-			_callback(args...)
-		
-		UpdateManager.fetchAndApplyUpdates project_id, doc_id, (error) =>
 			return callback(error) if error?
-			RedisManager.clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSet project_id, doc_id, (error) =>
-				return callback(error) if error?
-				callback()
+			callback()
 
 	processOutstandingUpdatesWithLock: (project_id, doc_id, callback = (error) ->) ->
 		LockManager.tryLock doc_id, (error, gotLock, lockValue) =>
diff --git a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/RedisManager/clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSetTests.coffee b/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/RedisManager/clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSetTests.coffee
deleted file mode 100644
index c89842f7bc..0000000000
--- a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/RedisManager/clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSetTests.coffee
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-sinon = require('sinon')
-chai = require('chai')
-should = chai.should()
-modulePath = "../../../../app/js/RedisManager"
-SandboxedModule = require('sandboxed-module')
-
-describe "RedisManager.clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSet", ->
-	beforeEach ->
-		@project_id = "project-id"
-		@doc_id = "document-id"
-		@callback = sinon.stub()
-		@RedisManager = SandboxedModule.require modulePath, requires:
-			"redis-sharelatex" : createClient: () =>
-				@rclient ?= auth:-> # only assign one rclient
-			"logger-sharelatex": {}
-			"./ZipManager": {}
-
-		@rclient.srem = sinon.stub().callsArg(2)
-		@RedisManager.clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSet(@project_id, @doc_id, @callback)
-
-	it "should get the docs with pending updates", ->
-		@rclient.srem
-			.calledWith("DocsWithPendingUpdates", "#{@project_id}:#{@doc_id}")
-			.should.equal true
-	
-	it "should return the callback", ->
-		@callback.called.should.equal true
-
-
diff --git a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/RedisManager/getDocsWithPendingUpdatesTests.coffee b/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/RedisManager/getDocsWithPendingUpdatesTests.coffee
deleted file mode 100644
index 45efa4c984..0000000000
--- a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/RedisManager/getDocsWithPendingUpdatesTests.coffee
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-sinon = require('sinon')
-chai = require('chai')
-should = chai.should()
-modulePath = "../../../../app/js/RedisManager"
-SandboxedModule = require('sandboxed-module')
-
-describe "RedisManager.getDocsWithPendingUpdates", ->
-	beforeEach ->
-		@callback = sinon.stub()
-		@RedisManager = SandboxedModule.require modulePath, requires:
-			"./ZipManager": {}
-			"redis-sharelatex" : createClient: () =>
-				@rclient ?= auth:->
-			"logger-sharelatex": {}
-
-		@docs = [{
-			doc_id: "doc-id-1"
-			project_id: "project-id-1"
-		}, {
-			doc_id: "doc-id-2"
-			project_id: "project-id-2"
-		}]
-		@doc_keys = @docs.map (doc) -> "#{doc.project_id}:#{doc.doc_id}"
-
-		@rclient.smembers = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(1, null, @doc_keys)
-		@RedisManager.getDocsWithPendingUpdates(@callback)
-
-	it "should get the docs with pending updates", ->
-		@rclient.smembers
-			.calledWith("DocsWithPendingUpdates")
-			.should.equal true
-	
-	it "should return the docs with pending updates", ->
-		@callback.calledWith(null, @docs).should.equal true
-
diff --git a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/UpdateManager/ApplyingUpdates.coffee b/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/UpdateManager/ApplyingUpdates.coffee
index 7b41647f7b..249740973f 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/UpdateManager/ApplyingUpdates.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/UpdateManager/ApplyingUpdates.coffee
@@ -18,46 +18,14 @@ describe "UpdateManager", ->
 				Timer: class Timer
 					done: sinon.stub()
 
-	describe "resumeProcessing", ->
-		beforeEach (done) ->
-			@docs = [{
-				doc_id: "doc-1"
-				project_id: "project-1"
-			}, {
-				doc_id: "doc-2"
-				project_id: "project-2"
-			}, {
-				doc_id: "doc-3"
-				project_id: "project-3"
-			}]
-			@RedisManager.getDocsWithPendingUpdates = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(0, null, @docs)
-			@UpdateManager.processOutstandingUpdatesWithLock = sinon.stub().callsArg(2)
-			@UpdateManager.resumeProcessing(done)
-
-		it "should the docs that haven't been processed yet", ->
-			@RedisManager.getDocsWithPendingUpdates
-				.called.should.equal true
-
-		it "should call processOutstandingUpdatesWithLock for each doc", ->
-			for doc in @docs
-				@UpdateManager.processOutstandingUpdatesWithLock
-					.calledWith(doc.project_id, doc.doc_id)
-					.should.equal true
-
 	describe "processOutstandingUpdates", ->
 		beforeEach ->
 			@UpdateManager.fetchAndApplyUpdates = sinon.stub().callsArg(2)
-			@RedisManager.clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSet = sinon.stub().callsArg(2)
 			@UpdateManager.processOutstandingUpdates @project_id, @doc_id, @callback
 
 		it "should apply the updates", ->
 			@UpdateManager.fetchAndApplyUpdates.calledWith(@project_id, @doc_id).should.equal true
 
-		it "should clear the doc from the process pending set", ->
-			@RedisManager.clearDocFromPendingUpdatesSet
-				.calledWith(@project_id, @doc_id)
-				.should.equal true
-
 		it "should call the callback", ->
 			@callback.called.should.equal true