diff --git a/app/models/question.rb b/app/models/question.rb
index 78453c6..a35215c 100644
--- a/app/models/question.rb
+++ b/app/models/question.rb
@@ -80,26 +80,29 @@ class Question < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   # adapted from ruby cookbook(2006): section 5-11
-  def catchup_choose_prompt
+  def catchup_choose_prompt(num=1000)
     weighted = catchup_prompts_weights
     # Rand returns a number from 0 - 1, so weighted needs to be normalized
-    prompt = nil
-
-    until prompt && prompt.active?
-      target = rand 
-      left_choice_id = right_choice_id = nil
-
-      weighted.each do |item, weight|
-        if target <= weight
-          left_choice_id, right_choice_id = item.split(", ")
-          break
+    generated_prompts = []
+
+    num.times do
+      prompt = nil
+      until prompt && prompt.active?
+        target = rand 
+        left_choice_id = right_choice_id = nil
+
+        weighted.each do |item, weight|
+          if target <= weight
+            left_choice_id, right_choice_id = item.split(", ")
+            break
+          end
+          target -= weight
         end
-        target -= weight
+        prompt = prompts.find_or_create_by_left_choice_id_and_right_choice_id(left_choice_id, right_choice_id, :include => [{ :left_choice => :item }, { :right_choice => :item }])
       end
-      prompt = prompts.find_or_create_by_left_choice_id_and_right_choice_id(left_choice_id, right_choice_id, :include => [{ :left_choice => :item }, { :right_choice => :item }])
+      generated_prompts.push prompt
     end
-    # check if prompt has two active choices here, maybe we can set this on the prompt level too?
-    prompt
+    generated_prompts
   end
 
 
@@ -472,9 +475,18 @@ class Question < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def add_prompt_to_queue
-    prompt = self.catchup_choose_prompt
-    $redis.rpush(self.pq_key, prompt.id)
-    prompt
+    num_prompts = 1000
+    # if less than 90% full, regenerate prompts
+    if $redis.llen(self.pq_key) < num_prompts * 0.9
+      prompts = self.catchup_choose_prompt(num_prompts)
+      # clear list
+      $redis.ltrim(self.pq_key, 0, 0)
+      $redis.lpop(self.pq_key)
+      prompts.each do |prompt|
+        $redis.rpush(self.pq_key, prompt.id)
+      end
+      return prompts
+    end
   end
 
   def pop_prompt_queue
diff --git a/lib/tasks/test_api.rake b/lib/tasks/test_api.rake
index fbbf043..399b244 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/test_api.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/test_api.rake
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ namespace :test_api do
       1000.times do |n|
         puts "#{n} votes completed" if n % 100 == 0
               question = Question.find(214) # test question change as needed
-        @prompt = question.catchup_choose_prompt
+        @prompt = question.catchup_choose_prompt(1).first
               @appearance = current_user.record_appearance(current_user.default_visitor, @prompt)
 
         direction = (rand(2) == 0) ? "left" : "right"
diff --git a/spec/models/question_spec.rb b/spec/models/question_spec.rb
index fc0c168..8eb2fe7 100644
--- a/spec/models/question_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/question_spec.rb
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ describe Question do
   end
 
   it "should choose an active prompt using catchup algorithm" do 
-    prompt = @question.catchup_choose_prompt
+    prompt = @question.catchup_choose_prompt(1).first
     prompt.active?.should == true
   end
 
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ describe Question do
       # Sanity check
       @catchup_q.choices.size.should == 100
 
-      prompt = @catchup_q.catchup_choose_prompt
+      prompt = @catchup_q.catchup_choose_prompt(1).first
       prompt.active?.should == true
     end
 
@@ -282,36 +282,10 @@ describe Question do
       prompt.should_not == nil
       prompt.active?.should == true
     end
-    it "should return prompts from the queue in FIFO order" do
-      @catchup_q.clear_prompt_queue
-      @catchup_q.pop_prompt_queue.should == nil
-      
-      prompt1 = @catchup_q.add_prompt_to_queue
-      prompt2 = @catchup_q.add_prompt_to_queue
-      prompt3 = @catchup_q.add_prompt_to_queue
-
-      prompt_1 = @catchup_q.pop_prompt_queue
-      prompt_2 = @catchup_q.pop_prompt_queue
-      prompt_3 = @catchup_q.pop_prompt_queue
-
-
-      prompt_1.should == prompt1
-      prompt_2.should == prompt2
-      prompt_3.should == prompt3
-
-      # there is a small probability that the catchup algorithm
-      # choose two prompts that are indeed equal
-      prompt_1.should_not == prompt_2
-      prompt_1.should_not == prompt_3
-      prompt_2.should_not == prompt_3
-
-
-      @catchup_q.pop_prompt_queue.should == nil
-    end
     it "should not return prompts from queue that are deactivated" do
       @catchup_q.clear_prompt_queue
       @catchup_q.pop_prompt_queue.should == nil
-      prompt1 = @catchup_q.add_prompt_to_queue
+      prompt1 = @catchup_q.add_prompt_to_queue.first
             
       prompt = Prompt.find(prompt1)
       prompt.left_choice.deactivate!
--
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