diff --git a/classes/Notice.php b/classes/Notice.php
index e16d84352f..0359c310d4 100644
--- a/classes/Notice.php
+++ b/classes/Notice.php
@@ -875,7 +875,9 @@ class Notice extends Memcached_DataObject
                 }
                 $qry .= '('.$id.', '.$this->id.', '.$source.', "'.$this->created.'") ';
                 $cnt++;
-                Notice_inbox::gc($id);
+                if (rand() % NOTICE_INBOX_SOFT_LIMIT == 0) {
+                    Notice_inbox::gc($id);
+                }
                 if ($cnt >= MAX_BOXCARS) {
                     $inbox = new Notice_inbox();
                     $inbox->query($qry);
diff --git a/classes/Notice_inbox.php b/classes/Notice_inbox.php
index a1aa9b0549..2af34b1a46 100644
--- a/classes/Notice_inbox.php
+++ b/classes/Notice_inbox.php
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ define('INBOX_CACHE_WINDOW', 101);
 define('NOTICE_INBOX_GC_BOXCAR', 128);
 define('NOTICE_INBOX_GC_MAX', 12800);
 define('NOTICE_INBOX_LIMIT', 1000);
+define('NOTICE_INBOX_SOFT_LIMIT', 1000);
 
 define('NOTICE_INBOX_SOURCE_SUB', 1);
 define('NOTICE_INBOX_SOURCE_GROUP', 2);