diff --git a/roles/mailman/files/periodic.py b/roles/mailman/files/periodic.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..73dcee08cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/mailman/files/periodic.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+
+import os
+import sys
+
+from mailman.core.initialize import initialize
+from mailman.config import config
+from mailman.interfaces.pending import IPendings
+from mailman.interfaces.requests import IListRequests, RequestType
+from zope.component import getUtility
+
+
+def clean_pended():
+    getUtility(IPendings).evict()
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    if os.getuid() == 0:
+        print("This script must be run as the mailman user", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    initialize(config_path="/etc/mailman.cfg")
+    clean_pended()
+    config.db.commit()
diff --git a/roles/mailman/tasks/main.yml b/roles/mailman/tasks/main.yml
index 29eef4515d..133b3d9301 100644
--- a/roles/mailman/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/mailman/tasks/main.yml
@@ -193,7 +193,12 @@
 # Crontab
 #
 - name: set the hyperkitty crontab
-  template: src=crontab.j2 dest=/etc/cron.d/hyperkitty
+  template: src=crontab-webui.j2 dest=/etc/cron.d/hyperkitty
+  tags:
+  - config
+  - mailman
+- name: set the mailman crontab
+  template: src=crontab-mailman3.j2 dest=/etc/cron.d/mailman3
   tags:
   - config
   - mailman
@@ -367,6 +372,7 @@
   - pg-give-rights.py
   - post-update.sh
   - import-mm2.py
+  - periodic.py
 
 - name: copy the initial user fixture
   copy: src=postorius.initial-user.json
diff --git a/roles/mailman/templates/crontab-mailman3.j2 b/roles/mailman/templates/crontab-mailman3.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5be2306c6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/mailman/templates/crontab-mailman3.j2
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+42 * * * * mailman {{ mailman_webui_basedir }}/bin/periodic.py
diff --git a/roles/mailman/templates/crontab.j2 b/roles/mailman/templates/crontab-webui.j2
similarity index 100%
rename from roles/mailman/templates/crontab.j2
rename to roles/mailman/templates/crontab-webui.j2