diff --git a/apps/checkouts/__init__.py b/apps/checkouts/__init__.py
index ab043da135..3c9cc51b0b 100644
--- a/apps/checkouts/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/checkouts/__init__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
 from navigation.api import (register_links, register_top_menu,
     register_multi_item_links, register_sidebar_template)
+from scheduler.api import register_interval_job
 
 from documents.models import Document
 from documents.permissions import PERMISSION_DOCUMENT_VIEW
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ from acls.api import class_permissions
 from .permissions import (PERMISSION_DOCUMENT_CHECKOUT, PERMISSION_DOCUMENT_CHECKIN, PERMISSION_DOCUMENT_CHECKIN_OVERRIDE)
 from .links import checkout_list, checkout_document, checkout_info, checkin_document
 from .models import DocumentCheckout
+from .tasks import task_check_expired_check_outs
 
 
 def initialize_document_checkout_extra_methods():
@@ -31,8 +33,10 @@ class_permissions(Document, [
     PERMISSION_DOCUMENT_CHECKIN_OVERRIDE
 ])
 
-initialize_document_checkout_extra_methods()
+CHECK_EXPIRED_CHECK_OUTS_INTERVAL=60  # Lowest check out expiration allowed
+register_interval_job('task_check_expired_check_outs', _(u'Checks the OCR queue for pending documents.'), task_check_expired_check_outs, seconds=CHECK_EXPIRED_CHECK_OUTS_INTERVAL)
 
+initialize_document_checkout_extra_methods()
 
 #TODO: default checkout time
 #TODO: forcefull check in
@@ -40,3 +44,5 @@ initialize_document_checkout_extra_methods()
 #TODO: out check in after expiration datetime
 #TODO: add checkin out history
 #TODO: limit restrictions to non checkout user and admins?
+
+
diff --git a/apps/checkouts/managers.py b/apps/checkouts/managers.py
index 68391106b4..bd995ac43d 100644
--- a/apps/checkouts/managers.py
+++ b/apps/checkouts/managers.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
+import datetime
 from django.db import models
 
 from documents.models import Document
@@ -13,6 +14,13 @@ class DocumentCheckoutManager(models.Manager):
     
     def checked_out_documents(self):
         return Document.objects.filter(pk__in=self.model.objects.all().values_list('document__pk', flat=True))
+        
+    def expired_check_outs(self):
+        return Document.objects.filter(pk__in=self.model.objects.filter(expiration_datetime__gt=datetime.datetime.now()).values_list('document__pk', flat=True))
+
+    def check_in_expired_check_outs(self):
+        for document in self.expired_check_outs():
+            document.check_in()
 
     def is_document_checked_out(self, document):
         if self.model.objects.filter(document=document):
diff --git a/apps/checkouts/tasks.py b/apps/checkouts/tasks.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d97f08f54b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/checkouts/tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
+import logging
+
+from lock_manager import Lock, LockError
+
+from .models import DocumentCheckout
+
+LOCK_EXPIRE = 50
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def task_check_expired_check_outs():
+    logger.debug('executing...')
+    lock_id = u'task_expired_check_outs'
+    try:
+        logger.debug('trying to acquire lock: %s' % lock_id)
+        lock = Lock.acquire_lock(lock_id, LOCK_EXPIRE)
+        logger.debug('acquired lock: %s' % lock_id)
+        DocumentCheckout.objects.check_in_expired_check_outs()
+        lock.release()
+    except LockError:
+        logger.debug('unable to obtain lock')
+        pass