diff --git a/damnit/backend/listener.py b/damnit/backend/listener.py
index 798d3ada..aa3ceedb 100644
--- a/damnit/backend/listener.py
+++ b/damnit/backend/listener.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import platform
 from pathlib import Path
 from socket import gethostname
+from threading import Thread
 
 from kafka import KafkaConsumer
 
@@ -30,6 +31,26 @@
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+# tracking number of local threads running in parallel
+# only relevant if slurm isn't available
+MAX_CONCURRENT_THREADS = min(os.cpu_count() // 2, 10)
+local_extraction_threads = []
+
+
+def execute_direct(submitter, request):
+    for th in local_extraction_threads.copy():
+        if not th.is_alive():
+            local_extraction_threads.pop(local_extraction_threads.index(th))
+
+    if len(local_extraction_threads) >= MAX_CONCURRENT_THREADS:
+        log.warning(f'Too many events processing ({MAX_CONCURRENT_THREADS}), '
+                    f'skip event (p{request.proposal}, r{request.run}, {request.run_data.value})')
+        return
+
+    extr = Thread(target=submitter.execute_direct, args=(request, ))
+    local_extraction_threads.append(extr)
+    extr.start()
+
 
 class EventProcessor:
 
@@ -56,7 +77,6 @@ def __init__(self, context_dir=Path('.')):
                                        )
         self.events = kafka_conf['events']
 
-
     def __enter__(self):
         return self
 
@@ -110,7 +130,14 @@ def handle_event(self, record, msg: dict, run_data: RunData):
         log.info(f"Added p%d r%d ({run_data.value} data) to database", proposal, run)
 
         req = ExtractionRequest(run, proposal, run_data)
-        self.submitter.submit(req)
+        try:
+            self.submitter.submit(req)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            log.warning('Slurm not available, starting process locally.')
+            execute_direct(self.submitter, req)
+        except Exception:
+            log.error("Slurm job submission failed, starting process locally.", exc_info=True)
+            execute_direct(self.submitter, req)
 
 
 def listen():
@@ -137,5 +164,6 @@ def listen():
     if os.stat("amore.log").st_uid == os.getuid():
         os.chmod("amore.log", 0o666)
 
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     listen()
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 9802bcff..55782150 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import socket
-from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
 import pytest
 import numpy as np
diff --git a/tests/test_backend.py b/tests/test_backend.py
index abb05b1c..58714b66 100644
--- a/tests/test_backend.py
+++ b/tests/test_backend.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import stat
 import subprocess
 import textwrap
+from time import sleep, time
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 import extra_data as ed
@@ -24,9 +25,11 @@
 from damnit.backend import backend_is_running, initialize_and_start_backend
 from damnit.backend.db import DamnitDB
 from damnit.backend.extract_data import Extractor, add_to_db
+from damnit.backend.listener import (MAX_CONCURRENT_THREADS, EventProcessor,
+                                     local_extraction_threads)
 from damnit.backend.supervisord import wait_until, write_supervisord_conf
-from damnit.context import (ContextFile, ContextFileErrors, PNGData, Results,
-                            RunData, get_proposal_path)
+from damnit.context import (ContextFile, ContextFileErrors, PNGData, RunData,
+                            get_proposal_path)
 from damnit.ctxsupport.ctxrunner import THUMBNAIL_SIZE
 from damnit.gui.main_window import MainWindow
 
@@ -857,3 +860,35 @@ def subprocess_runner():
         assert initialize_and_start_backend(db_dir)
 
     assert backend_is_running(db_dir)
+
+
+def test_event_processor(mock_db, caplog):
+    db_dir, db = mock_db
+    db.metameta["proposal"] = 1234
+
+    with patch('damnit.backend.listener.KafkaConsumer') as kcon:
+        processor = EventProcessor(db_dir)
+
+    kcon.assert_called_once()
+    assert len(local_extraction_threads) == 0
+
+    # slurm not available
+    with (
+        patch('subprocess.run', side_effect=FileNotFoundError),
+        patch('damnit.backend.extraction_control.ExtractionSubmitter.execute_direct', lambda *_: sleep(1))
+    ):
+        with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+            event = MagicMock(timestamp=time())
+            processor.handle_event(event, {'proposal': 1234, 'run': 1}, RunData.RAW)
+
+        assert 'Slurm not available' in caplog.text
+        assert len(local_extraction_threads) == 1
+        local_extraction_threads[0].join()
+
+        with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+            for idx in range(MAX_CONCURRENT_THREADS + 1):
+                event = MagicMock(timestamp=time())
+                processor.handle_event(event, {'proposal': 1234, 'run': idx + 1}, RunData.RAW)
+
+        assert len(local_extraction_threads) == MAX_CONCURRENT_THREADS
+        assert 'Too many events processing' in caplog.text