diff --git a/mediagoblin/celery_setup/__init__.py b/mediagoblin/celery_setup/__init__.py
index 3a7f2a5d..551b2741 100644
--- a/mediagoblin/celery_setup/__init__.py
+++ b/mediagoblin/celery_setup/__init__.py
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ def asfloat(obj):
             "Bad float value: %r" % obj)
 
 
+MANDATORY_CELERY_IMPORTS = ['mediagoblin.process_media']
+
 DEFAULT_SETTINGS_MODULE = 'mediagoblin.celery_setup.dummy_settings_module'
 
 def setup_celery_from_config(app_config, global_config,
@@ -130,6 +132,10 @@ def setup_celery_from_config(app_config, global_config,
             value = aslist(value)
         celery_settings[key] = value
 
+    # add mandatory celery imports
+    celery_imports = celery_settings.setdefault('CELERY_IMPORTS', [])
+    celery_imports.extend(MANDATORY_CELERY_IMPORTS)
+
     __import__(settings_module)
     this_module = sys.modules[settings_module]
 
diff --git a/mediagoblin/tests/test_celery_setup.py b/mediagoblin/tests/test_celery_setup.py
index da18b0ef..558eb458 100644
--- a/mediagoblin/tests/test_celery_setup.py
+++ b/mediagoblin/tests/test_celery_setup.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def test_setup_celery_from_config():
     assert isinstance(fake_celery_module.CELERYD_ETA_SCHEDULER_PRECISION, float)
     assert fake_celery_module.CELERY_RESULT_PERSISTENT is True
     assert fake_celery_module.CELERY_IMPORTS == [
-        'foo.bar.baz', 'this.is.an.import']
+        'foo.bar.baz', 'this.is.an.import', 'mediagoblin.process_media']
     assert fake_celery_module.CELERY_MONGODB_BACKEND_SETTINGS == {
         'database': 'mediagoblin'}
     assert fake_celery_module.CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND == 'mongodb'
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def test_setup_celery_from_config():
     assert isinstance(fake_celery_module.CELERYD_ETA_SCHEDULER_PRECISION, float)
     assert fake_celery_module.CELERY_RESULT_PERSISTENT is False
     assert fake_celery_module.CELERY_IMPORTS == [
-        'baz.bar.foo', 'import.is.a.this']
+        'baz.bar.foo', 'import.is.a.this', 'mediagoblin.process_media']
     assert fake_celery_module.CELERY_MONGODB_BACKEND_SETTINGS == {
         'database': 'captain_lollerskates',
         'host': 'mongodb.example.org',