diff --git a/process/accept-orders.py b/process/accept-orders.py
index 3bf9ea965..69a6ce28f 100755
--- a/process/accept-orders.py
+++ b/process/accept-orders.py
@@ -60,28 +60,6 @@ writeheaders = True
 # reject all html email?
 rejecthtml = True
 
-def unlock_file(filename):
-    try:
-        os.unlink(filename+".lock")
-    except:
-        print "could not unlock %s.lock, file not found" % filename
-
-def lock_file(filename):
-    i = 0
-    wait = 1
-    if not os.path.exists(filename):
-        file=open(filename, "w")
-        file.close()
-    while True:
-        try:
-            os.symlink(filename, filename+".lock")
-            return
-        except:
-            i = i+1
-            if i == 5: unlock_file(filename)
-            sleep(wait)
-            wait = wait*2
-
 messages = {
         "multipart-en" :
                 "ERROR: The orders you sent contain no plaintext. " \
@@ -300,14 +278,12 @@ def accept(game, locale, stream, extend=None):
         return -1
     logger.info("received orders from " + email)
     # get an available filename
-    lock_file(gamedir + "/orders.queue")
     maxdate, filename = available_file(savedir, prefix + email)
     if filename is None:
         logger.warning("more than " + str(maxfiles) + " orders from " + email)
         return -1
     # copy the orders to the file
     text_ok = copy_orders(message, filename, email)
-    unlock_file(gamedir + "/orders.queue")
 
     warning, msg, fail = None, "", False
     maildate = message.get("Date")
@@ -331,10 +307,8 @@ def accept(game, locale, stream, extend=None):
         os.unlink(filename)
         savedir = savedir + "/rejected"
         if not os.path.exists(savedir): os.mkdir(savedir)
-        lock_file(gamedir + "/orders.queue")
         maxdate, filename = available_file(savedir, prefix + email)
         store_message(message, filename)
-        unlock_file(gamedir + "/orders.queue")
         fail = True
 
     if sendmail and warning is not None:
@@ -348,11 +322,9 @@ def accept(game, locale, stream, extend=None):
         print filename
 
     if not fail:
-        lock_file(gamedir + "/orders.queue")
         queue = open(gamedir + "/orders.queue", "a")
         queue.write("email=%s file=%s locale=%s game=%s\n" % (email, filename, locale, game))
         queue.close()
-        unlock_file(gamedir + "/orders.queue")
 
     logger.info("done - accepted orders from " + email)
 
diff --git a/process/backup-eressea b/process/backup-eressea
index 0f81cf53e..12ced938c 100755
--- a/process/backup-eressea
+++ b/process/backup-eressea
@@ -23,15 +23,16 @@ if [ ! -d backup ] ; then
   ln -sf ~/backup/eressea/game-$GAME backup
 fi
 
+if [ -e reports/reports.txt ] ; then
+  echo "backup reports $TURN, game $GAME"
+  tar cjf backup/$TURN-reports.tar.bz2 reports
+  curl -s -n -T backup/$TURN-reports.tar.bz2 https://dav.box.com/dav/Eressea/game-$GAME/$TURN-reports.tar.bz2
+fi
 files="data/$TURN.dat parteien.full parteien"
 if [ -e orders.$TURN ]; then
 files="$files orders.$TURN"
 fi
 echo "backup turn $TURN, game $GAME, files: $files"
-if [ -d reports ] ; then
-  tar cjf backup/$TURN-reports.tar.bz2 reports
-fi
 tar cjf backup/$TURN.tar.bz2 $files
-echo "uploading game-$GAME/$TURN.tar.bz2"
 curl -s -n -T backup/$TURN.tar.bz2 https://dav.box.com/dav/Eressea/game-$GAME/$TURN.tar.bz2
 #curl -s -n -T eressea.db https://dav.box.com/dav/Eressea/eressea.db
diff --git a/process/cron/run-eressea.cron b/process/cron/run-eressea.cron
index ecd4c6b11..697cc5e88 100755
--- a/process/cron/run-eressea.cron
+++ b/process/cron/run-eressea.cron
@@ -19,30 +19,21 @@ mkdir $REPORTS
 
 cd $ERESSEA/game-$GAME
 
-# wait for the queue lock to go away
-maxt=5
-to=5
-while [ -e orders.queue.lock ] ; do
-  echo "waiting for orders to finish processing."
-  sleep $to
-  let to=$to+$to
-  let mast=$maxt-1
-  [ $maxt -lt 0 ] && break
-done
-
 if [ -d test ]; then
   touch test/execute.lock
 fi
+
 $BIN/create-orders $GAME $TURN
+if [ ! -s $ERESSEA/game-$GAME/orders.$TURN ]; then
+  echo "server did not create orders for turn $TURN in game $GAME"
+  exit 2
+fi
+
 $BIN/backup-eressea $GAME $TURN
 rm -f execute.lock
 $BIN/run-turn $GAME $TURN
 touch execute.lock
 
-if [ ! -s $ERESSEA/game-$GAME/orders.$TURN ]; then
-  echo "server did not create orders for turn $TURN in game $GAME"
-  exit 2
-fi
 if [ ! -s $REPORTS/reports.txt ]; then
   echo "server did not create reports.txt in game $GAME"
   exit 4
diff --git a/process/orders-accept b/process/orders-accept
index 266424a41..33b3d5ecc 100755
--- a/process/orders-accept
+++ b/process/orders-accept
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 SCRIPT=$(readlink -f $0)
 cd $(dirname $SCRIPT)
-python accept-orders.py "$@"
+
+lockfile -r3 -l120 orders.queue.lock
+python accept-orders.py "$@"
+rm -f orders.queue.lock
 
diff --git a/process/orders-process b/process/orders-process
index 38b2d1115..4751a94b1 100755
--- a/process/orders-process
+++ b/process/orders-process
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 SCRIPT=$(readlink -f $0)
 cd $(dirname $SCRIPT)
-python process-orders.py "$@"
 
+lockfile -r3 -l120 orders.queue.lock
+python process-orders.py "$@"
+rm -f orders.queue.lock
diff --git a/process/process-orders.py b/process/process-orders.py
index 30d9ea735..dade32c02 100755
--- a/process/process-orders.py
+++ b/process/process-orders.py
@@ -21,29 +21,6 @@ def pwd_get_email(faction, pwd, pwdfile=None):
 def split_filename(filename):
     return os.path.split(filename)
 
-def unlock_file(filename):
-    try:
-        unlink(filename+".lock")
-    except:
-        print "could not unlock %s.lock, file not found" % filename
-        raise
-    
-def lock_file(filename):
-    i = 0
-    wait = 1
-    if not os.path.exists(filename):
-        file=open(filename, "w")
-        file.close()
-    while True:
-        try:
-            symlink(filename, filename+".lock")
-            return
-        except:
-            i = i+1
-            if i == 5:
-                raise
-            sleep(wait)
-            wait = wait*2
 
 messages = {
 "subject-de": "Befehle angekommen",
@@ -133,16 +110,12 @@ def echeck(filename, locale, rules):
 #print "reading password file..."
 pw_data = EPasswd()
 try:
-    pw_data.load_database(os.path.join(game_dir,"eressea.db"))
+    pw_data.load_database(os.path.join(game_dir, "eressea.db"))
 except:
-    pw_data.load_file(os.path.join(game_dir,"passwd"))
+    pw_data.load_file(os.path.join(game_dir, "passwd"))
 
 #print "reading orders.queue..."
-# move the queue file to a save space while locking it:
-try:
-    lock_file(queue_file)
-except:
-    exit(0)
+# move the queue file to a safe space while locking it:
 queuefile = open(queue_file, "r")
 lines = queuefile.readlines()
 queuefile.close()
@@ -150,22 +123,13 @@ queuefile.close()
 # copy to a temp file
 
 tname="/tmp/orders.queue.%s" % str(time())
-try:
-    lock_file(tname)
-except:
-    exit(0)
 tmpfile=open(tname, "w")
 for line in lines:
     tmpfile.write(line)
 tmpfile.close()
 
 openlog("orders")
-
 unlink(queue_file)
-try:
-    unlock_file(queue_file)
-except:
-    pass
 
 for line in lines:
     tokens = split(line[:-1], ' ')
@@ -193,7 +157,7 @@ for line in lines:
         if success: failed = False
         else: msg = msg + messages["unknown-"+locale] + "\n"
         msg = msg + "\n"
-        logfile.write("%s:%s:%s:%s:%s:%s\n" % (ctime(time()), email, game_email, faction, pwd, success))
+        logfile.write("%s:%s:%s:%s:%s\n" % (ctime(time()), email, game_email, faction, success))
     logfile.close()
 
     if failed:
@@ -221,4 +185,3 @@ for line in lines:
 
 closelog()
 unlink(tname)
-unlock_file(tname)