diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/__init__.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/__init__.py
index 3e2191c8..3d216dc6 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/__init__.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/__init__.py
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ def start_scheduler(app: flask.app.Flask, scheduler_class: BaseScheduler = Backg
 
     # TODO: polling intervals for different jobs
     polling_interval_in_seconds = app.config["SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_POLLING_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS"]
+    user_input_required_polling_interval_in_seconds = app.config[
+        "SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_USER_INPUT_REQUIRED_POLLING_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS"
+    ]
     # TODO: add job to release locks to simplify other queries
     # TODO: add job to delete completed entires
     # TODO: add job to run old/low priority instances so they do not get drowned out
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ def start_scheduler(app: flask.app.Flask, scheduler_class: BaseScheduler = Backg
     scheduler.add_job(
         BackgroundProcessingService(app).process_user_input_required_process_instances,
         "interval",
-        seconds=120,
+        seconds=user_input_required_polling_interval_in_seconds,
     )
     scheduler.start()
 
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py
index 2af3e7df..1805e8af 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py
@@ -18,12 +18,21 @@ SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_CORS_ALLOW_ORIGINS = re.split(
 SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_RUN_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER = (
     environ.get("SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_RUN_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER", default="false") == "true"
 )
+SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_ALLOW_OPTIMISTIC_CHECKS = (
+    environ.get("SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_ALLOW_OPTIMISTIC_CHECKS", default="true") == "true"
+)
 SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_POLLING_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS = int(
     environ.get(
         "SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_POLLING_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS",
         default="10",
     )
 )
+SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_USER_INPUT_REQUIRED_POLLING_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS = int(
+    environ.get(
+        "SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_USER_INPUT_REQUIRED_POLLING_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS",
+        default="120",
+    )
+)
 SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_URL_FOR_FRONTEND = environ.get(
     "SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_URL_FOR_FRONTEND", default="http://localhost:7001"
 )
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py
index 45e83d7c..4daabd58 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from urllib.parse import unquote
 
 import sentry_sdk
 from flask import current_app
+from SpiffWorkflow.bpmn.specs.events.IntermediateEvent import _BoundaryEventParent  # type: ignore
 from SpiffWorkflow.task import Task as SpiffTask  # type: ignore
 
 from spiffworkflow_backend import db
@@ -81,8 +82,25 @@ class ProcessInstanceService:
         process_model = ProcessModelService.get_process_model(process_model_identifier)
         return cls.create_process_instance(process_model, user)
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def do_waiting(status_value: str = ProcessInstanceStatus.waiting.value) -> None:
+    @classmethod
+    def ready_user_task_has_associated_timer(cls, processor: ProcessInstanceProcessor) -> bool:
+        for ready_user_task in processor.bpmn_process_instance.get_ready_user_tasks():
+            if isinstance(ready_user_task.parent.task_spec, _BoundaryEventParent):
+                return True
+        return False
+
+    @classmethod
+    def can_optimistically_skip(cls, processor: ProcessInstanceProcessor, status_value: str) -> bool:
+        if not current_app.config["SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BACKGROUND_SCHEDULER_ALLOW_OPTIMISTIC_CHECKS"]:
+            return False
+
+        if processor.process_instance_model.status != status_value:
+            return True
+
+        return status_value == "user_input_required" and not cls.ready_user_task_has_associated_timer(processor)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def do_waiting(cls, status_value: str = ProcessInstanceStatus.waiting.value) -> None:
         """Do_waiting."""
         process_instance_ids_to_check = ProcessInstanceQueueService.peek_many(status_value)
         if len(process_instance_ids_to_check) == 0:
@@ -100,6 +118,10 @@ class ProcessInstanceService:
             try:
                 current_app.logger.info(f"Processing process_instance {process_instance.id}")
                 processor = ProcessInstanceProcessor(process_instance)
+                if cls.can_optimistically_skip(processor, status_value):
+                    current_app.logger.info(f"Optimistically skipped process_instance {process_instance.id}")
+                    continue
+
                 processor.lock_process_instance(process_instance_lock_prefix)
                 locked = True
                 db.session.refresh(process_instance)