diff --git a/db/posts.js b/db/posts.js
index 87c59db4..fae2c136 100644
--- a/db/posts.js
+++ b/db/posts.js
@@ -354,16 +354,26 @@ module.exports = {
 		return db.deleteOne(options);
 	},
 
-	pruneOldThreads: async (board, threadLimit) => {
-		//get lowest bumped threads
-		const threads = await db.find({
+	pruneOldThreads: async (board) => {
+
+		//get threads that have been bumped off last page
+		const oldThreads = await db.find({
 			'thread': null,
-			'board': board
+			'board': board._id
 		}).sort({
 			'sticky': -1,
 			'bumped': -1
-		}).skip(threadLimit).toArray();
-		return threads;
+		}).skip(board.settings.threadLimit).toArray();
+
+		const early404Threads = await db.find({
+			'thread': null,
+			'board': board._id,
+			'replyposts': {
+				'$lte': 5 //less than 5 replies
+			}
+		}).skip(30).toArray() //after page 3
+
+		return oldThreads.concat(early404Threads);
 	},
 
 	deleteMany: (ids) => {
diff --git a/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js b/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js
index eea2f610..c3b7113c 100644
--- a/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js
+++ b/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ module.exports = async (req, res, next) => {
 	const newMaxPage = Math.ceil(newSettings.threadLimit/10);
 	if (newMaxPage < oldMaxPage) {
 		//prune old threads
-		const prunedThreads = await Posts.pruneOldThreads(req.params.board, res.locals.board.settings.threadLimit);
+		const prunedThreads = await Posts.pruneOldThreads(res.locals.board);
 		if (prunedThreads.length > 0) {
 			await deletePosts(prunedThreads, req.params.board);
 			//remove board page html for pages > newMaxPage
diff --git a/models/forms/makepost.js b/models/forms/makepost.js
index c575184c..6233381c 100644
--- a/models/forms/makepost.js
+++ b/models/forms/makepost.js
@@ -279,8 +279,7 @@ module.exports = async (req, res, next) => {
 	}
 
 	const successRedirect = `/${req.params.board}/thread/${req.body.thread || postId}.html#${postId}`;
-console.log('--------------------------------');
-console.log(`NEW POST -> ${successRedirect}`);
+	console.log(`NEW POST -> ${successRedirect}`);
 
 	//build just the thread they need to see first and send them immediately
 	await buildThread(data.thread || postId, res.locals.board);
@@ -300,7 +299,7 @@ console.log(`NEW POST -> ${successRedirect}`);
 		}
 	} else {
 		//new thread, prunes any old threads before rebuilds
-		const prunedThreads = await Posts.pruneOldThreads(req.params.board, res.locals.board.settings.threadLimit);
+		const prunedThreads = await Posts.pruneOldThreads(res.locals.board);
 //TODO: could add early404 here alongside thread pruning.
 		if (prunedThreads.length > 0) {
 			await deletePosts(prunedThreads, req.params.board);
@@ -314,6 +313,4 @@ console.log(`NEW POST -> ${successRedirect}`);
 	//finish building other pages
 	await Promise.all(parallelPromises);
 
-console.log('--------------------------------');
-
 }