diff --git a/hc/api/management/commands/sendalerts.py b/hc/api/management/commands/sendalerts.py
index 33d9906d..420d5c9f 100644
--- a/hc/api/management/commands/sendalerts.py
+++ b/hc/api/management/commands/sendalerts.py
@@ -1,70 +1,68 @@
-import logging
 import time
+from threading import Thread
 
-from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 from django.db import connection
 from django.utils import timezone
 from hc.api.models import Check
 
-executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=10)
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+def notify(check_id, stdout):
+    check = Check.objects.get(id=check_id)
+
+    tmpl = "\nSending alert, status=%s, code=%s\n"
+    stdout.write(tmpl % (check.status, check.code))
+    errors = check.send_alert()
+    for ch, error in errors:
+        stdout.write("ERROR: %s %s %s\n" % (ch.kind, ch.value, error))
 
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     help = 'Sends UP/DOWN email alerts'
+    owned = Check.objects.filter(user__isnull=False)
 
-    def handle_many(self):
-        """ Send alerts for many checks simultaneously. """
-        query = Check.objects.filter(user__isnull=False).select_related("user")
+    def handle_one(self):
+        """ Process a single check.  """
 
         now = timezone.now()
-        going_down = query.filter(alert_after__lt=now, status="up")
-        going_up = query.filter(alert_after__gt=now, status="down")
-        # Don't combine this in one query so Postgres can query using index:
-        checks = list(going_down.iterator()) + list(going_up.iterator())
-        if not checks:
-            return False
-
-        futures = [executor.submit(self.handle_one, check) for check in checks]
-        for future in futures:
-            future.result()
-
-        return True
-
-    def handle_one(self, check):
-        """ Send an alert for a single check.
-
-        Return True if an appropriate check was selected and processed.
-        Return False if no checks need to be processed.
 
-        """
-
-        # Save the new status. If sendalerts crashes,
-        # it won't process this check again.
-        check.status = check.get_status()
-        check.save()
-
-        tmpl = "\nSending alert, status=%s, code=%s\n"
-        self.stdout.write(tmpl % (check.status, check.code))
-        errors = check.send_alert()
-        for ch, error in errors:
-            self.stdout.write("ERROR: %s %s %s\n" % (ch.kind, ch.value, error))
-
-        connection.close()
-        return True
+        # Look for checks that are going down
+        flipped = "down"
+        q = self.owned.filter(alert_after__lt=now, status="up")
+        check = q.first()
+
+        if not check:
+            # If none found, look for checks that are going up
+            flipped = "up"
+            q = self.owned.filter(alert_after__gt=now, status="down")
+            check = q.first()
+
+        if check:
+            # Atomically update status to the opposite
+            q = Check.objects.filter(id=check.id, status=check.status)
+            num_updated = q.update(status=flipped)
+            if num_updated == 1:
+                # Send notifications only if status update succeeded
+                # (no other sendalerts process got there first)
+                t = Thread(target=notify, args=(check.id, self.stdout))
+                t.start()
+                return True
+
+        return False
 
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         self.stdout.write("sendalerts is now running")
 
         ticks = 0
         while True:
-            if self.handle_many():
-                ticks = 1
-            else:
-                ticks += 1
 
-            time.sleep(1)
+            while self.handle_one():
+                ticks = 0
+
+            ticks += 1
+            time.sleep(2)
             if ticks % 60 == 0:
                 formatted = timezone.now().isoformat()
                 self.stdout.write("-- MARK %s --" % formatted)
+
+            connection.close()
diff --git a/hc/api/tests/test_sendalerts.py b/hc/api/tests/test_sendalerts.py
index b4c17e94..5ee29d2a 100644
--- a/hc/api/tests/test_sendalerts.py
+++ b/hc/api/tests/test_sendalerts.py
@@ -4,31 +4,10 @@ from django.utils import timezone
 from hc.api.management.commands.sendalerts import Command
 from hc.api.models import Check
 from hc.test import BaseTestCase
-from mock import patch
 
 
 class SendAlertsTestCase(BaseTestCase):
 
-    @patch("hc.api.management.commands.sendalerts.Command.handle_one")
-    def test_it_handles_few(self, mock):
-        yesterday = timezone.now() - timedelta(days=1)
-        names = ["Check %d" % d for d in range(0, 10)]
-
-        for name in names:
-            check = Check(user=self.alice, name=name)
-            check.alert_after = yesterday
-            check.status = "up"
-            check.save()
-
-        result = Command().handle_many()
-        assert result, "handle_many should return True"
-
-        handled_names = []
-        for args, kwargs in mock.call_args_list:
-            handled_names.append(args[0].name)
-
-        assert set(names) == set(handled_names)
-
     def test_it_handles_grace_period(self):
         check = Check(user=self.alice, status="up")
         # 1 day 30 minutes after ping the check is in grace period:
@@ -36,4 +15,4 @@ class SendAlertsTestCase(BaseTestCase):
         check.save()
 
         # Expect no exceptions--
-        Command().handle_one(check)
+        Command().handle_one()
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index c21bee1e..1282ec4c 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ django-ses-backend==0.1.1
 Django==1.10
 django_compressor==2.1
 djmail==0.11.0
-futures==3.0.3
 premailer==2.9.6
 psycopg2==2.6.1
 requests==2.9.1