diff --git a/Shared/Widget/WidgetDataEncoder.swift b/Shared/Widget/WidgetDataEncoder.swift
index 575848eb4..86c46be3b 100644
--- a/Shared/Widget/WidgetDataEncoder.swift
+++ b/Shared/Widget/WidgetDataEncoder.swift
@@ -30,59 +30,65 @@ public final class WidgetDataEncoder {
 	
 	@available(iOS 14, *)
 	func encodeWidgetData() throws {
-		
 		os_log(.debug, log: log, "Starting encoding widget data.")
 		
-		DispatchQueue.main.async {
-			do {
-				let unreadArticles = Array(try AccountManager.shared.fetchArticles(.unread(self.fetchLimit))).sortedByDate(.orderedDescending)
-				let starredArticles = Array(try AccountManager.shared.fetchArticles(.starred(self.fetchLimit))).sortedByDate(.orderedDescending)
-				let todayArticles = Array(try AccountManager.shared.fetchArticles(.today(self.fetchLimit))).sortedByDate(.orderedDescending)
+		do {
+			let unreadArticles = Array(try AccountManager.shared.fetchArticles(.unread(fetchLimit))).sortedByDate(.orderedDescending)
+			let starredArticles = Array(try AccountManager.shared.fetchArticles(.starred(fetchLimit))).sortedByDate(.orderedDescending)
+			let todayArticles = Array(try AccountManager.shared.fetchArticles(.today(fetchLimit))).sortedByDate(.orderedDescending)
+			
+			var unread = [LatestArticle]()
+			var today = [LatestArticle]()
+			var starred = [LatestArticle]()
+			
+			for article in unreadArticles {
+				let latestArticle = LatestArticle(id: article.sortableArticleID,
+												  feedTitle: article.sortableName,
+												  articleTitle: ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article).isEmpty ? ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedSummary(article) : ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article),
+												  articleSummary: article.summary,
+												  feedIcon: article.iconImage()?.image.dataRepresentation(),
+												  pubDate: article.datePublished?.description ?? "")
+				unread.append(latestArticle)
+			}
+			
+			for article in starredArticles {
+				let latestArticle = LatestArticle(id: article.sortableArticleID,
+												  feedTitle: article.sortableName,
+												  articleTitle: ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article).isEmpty ? ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedSummary(article) : ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article),
+												  articleSummary: article.summary,
+												  feedIcon: article.iconImage()?.image.dataRepresentation(),
+												  pubDate: article.datePublished?.description ?? "")
+				starred.append(latestArticle)
+			}
+			
+			for article in todayArticles {
+				let latestArticle = LatestArticle(id: article.sortableArticleID,
+												  feedTitle: article.sortableName,
+												  articleTitle: ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article).isEmpty ? ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedSummary(article) : ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article),
+												  articleSummary: article.summary,
+												  feedIcon: article.iconImage()?.image.dataRepresentation(),
+												  pubDate: article.datePublished?.description ?? "")
+				today.append(latestArticle)
+			}
+			
+			let latestData = WidgetData(currentUnreadCount: SmartFeedsController.shared.unreadFeed.unreadCount,
+										currentTodayCount: SmartFeedsController.shared.todayFeed.unreadCount,
+										currentStarredCount: try! SmartFeedsController.shared.starredFeed.fetchArticles().count,
+										unreadArticles: unread,
+										starredArticles: starred,
+										todayArticles:today,
+										lastUpdateTime: Date())
+			
+			
+			DispatchQueue.global().async { [weak self] in
+				guard let self = self else { return }
 				
-				var unread = [LatestArticle]()
-				var today = [LatestArticle]()
-				var starred = [LatestArticle]()
-				
-				for article in unreadArticles {
-					let latestArticle = LatestArticle(id: article.sortableArticleID,
-													  feedTitle: article.sortableName,
-													  articleTitle: ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article).isEmpty ? ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedSummary(article) : ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article),
-													  articleSummary: article.summary,
-													  feedIcon: article.iconImage()?.image.dataRepresentation(),
-													  pubDate: article.datePublished?.description ?? "")
-					unread.append(latestArticle)
+				self.backgroundTaskID = UIApplication.shared.beginBackgroundTask (withName: "com.ranchero.NetNewsWire.Encode") {
+					 UIApplication.shared.endBackgroundTask(self.backgroundTaskID!)
+					self.backgroundTaskID = .invalid
 				}
+				let encodedData = try? JSONEncoder().encode(latestData)
 				
-				for article in starredArticles {
-					let latestArticle = LatestArticle(id: article.sortableArticleID,
-													  feedTitle: article.sortableName,
-													  articleTitle: ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article).isEmpty ? ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedSummary(article) : ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article),
-													  articleSummary: article.summary,
-													  feedIcon: article.iconImage()?.image.dataRepresentation(),
-													  pubDate: article.datePublished?.description ?? "")
-					starred.append(latestArticle)
-				}
-				
-				for article in todayArticles {
-					let latestArticle = LatestArticle(id: article.sortableArticleID,
-													  feedTitle: article.sortableName,
-													  articleTitle: ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article).isEmpty ? ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedSummary(article) : ArticleStringFormatter.truncatedTitle(article),
-													  articleSummary: article.summary,
-													  feedIcon: article.iconImage()?.image.dataRepresentation(),
-													  pubDate: article.datePublished?.description ?? "")
-					today.append(latestArticle)
-				}
-				
-				let latestData = WidgetData(currentUnreadCount: SmartFeedsController.shared.unreadFeed.unreadCount,
-											currentTodayCount: SmartFeedsController.shared.todayFeed.unreadCount,
-											currentStarredCount: try! SmartFeedsController.shared.starredFeed.fetchArticles().count,
-											unreadArticles: unread,
-											starredArticles: starred,
-											todayArticles:today,
-											lastUpdateTime: Date())
-				
-				
-				let encodedData = try JSONEncoder().encode(latestData)
 				os_log(.debug, log: self.log, "Finished encoding widget data.")
 				
 				if self.fileExists() {
@@ -92,9 +98,13 @@ public final class WidgetDataEncoder {
 				if FileManager.default.createFile(atPath: self.dataURL!.path, contents: encodedData, attributes: nil) {
 					os_log(.debug, log: self.log, "Wrote widget data to container.")
 					WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines()
+					UIApplication.shared.endBackgroundTask(self.backgroundTaskID!)
+					self.backgroundTaskID = .invalid
+				} else {
+					UIApplication.shared.endBackgroundTask(self.backgroundTaskID!)
+					self.backgroundTaskID = .invalid
 				}
-			} catch {
-				print(error.localizedDescription)
+				
 			}
 		}
 	}