diff --git a/dev/celery/docker-init.sh b/dev/celery/docker-init.sh
index 9d00328ad0..9fb1d6324d 100755
--- a/dev/celery/docker-init.sh
+++ b/dev/celery/docker-init.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/bin/bash -e
 #
 # Environment parameters:
 #
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 983a0de989..fc09974fe1 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ services:
 
     celery:
         image: ghcr.io/ietf-tools/datatracker-celery:latest
+        init: true
         environment:
             CELERY_APP: ietf
             CELERY_ROLE: worker
@@ -79,20 +80,23 @@ services:
             - .:/workspace
             - app-assets:/assets
 
-    beat:
-        image: ghcr.io/ietf-tools/datatracker-celery:latest
-        environment:
-            CELERY_APP: ietf
-            CELERY_ROLE: beat
-            UPDATE_REQUIREMENTS_FROM: requirements.txt
-        command:
-            - '--loglevel=INFO'
-        depends_on:
-            - db
-        restart: unless-stopped
-        stop_grace_period: 1m
-        volumes:
-            - .:/workspace
+#  Celery Beat is a periodic task runner. It is not normally needed for development,
+#  but can be enabled by uncommenting the following.
+#
+#    beat:
+#        image: ghcr.io/ietf-tools/datatracker-celery:latest
+#        environment:
+#            CELERY_APP: ietf
+#            CELERY_ROLE: beat
+#            UPDATE_REQUIREMENTS_FROM: requirements.txt
+#        command:
+#            - '--loglevel=INFO'
+#        depends_on:
+#            - db
+#        restart: unless-stopped
+#        stop_grace_period: 1m
+#        volumes:
+#            - .:/workspace
 
 volumes:
     mariadb-data:
diff --git a/ietf/submit/migrations/0010_create_cancel_stale_submissions_task.py b/ietf/submit/migrations/0010_create_cancel_stale_submissions_task.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5d8511054c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ietf/submit/migrations/0010_create_cancel_stale_submissions_task.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Generated by Django 2.2.28 on 2022-08-23 08:45
+
+from django.db import migrations
+from django.utils import timezone
+
+
+def forward(apps, schema_editor):
+    IntervalSchedule = apps.get_model('django_celery_beat', 'IntervalSchedule')
+    PeriodicTask = apps.get_model('django_celery_beat', 'PeriodicTask')
+    PeriodicTasks = apps.get_model('django_celery_beat', 'PeriodicTasks')
+    every_five_minutes, _ = IntervalSchedule.objects.get_or_create(
+        every=5,
+        period='minutes',  # in non-migration code, use IntervalSchedule.MINUTES instead
+    )
+    task, _ = PeriodicTask.objects.get_or_create(
+        interval=every_five_minutes,
+        name='Cancel stale submissions',
+        task='ietf.submit.tasks.cancel_stale_submissions',
+    )
+    # this replicates the PeriodicTasks.changed() call as of django-celery-beat==2.3.0
+    PeriodicTasks.objects.update_or_create(ident=1, defaults={'last_update': timezone.now()})
+
+
+def reverse(apps, schema_editor):
+    IntervalSchedule = apps.get_model('django_celery_beat', 'IntervalSchedule')
+    PeriodicTask = apps.get_model('django_celery_beat', 'PeriodicTask')
+    PeriodicTasks = apps.get_model('django_celery_beat', 'PeriodicTasks')
+    every_five_minutes = IntervalSchedule.objects.get(
+        every=5,
+        period='minutes',  # in non-migration code, use IntervalSchedule.MINUTES instead
+    )
+    task = PeriodicTask.objects.get(
+        interval=every_five_minutes,
+        name='Cancel stale submissions',
+        task='ietf.submit.tasks.cancel_stale_submissions',
+    )
+    task.delete()
+    every_five_minutes.delete()
+    # this replicates the PeriodicTasks.changed() call as of django-celery-beat==2.3.0
+    PeriodicTasks.objects.update_or_create(ident=1, defaults={'last_update': timezone.now()})
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('submit', '0009_auto_20220427_1223'),
+        ('django_celery_beat', '0016_alter_crontabschedule_timezone'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.RunPython(forward, reverse),
+    ]