diff --git a/api/resolvers/item.js b/api/resolvers/item.js
index d477c819..5c21de90 100644
--- a/api/resolvers/item.js
+++ b/api/resolvers/item.js
@@ -78,7 +78,11 @@ export default {
       let items; let user; let pins; let subFull
 
       const subClause = (num) => {
-        return sub ? ` AND "subName" = $${num} ` : `AND ("subName" IS NULL OR "subName" = $${3}) `
+        return sub ? ` AND "subName" = $${num} ` : ` AND ("subName" IS NULL OR "subName" = $${3}) `
+      }
+
+      const activeOrMine = () => {
+        return me ? ` AND (status = 'ACTIVE' OR "userId" = ${me.id}) ` : ' AND status = \'ACTIVE\' '
       }
 
       switch (sort) {
@@ -97,6 +101,7 @@ export default {
             FROM "Item"
             WHERE "userId" = $1 AND "parentId" IS NULL AND created_at <= $2
             AND "pinId" IS NULL
+            ${activeOrMine()}
             ORDER BY created_at DESC
             OFFSET $3
             LIMIT ${LIMIT}`, user.id, decodedCursor.time, decodedCursor.offset)
@@ -107,6 +112,7 @@ export default {
             FROM "Item"
             WHERE "parentId" IS NULL AND created_at <= $1 AND "pinId" IS NULL
             ${subClause(3)}
+            ${activeOrMine()}
             ORDER BY created_at DESC
             OFFSET $2
             LIMIT ${LIMIT}`, decodedCursor.time, decodedCursor.offset, sub || 'NULL')
@@ -140,6 +146,7 @@ export default {
                 WHERE "parentId" IS NULL AND created_at <= $1
                 AND "pinId" IS NULL
                 ${subClause(3)}
+                AND status = 'ACTIVE'
                 ORDER BY "maxBid" / 1000 DESC, created_at ASC
                 OFFSET $2
                 LIMIT ${LIMIT}`, decodedCursor.time, decodedCursor.offset, sub)
@@ -291,7 +298,7 @@ export default {
     comments: async (parent, { id, sort }, { models }) => {
       return comments(models, id, sort)
     },
-    search: async (parent, { q: query, sub, cursor }, { models, search }) => {
+    search: async (parent, { q: query, sub, cursor }, { me, models, search }) => {
       const decodedCursor = decodeCursor(cursor)
       let sitems
 
@@ -305,8 +312,18 @@ export default {
               bool: {
                 must: [
                   sub
-                    ? { term: { 'sub.name': sub } }
+                    ? { match: { 'sub.name': sub } }
                     : { bool: { must_not: { exists: { field: 'sub.name' } } } },
+                  me
+                    ? {
+                        bool: {
+                          should: [
+                            { match: { status: 'ACTIVE' } },
+                            { match: { userId: me.id } }
+                          ]
+                        }
+                      }
+                    : { match: { status: 'ACTIVE' } },
                   {
                     bool: {
                       should: [
@@ -395,6 +412,7 @@ export default {
       const where = {
         where: {
           subName: sub,
+          status: 'ACTIVE',
           OR: [{
             maxBid: {
               gte: bid + 1000
@@ -487,7 +505,7 @@ export default {
 
       return await updateItem(parent, { id, data: { title, text } }, { me, models })
     },
-    upsertJob: async (parent, { id, sub, title, text, url, maxBid }, { me, models }) => {
+    upsertJob: async (parent, { id, sub, title, text, url, maxBid, status }, { me, models }) => {
       if (!me) {
         throw new AuthenticationError('you must be logged in to create job')
       }
@@ -512,6 +530,15 @@ export default {
         throw new UserInputError(`bid must be at least ${fullSub.baseCost}`, { argumentName: 'maxBid' })
       }
 
+      const checkSats = async () => {
+        // check if the user has the funds to run for the first minute
+        const minuteMsats = maxBid * 1000 / 30 / 24 / 60
+        const user = models.user.findUnique({ where: { id: me.id } })
+        if (user.msats < minuteMsats) {
+          throw new UserInputError('insufficient funds')
+        }
+      }
+
       const data = {
         title,
         text,
@@ -522,12 +549,23 @@ export default {
       }
 
       if (id) {
+        if (status) {
+          data.status = status
+
+          // if the job is changing to active, we need to check they have funds
+          if (status === 'ACTIVE') {
+            await checkSats()
+          }
+        }
+
         return await models.item.update({
           where: { id: Number(id) },
           data
         })
       }
 
+      // before creating job, check the sats
+      await checkSats()
       return await models.item.create({
         data
       })
@@ -850,7 +888,7 @@ function nestComments (flat, parentId) {
 export const SELECT =
   `SELECT "Item".id, "Item".created_at as "createdAt", "Item".updated_at as "updatedAt", "Item".title,
   "Item".text, "Item".url, "Item"."userId", "Item"."parentId", "Item"."pinId", "Item"."maxBid",
-  "Item"."subName", ltree2text("Item"."path") AS "path"`
+  "Item"."subName", "Item".status, ltree2text("Item"."path") AS "path"`
 
 const LEFT_JOIN_SATS_SELECT = 'SELECT i.id, SUM(CASE WHEN "ItemAct".act = \'VOTE\' THEN "ItemAct".sats ELSE 0 END) as sats,  SUM(CASE WHEN "ItemAct".act = \'BOOST\' THEN "ItemAct".sats ELSE 0 END) as boost'
 
diff --git a/api/typeDefs/item.js b/api/typeDefs/item.js
index c9946b1b..da5b15bc 100644
--- a/api/typeDefs/item.js
+++ b/api/typeDefs/item.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export default gql`
     updateDiscussion(id: ID!, title: String!, text: String): Item!
     createComment(text: String!, parentId: ID!): Item!
     updateComment(id: ID!, text: String!): Item!
-    upsertJob(id: ID, sub: ID!, title: String!, text: String!, url: String!, maxBid: Int!): Item!
+    upsertJob(id: ID, sub: ID!, title: String!, text: String!, url: String!, maxBid: Int!, status: String): Item!
     act(id: ID!, sats: Int): ItemActResult!
   }
 
@@ -67,5 +67,6 @@ export default gql`
     prior: Int
     maxBid: Int
     sub: Sub
+    status: String
   }
 `
diff --git a/components/item.js b/components/item.js
index ce41b971..b39bd1c3 100644
--- a/components/item.js
+++ b/components/item.js
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ export function ItemJob ({ item, rank, children }) {
                     edit
                   </a>
                 </Link>
+                {item.status !== 'ACTIVE' && <span className='font-weight-bold text-danger'> {item.status}</span>}
               </>}
           </div>
         </div>
diff --git a/components/item.module.css b/components/item.module.css
index 34e843ed..c6bf6f24 100644
--- a/components/item.module.css
+++ b/components/item.module.css
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 .case {
     fill: #a5a5a5;
     margin-right: .2rem;
-    margin-left: .2rem;
     margin-top: .2rem;
     padding: 0 2px;
 }
diff --git a/components/job-form.js b/components/job-form.js
index 60eaced8..15fb6d9c 100644
--- a/components/job-form.js
+++ b/components/job-form.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Form, Input, MarkdownInput, SubmitButton } from './form'
+import { Checkbox, Form, Input, MarkdownInput, SubmitButton } from './form'
 import TextareaAutosize from 'react-textarea-autosize'
 import { InputGroup, Modal } from 'react-bootstrap'
 import * as Yup from 'yup'
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import AccordianItem from './accordian-item'
 import styles from '../styles/post.module.css'
 import { useLazyQuery, gql, useMutation } from '@apollo/client'
 import { useRouter } from 'next/router'
+import Link from 'next/link'
 
 Yup.addMethod(Yup.string, 'or', function (schemas, msg) {
   return this.test({
@@ -41,8 +42,10 @@ export default function JobForm ({ item, sub }) {
     }`,
   { fetchPolicy: 'network-only' })
   const [upsertJob] = useMutation(gql`
-    mutation upsertJob($id: ID, $title: String!, $text: String!, $url: String!, $maxBid: Int!) {
-      upsertJob(sub: "${sub.name}", id: $id title: $title, text: $text, url: $url, maxBid: $maxBid) {
+    mutation upsertJob($id: ID, $title: String!, $text: String!,
+      $url: String!, $maxBid: Int!, $status: String) {
+      upsertJob(sub: "${sub.name}", id: $id title: $title, text: $text,
+        url: $url, maxBid: $maxBid, status: $status) {
         id
       }
     }`
@@ -118,12 +121,21 @@ export default function JobForm ({ item, sub }) {
           title: item?.title || '',
           text: item?.text || '',
           url: item?.url || '',
-          maxBid: item?.maxBid || sub.baseCost
+          maxBid: item?.maxBid || sub.baseCost,
+          stop: false,
+          start: false
         }}
         schema={JobSchema}
         storageKeyPrefix={storageKeyPrefix}
-        onSubmit={(async ({ maxBid, ...values }) => {
-          const variables = { sub: sub.name, maxBid: Number(maxBid), ...values }
+        onSubmit={(async ({ maxBid, stop, start, ...values }) => {
+          let status
+          if (start) {
+            status = 'ACTIVE'
+          } else if (stop) {
+            status = 'STOPPED'
+          }
+
+          const variables = { sub: sub.name, maxBid: Number(maxBid), status, ...values }
           if (item) {
             variables.id = item.id
           }
@@ -176,8 +188,57 @@ export default function JobForm ({ item, sub }) {
           hint={<span className='text-muted'>up to {pull} sats/min will be pulled from your wallet</span>}
         />
         <div className='font-weight-bold text-muted'>This bid puts your job in position: {position}</div>
+        {item && <StatusControl item={item} />}
         <SubmitButton variant='secondary' className='mt-3'>{item ? 'save' : 'post'}</SubmitButton>
       </Form>
     </>
   )
 }
+
+function StatusControl ({ item }) {
+  let StatusComp
+
+  if (item.status === 'ACTIVE') {
+    StatusComp = () => {
+      return (
+        <AccordianItem
+          header={<div style={{ fontWeight: 'bold', fontSize: '92%' }}>I want to stop my job</div>}
+          headerColor='var(--danger)'
+          body={
+            <Checkbox
+              label={<div className='font-weight-bold text-danger'>stop my job</div>} name='stop' inline
+            />
+          }
+        />
+      )
+    }
+  } else if (item.status === 'STOPPED') {
+    StatusComp = () => {
+      return (
+        <AccordianItem
+          header={<div style={{ fontWeight: 'bold', fontSize: '92%' }}>I want to resume my job</div>}
+          headerColor='var(--success)'
+          body={
+            <Checkbox
+              label={<div className='font-weight-bold text-success'>resume my job</div>} name='start' inline
+            />
+          }
+        />
+      )
+    }
+  } else {
+    StatusComp = () => {
+      return (
+        <div style={{ fontWeight: 'bold', color: 'var(--danger)' }}>
+          you have no sats! <Link href='/wallet?type=fund' passHref><a className='text-reset text-underline'>fund your wallet</a></Link> to resume your job
+        </div>
+      )
+    }
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <div className='my-2'>
+      <StatusComp />
+    </div>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/fragments/items.js b/fragments/items.js
index b4ddd8e7..74afd416 100644
--- a/fragments/items.js
+++ b/fragments/items.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export const ITEM_FIELDS = gql`
       name
       baseCost
     }
+    status
     mine
     root {
       id
diff --git a/worker/search.js b/worker/search.js
index acde70b0..7621adcd 100644
--- a/worker/search.js
+++ b/worker/search.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const ITEM_SEARCH_FIELDS = gql`
     sub {
       name
     }
+    status
     maxBid
     upvotes
     sats