diff --git a/lib/tasks/topics.rake b/lib/tasks/topics.rake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f862071daff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tasks/topics.rake
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+def print_status(label, current, max)
+  print "\r%s%9d / %d (%5.1f%%)" % [label, current, max, ((current.to_f / max.to_f) * 100).round(1)]
+end
+
+def close_old_topics(category)
+  topics = Topic.where(closed: false, category_id: category.id)
+
+  if category.auto_close_based_on_last_post
+    topics = topics.where('last_posted_at < ?', category.auto_close_hours.hours.ago)
+  else
+    topics = topics.where('created_at < ?', category.auto_close_hours.hours.ago)
+  end
+
+  topics_closed = 0
+  total = topics.count
+
+  topics.find_each do |topic|
+    topic.update_status("closed", true, Discourse.system_user)
+    print_status("\tClosing topics: ", topics_closed += 1, total)
+  end
+end
+
+def apply_auto_close(category)
+  topics = Topic.where(closed: false, category_id: category.id)
+    .where(<<-SQL, TopicTimer.types[:close])
+      NOT EXISTS (
+        SELECT 1
+        FROM topic_timers
+        WHERE topic_timers.topic_id = topics.id
+          AND topic_timers.status_type = ?
+      )
+    SQL
+
+  topics_closed = 0
+  total = topics.count
+
+  topics.find_each do |topic|
+    topic.inherit_auto_close_from_category
+    print_status("\tApplying auto-close to topics: ", topics_closed += 1, total)
+  end
+end
+
+task "topics:apply_autoclose" => :environment do
+  categories = Category.where("auto_close_hours > 0")
+
+  categories.find_each do |category|
+    puts "", "Applying auto-close to category '#{category.name}' ..."
+    close_old_topics(category)
+    apply_auto_close(category)
+  end
+
+  puts "", "Done"
+end