diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -36,10 +36,12 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include <libxml/xmlmemory.h>
 #include <libxml/parser.h>
 #include <libxml/tree.h>
 #include <libxml/encoding.h>
 #include <libxml/xmlwriter.h>
+#include <libxml/xmlreader.h>
 
 /* ******************* Structs ************************ */
 
@@ -545,6 +547,53 @@ int updateJobListXML(struct distrenjob *
   return 1;
 }
 
+// returns 1 if completed successfully, 0 if not
+// this reads a list of jobs in the queue before DistRen was shut down
+// and then adds the jobs to the queue, as if it were never shut down
+int createQueueFromXML(struct distrenjob *head)
+{
+  xmlChar *tmp2;
+  xmlDocPtr doc;  // holds xml document in memory
+  xmlNodePtr cur; // points to the current xml element node
+
+  // load xml document
+  doc = xmlParseFile("job_list.xml");
+  if(doc == NULL)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "createQueueFromXML: document not found\n");
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+  // have cur point to the root element of the xml document pointed to by doc
+  cur = xmlDocGetRootElement(doc);
+  if(cur == NULL)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "createQueueFromXML: document empty\n");
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+  if(xmlStrcmp(cur->name, (const xmlChar*)"job_list"))
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "createQueueFromXML: incorrect root element (%s)", (char*)cur->name);
+    }
+
+  // moves into the children elements of job_list
+  cur = cur->xmlChildrenNode;
+
+  // scans the list of all jobs that were in queue before DistRen shutdown
+  while(cur != NULL)
+    {
+      tmp2 = xmlNodeListGetString(doc, cur->xmlChildrenNode, 1);
+      fprintf(stderr, "adding job: %s", tmp2);
+      // add job from job number @TODO create function with parameters (struct distrenjob *head, int job_number)
+      // LordOfWar calls dibs on above todo
+
+      cur = cur->next; // go to next child element of job_list element
+    }
+
+  return 1;
+}
+
 /* ************************** Test Functions ************************* */
 void printFrameInfo(struct frameset *frame)
 {