diff --git a/lib/pleroma/utils.ex b/lib/pleroma/utils.ex
index a446d3ae6..bd9939c9f 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/utils.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/utils.ex
@@ -14,10 +14,23 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Utils do
   @repo_timeout Pleroma.Config.get([Pleroma.Repo, :timeout], 15_000)
 
   def compile_dir(dir) when is_binary(dir) do
+    dir
+    |> elixir_files()
+    |> Kernel.ParallelCompiler.compile()
+  end
+
+  defp elixir_files(dir) when is_binary(dir) do
     dir
     |> File.ls!()
     |> Enum.map(&Path.join(dir, &1))
-    |> Kernel.ParallelCompiler.compile()
+    |> Enum.flat_map(fn path ->
+      if File.dir?(path) do
+        elixir_files(path)
+      else
+        [path]
+      end
+    end)
+    |> Enum.filter(fn path -> String.ends_with?(path, ".ex") end)
   end
 
   @doc """
diff --git a/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/first.ex b/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/first.ex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b663a1b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/first.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+defmodule DynamicModule.First do
+end
diff --git a/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/nope.exs b/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/nope.exs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8fe676af6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/nope.exs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+def thisisnotloaded
diff --git a/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/subdir/second.ex b/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/subdir/second.ex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22dc046c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/runtime_modules/subdir/second.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+defmodule DynamicModule.Second do
+end
diff --git a/test/pleroma/utils_test.exs b/test/pleroma/utils_test.exs
index c593a9490..e21573679 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/utils_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/utils_test.exs
@@ -12,4 +12,11 @@ defmodule Pleroma.UtilsTest do
       File.rm_rf(path)
     end
   end
+
+  describe "compile_dir/1" do
+    test "recursively compiles directories" do
+      {:ok, [DynamicModule.First, DynamicModule.Second], []} =
+        Pleroma.Utils.compile_dir("test/fixtures/runtime_modules")
+    end
+  end
 end