diff --git a/src/Command/UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand.php b/src/Command/UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand.php
index 6533cf23..dae3f962 100644
--- a/src/Command/UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand.php
+++ b/src/Command/UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand.php
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ class UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand extends Command
 
         // since we need the actual job orders for mqtt events, we need to get the ids of the job orders
         // that will be updated
-        $query_sql = 'SELECT id FROM job_order WHERE status = :current_status and TIMESTAMPDIFF(MINUTE, date_assign, NOW()) >= :timeout';
+        // need rider id to set rider to available since rider becomes unavailable 
+        // the minute JO is assigned to rider
+        $query_sql = 'SELECT id, rider_id FROM job_order WHERE status = :current_status and TIMESTAMPDIFF(MINUTE, date_assign, NOW()) >= :timeout';
 
         $query_stmt = $db->prepare($query_sql);
         $query_stmt->execute([
@@ -63,9 +65,12 @@ class UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand extends Command
         while ($row = $query_stmt->fetch(PDO::FETCH_NUM))
         {
             // $row[0] is the jo id
+            // $row[1] is the rider id
             // store the ids for now for the event sending after update of JOs
+            // and the updating of rider's availability
             $requeued_jos[] = [
                 'jo_id' => $row[0],
+                'rider_id' => $row[1],
             ];
         }
 
@@ -83,11 +88,12 @@ class UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand extends Command
         foreach ($requeued_jos as $jo_info)
         {
             $jo_id = $jo_info['jo_id'];
+            $rider_id = $jo_info['rider_id'];
 
             $jo = $em->getRepository(JobOrder::class)->find($jo_id);
             if ($jo != null)
             {
-                $output->writeln('Requeuing for rider assignmen ' . $jo->getID());
+                $output->writeln('Requeuing for rider assignment ' . $jo->getID());
                 $id = $jo->getID();
 
                 // send notifications to rider app, telling rider that jo has been requeued
@@ -105,8 +111,17 @@ class UpdateUnacceptedJobOrdersCommand extends Command
                 ];
                 $mclient->sendEvent($jo, $payload);
             }
+
+            $rider = $em->getRepository(Rider::class)->find($rider_id);
+            if ($rider != null)
+            {
+                // set rider's availability to true
+                $rider->setAvailable(true);
+            }
         }
 
+        $em->flush();
+
         return 0;
     }
 }