diff --git a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.ml b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.ml
index a544ed79bb..10ebd1e7e8 100644
--- a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.ml
+++ b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.ml
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ let (queue : t Ipq.t) = Ipq.create 50 queue_default
 
 let lock = Mutex.create ()
 
+let stopping = Atomic.make false
+
+let (loop_thread : Thread.t option ref) = ref None
+
 module Clock = struct
   let span s = Mtime.Span.of_uint64_ns (Int64.of_float (s *. 1e9))
 
@@ -50,23 +54,18 @@ module Clock = struct
         Mtime.min_stamp
 end
 
-let add_to_queue name ty start newfunc =
-  let ( ++ ) = Clock.add_span in
-  let item =
-    {Ipq.ev= {func= newfunc; ty; name}; Ipq.time= Mtime_clock.now () ++ start}
-  in
-  with_lock lock (fun () -> Ipq.add queue item) ;
-  Delay.signal delay
-
-let remove_from_queue name =
+let loop_stop () =
   with_lock lock @@ fun () ->
-  match !pending_event with
-  | Some ev when ev.name = name ->
-      pending_event := None
-  | Some _ | None ->
-      let index = Ipq.find_p queue (fun {name= n; _} -> name = n) in
-      if index > -1 then
-        Ipq.remove queue index
+  match !loop_thread with
+  | Some thread ->
+      Atomic.set stopping true ;
+      Delay.signal delay ;
+      Delay.signal delay ;
+      Thread.join thread ;
+      Atomic.set stopping false ;
+      loop_thread := None
+  | None ->
+      ()
 
 let add_periodic_pending () =
   with_lock lock @@ fun () ->
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ let add_periodic_pending () =
 let loop () =
   debug "%s started" __MODULE__ ;
   try
-    while true do
+    while not (Atomic.get stopping) do
       let now = Mtime_clock.now () in
       let deadline, item =
         with_lock lock @@ fun () ->
@@ -133,3 +132,41 @@ let loop () =
     error
       "Scheduler thread died! This daemon will no longer function well and \
        should be restarted."
+
+let loop_start wrapper =
+  loop_stop () ;
+  with_lock lock @@ fun () ->
+  match !loop_thread with
+  | Some _thread ->
+      ()
+  | None ->
+      let loop =
+        match wrapper with
+        | Some wrapper ->
+            fun () -> wrapper loop
+        | None ->
+            loop
+      in
+      loop_thread := Some (Thread.create loop ()) ;
+      ()
+
+let add_to_queue name ty start newfunc =
+  let ( ++ ) = Clock.add_span in
+  let item =
+    {Ipq.ev= {func= newfunc; ty; name}; Ipq.time= Mtime_clock.now () ++ start}
+  in
+  with_lock lock (fun () ->
+      Ipq.add queue item ;
+      if !loop_thread = None then loop_thread := Some (Thread.create loop ())
+  ) ;
+  Delay.signal delay
+
+let remove_from_queue name =
+  with_lock lock @@ fun () ->
+  match !pending_event with
+  | Some ev when ev.name = name ->
+      pending_event := None
+  | Some _ | None ->
+      let index = Ipq.find_p queue (fun {name= n; _} -> name = n) in
+      if index > -1 then
+        Ipq.remove queue index
diff --git a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.mli b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.mli
index d4d19b1f79..5e9b6a37b6 100644
--- a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.mli
+++ b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler.mli
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ val add_to_queue : string -> func_ty -> float -> (unit -> unit) -> unit
 val remove_from_queue : string -> unit
 (** Remove a scheduled item by name *)
 
-val loop : unit -> unit
-(** The scheduler's main loop, started by {!Xapi} on start-up. *)
+val loop_start : ((unit -> unit) -> unit) option -> unit
+(** Start the scheduler's main loop. *)
diff --git a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler_test.ml b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler_test.ml
index 0a4a847403..f1405bba04 100644
--- a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler_test.ml
+++ b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/scheduler_test.ml
@@ -14,12 +14,6 @@
 
 module Scheduler = Xapi_stdext_threads_scheduler.Scheduler
 
-let started = Atomic.make false
-
-let start_schedule () =
-  if not (Atomic.exchange started true) then
-    Thread.create Scheduler.loop () |> ignore
-
 let send event data = Event.(send event data |> sync)
 
 let receive event = Event.(receive event |> sync)
@@ -35,7 +29,6 @@ let test_single () =
   Scheduler.add_to_queue "one" Scheduler.OneShot 0.001 (fun () ->
       send finished true
   ) ;
-  start_schedule () ;
   Alcotest.(check bool) "result" true (receive finished)
 
 let test_remove_self () =
@@ -49,7 +42,6 @@ let test_remove_self () =
       ) ;
       send which "self"
   ) ;
-  start_schedule () ;
   let cnt = Mtime_clock.counter () in
   Alcotest.(check string) "same event name" "self" (receive which) ;
   Alcotest.(check string) "same event name" "stop" (receive which) ;
@@ -61,7 +53,6 @@ let test_empty () =
   Scheduler.add_to_queue "one" Scheduler.OneShot 0.001 (fun () ->
       send finished true
   ) ;
-  start_schedule () ;
   Alcotest.(check bool) "finished" true (receive finished) ;
   (* wait loop to go to wait with no work to do *)
   Thread.delay 0.1 ;
@@ -79,7 +70,6 @@ let test_wakeup () =
   Scheduler.add_to_queue "long" Scheduler.OneShot 2.0 (fun () ->
       send which "long"
   ) ;
-  start_schedule () ;
   (* wait loop to go to wait with no work to do *)
   Thread.delay 0.1 ;
   let cnt = Mtime_clock.counter () in
@@ -92,12 +82,28 @@ let test_wakeup () =
   let elapsed_ms = elapsed_ms cnt in
   Alcotest.check is_less "small time" 150 elapsed_ms
 
+let test_start () =
+  let which = Event.new_channel () in
+  Scheduler.add_to_queue "done" Scheduler.OneShot 0.05 (fun () ->
+      send which "done"
+  ) ;
+  let wrapper f = send which "wrapper" ; f () in
+  Scheduler.loop_start (Some wrapper) ;
+  Alcotest.(check string) "same event name" "wrapper" (receive which) ;
+  Scheduler.loop_start (Some wrapper) ;
+  Alcotest.(check string) "same event name" "wrapper" (receive which) ;
+  let cnt = Mtime_clock.counter () in
+  Alcotest.(check string) "same event name" "done" (receive which) ;
+  let elapsed_ms = elapsed_ms cnt in
+  Alcotest.check is_less "small time" 100 elapsed_ms
+
 let tests =
   [
     ("test_single", `Quick, test_single)
   ; ("test_remove_self", `Quick, test_remove_self)
   ; ("test_empty", `Quick, test_empty)
   ; ("test_wakeup", `Quick, test_wakeup)
+  ; ("test_start", `Quick, test_start)
   ]
 
 let () = Alcotest.run "Scheduler" [("generic", tests)]
diff --git a/ocaml/tests/common/test_event_common.ml b/ocaml/tests/common/test_event_common.ml
index 9d37c038ab..ff4a10c4dc 100644
--- a/ocaml/tests/common/test_event_common.ml
+++ b/ocaml/tests/common/test_event_common.ml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ let start_periodic_scheduler () =
   else (
     Scheduler.add_to_queue "dummy" (Scheduler.Periodic 60.0) 0.0 (fun () -> ()) ;
     Xapi_event.register_hooks () ;
-    ignore (Thread.create Scheduler.loop ()) ;
     ps_start := true
   ) ;
   Mutex.unlock scheduler_mutex
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi/xapi.ml b/ocaml/xapi/xapi.ml
index fd5c065026..4d951c9169 100644
--- a/ocaml/xapi/xapi.ml
+++ b/ocaml/xapi/xapi.ml
@@ -1041,7 +1041,13 @@ let server_init () =
     )
   in
   try
+    let scheduler_name = "Periodic scheduler" in
     Server_helpers.exec_with_new_task "server_init" (fun __context ->
+        let scheduler_wrapper func =
+          Server_helpers.exec_with_subtask ~__context scheduler_name
+            (fun ~__context -> Startup.thread_exn_wrapper scheduler_name func
+          )
+        in
         Startup.run ~__context
           [
             ("XAPI SERVER STARTING", [], print_server_starting_message)
@@ -1113,8 +1119,10 @@ let server_init () =
             , bring_up_management_if ~__context
             )
           ; ( "Starting periodic scheduler"
-            , [Startup.OnThread]
-            , Xapi_stdext_threads_scheduler.Scheduler.loop
+            , []
+            , fun () ->
+                Xapi_stdext_threads_scheduler.Scheduler.loop_start
+                  (Some scheduler_wrapper)
             )
           ; ( "Synchronising host configuration files"
             , []