diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/classic/SpaceSweeper2.java b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/classic/SpaceSweeper2.java
index c93f3ca89d0..aab9567ec19 100644
--- a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/classic/SpaceSweeper2.java
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/classic/SpaceSweeper2.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ protected SimpleDateFormat initialValue()
     private Repository _repository;
 
     private Account _account;
+    private Thread _thread;
 
     public SpaceSweeper2()
     {
@@ -70,7 +71,18 @@ public void setRepository(Repository repository)
     public void setAccount(Account account)
     {
         _account = account;
-        new Thread(this, "sweeper").start();
+    }
+
+    public void start()
+    {
+        _thread = new Thread(this, "sweeper");
+        _thread.start();
+    }
+
+    public void stop() throws InterruptedException
+    {
+        _thread.interrupt();
+        _thread.join(1000);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/pool/classic/pool.xml b/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/pool/classic/pool.xml
index 1869aaf67dd..e20b92a3b2b 100644
--- a/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/pool/classic/pool.xml
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/main/resources/org/dcache/pool/classic/pool.xml
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@
     <constructor-arg value="${pool.path}"/>
   </bean>
 
-  <bean id="sweeper" class="${pool.plugins.sweeper}">
+  <bean id="sweeper" class="${pool.plugins.sweeper}"
+          init-method="start" destroy-method="stop">
     <description>Pool garbage collector</description>
     <property name="repository" ref="rep"/>
     <property name="account" ref="account"/>
diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/test/java/org/dcache/tests/repository/RepositorySubsystemTest.java b/modules/dcache/src/test/java/org/dcache/tests/repository/RepositorySubsystemTest.java
index bf51689c567..42ddd790a40 100644
--- a/modules/dcache/src/test/java/org/dcache/tests/repository/RepositorySubsystemTest.java
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/test/java/org/dcache/tests/repository/RepositorySubsystemTest.java
@@ -193,9 +193,6 @@ private void initRepository()
         repository.addListener(this);
         repository.setSpaceSweeperPolicy(sweeper);
         repository.setMaxDiskSpace(5120);
-
-        sweeper.setAccount(account);
-        sweeper.setRepository(repository);
     }
 
     @Before
@@ -263,12 +260,17 @@ public void setUp()
         /* Create repository.
          */
         initRepository();
+
+        sweeper.setAccount(account);
+        sweeper.setRepository(repository);
+        sweeper.start();
     }
 
     @After
     public void tearDown()
         throws InterruptedException
     {
+        sweeper.stop();
         repository.shutdown();
         metaDataStore.close();
         if (root != null) {