diff --git a/libs/libblade/src/blade_connection.c b/libs/libblade/src/blade_connection.c
index d757845b6b..a3743aa363 100644
--- a/libs/libblade/src/blade_connection.c
+++ b/libs/libblade/src/blade_connection.c
@@ -302,6 +302,12 @@ KS_DECLARE(void) blade_connection_state_set(blade_connection_t *bc, blade_connec
 	if (hook == BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_HOOK_DISCONNECT) blade_connection_disconnect(bc);
 }
 
+KS_DECLARE(blade_connection_state_t) blade_connection_state_get(blade_connection_t *bc)
+{
+	ks_assert(bc);
+	return bc->state;
+}
+
 KS_DECLARE(void) blade_connection_disconnect(blade_connection_t *bc)
 {
 	ks_assert(bc);
@@ -393,12 +399,10 @@ ks_status_t blade_connection_state_on_disconnect(blade_connection_t *bc)
 
 	ks_assert(bc);
 
-	blade_handle_connections_remove(bc);
-
 	callback = blade_connection_state_callback_lookup(bc, BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_DISCONNECT);
 	if (callback) callback(bc, BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_CONDITION_POST);
 
-	blade_connection_destroy(&bc);
+	blade_connection_state_set(bc, BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_CLEANUP);
 
 	return KS_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/libs/libblade/src/blade_stack.c b/libs/libblade/src/blade_stack.c
index 536d52ef26..9af67c4a22 100644
--- a/libs/libblade/src/blade_stack.c
+++ b/libs/libblade/src/blade_stack.c
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ struct blade_handle_s {
 	config_setting_t *config_directory;
 	config_setting_t *config_datastore;
 
+	ks_thread_t *worker_thread;
+	ks_bool_t shutdown;
+
 	ks_hash_t *transports; // registered transports exposed by modules, NOT active connections
 	ks_hash_t *spaces; // registered method spaces exposed by modules
 	// registered event callback registry
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@ struct blade_handle_s {
 	ks_hash_t *requests; // outgoing requests waiting for a response keyed by the message id
 };
 
+void *blade_handle_worker_thread(ks_thread_t *thread, void *data);
 
 typedef struct blade_handle_transport_registration_s blade_handle_transport_registration_t;
 struct blade_handle_transport_registration_s {
@@ -300,6 +304,17 @@ KS_DECLARE(ks_status_t) blade_handle_startup(blade_handle_t *bh, config_setting_
 
 	// @todo call onload and onstartup callbacks for modules from DSOs
 
+	if (ks_thread_create_ex(&bh->worker_thread,
+		blade_handle_worker_thread,
+		bh,
+		KS_THREAD_FLAG_DEFAULT,
+		KS_THREAD_DEFAULT_STACK,
+		KS_PRI_NORMAL,
+		bh->pool) != KS_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+		// @todo error logging
+		return KS_STATUS_FAIL;
+	}
+
 	return KS_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -309,6 +324,13 @@ KS_DECLARE(ks_status_t) blade_handle_shutdown(blade_handle_t *bh)
 
 	ks_assert(bh);
 
+	if (bh->worker_thread) {
+		bh->shutdown = KS_TRUE;
+		ks_thread_join(bh->worker_thread);
+		ks_pool_free(bh->pool, &bh->worker_thread);
+		bh->shutdown = KS_FALSE;
+	}
+
 	while ((it = ks_hash_first(bh->requests, KS_UNLOCKED))) {
 		void *key = NULL;
 		blade_request_t *value = NULL;
@@ -863,6 +885,43 @@ KS_DECLARE(ks_status_t) blade_handle_datastore_fetch(blade_handle_t *bh,
 	return blade_datastore_fetch(bh->datastore, callback, key, key_length, userdata);
 }
 
+void *blade_handle_worker_thread(ks_thread_t *thread, void *data)
+{
+	blade_handle_t *bh = NULL;
+	blade_connection_t *bc = NULL;
+	ks_hash_iterator_t *it = NULL;
+	ks_q_t *cleanup = NULL;
+
+	ks_assert(thread);
+	ks_assert(data);
+
+	bh = (blade_handle_t *)data;
+
+	ks_q_create(&cleanup, bh->pool, 0);
+	ks_assert(cleanup);
+
+	while (!bh->shutdown) {
+		ks_hash_write_lock(bh->connections);
+		for (it = ks_hash_first(bh->connections, KS_UNLOCKED); it; it = ks_hash_next(&it)) {
+			void *key = NULL;
+			blade_connection_t *value = NULL;
+
+			ks_hash_this(it, (const void **)&key, NULL, (void **)&value);
+
+			if (blade_connection_state_get(value) == BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_CLEANUP) ks_q_push(cleanup, value);
+		}
+		ks_hash_write_unlock(bh->connections);
+
+		while (ks_q_trypop(cleanup, (void **)&bc) == KS_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+			blade_handle_connections_remove(bc);
+			blade_connection_destroy(&bc);
+		}
+
+		ks_sleep_ms(500);
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
 
 /* For Emacs:
  * Local Variables:
diff --git a/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_connection.h b/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_connection.h
index 8b8660f9cb..6f580828d1 100644
--- a/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_connection.h
+++ b/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_connection.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ KS_DECLARE(void *) blade_connection_transport_init_get(blade_connection_t *bc);
 KS_DECLARE(void *) blade_connection_transport_get(blade_connection_t *bc);
 KS_DECLARE(void) blade_connection_transport_set(blade_connection_t *bc, void *transport_data);
 KS_DECLARE(void) blade_connection_state_set(blade_connection_t *bc, blade_connection_state_t state);
+KS_DECLARE(blade_connection_state_t) blade_connection_state_get(blade_connection_t *bc);
 KS_DECLARE(void) blade_connection_disconnect(blade_connection_t *bc);
 KS_DECLARE(blade_connection_rank_t) blade_connection_rank(blade_connection_t *bc, blade_identity_t *target);
 KS_DECLARE(ks_status_t) blade_connection_sending_push(blade_connection_t *bc, cJSON *json);
diff --git a/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_types.h b/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_types.h
index e78c6dad0f..71326f0b3a 100644
--- a/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_types.h
+++ b/libs/libblade/src/include/blade_types.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ typedef ks_bool_t (*blade_datastore_fetch_callback_t)(blade_datastore_t *bds, co
 
 typedef enum {
 	BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_NONE,
+	BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_CLEANUP,
 	BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_DISCONNECT,
 	BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_NEW,
 	BLADE_CONNECTION_STATE_CONNECT,