diff --git a/src/app.ts b/src/app.ts
index 49f856fd20..ff40a111ee 100644
--- a/src/app.ts
+++ b/src/app.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import assets from "./routes/assets.js";
 import routes from "./routes/routes.js";
 import custom from "./routes/custom.js";
 import error_handlers from "./routes/error_handlers.js";
+import { startScheduledCleanup } from "./services/erase.js";
 
 await import('./services/handlers');
 await import('./becca/becca_loader');
@@ -61,6 +62,8 @@ await import('./services/consistency_checks');
 
 await import('./services/scheduler');
 
+startScheduledCleanup();
+
 if (utils.isElectron()) {
     (await import('@electron/remote/main')).initialize();
 }
diff --git a/src/services/erase.ts b/src/services/erase.ts
index 5b7261ec9f..1d7dcd7389 100644
--- a/src/services/erase.ts
+++ b/src/services/erase.ts
@@ -177,14 +177,16 @@ function eraseScheduledAttachments(eraseUnusedAttachmentsAfterSeconds: number |
     eraseAttachments(attachmentIdsToErase);
 }
 
-sqlInit.dbReady.then(() => {
-    // first cleanup kickoff 5 minutes after startup
-    setTimeout(cls.wrap(() => eraseDeletedEntities()), 5 * 60 * 1000);
-    setTimeout(cls.wrap(() => eraseScheduledAttachments()), 6 * 60 * 1000);
-
-    setInterval(cls.wrap(() => eraseDeletedEntities()), 4 * 3600 * 1000);
-    setInterval(cls.wrap(() => eraseScheduledAttachments()), 3600 * 1000);
-});
+export function startScheduledCleanup() {
+    sqlInit.dbReady.then(() => {
+        // first cleanup kickoff 5 minutes after startup
+        setTimeout(cls.wrap(() => eraseDeletedEntities()), 5 * 60 * 1000);
+        setTimeout(cls.wrap(() => eraseScheduledAttachments()), 6 * 60 * 1000);
+    
+        setInterval(cls.wrap(() => eraseDeletedEntities()), 4 * 3600 * 1000);
+        setInterval(cls.wrap(() => eraseScheduledAttachments()), 3600 * 1000);
+    });
+}
 
 export default {
     eraseDeletedNotesNow,
@@ -192,5 +194,5 @@ export default {
     eraseNotesWithDeleteId,
     eraseUnusedBlobs,
     eraseAttachments,
-    eraseRevisions
+    eraseRevisions,
 };