diff --git a/lib/api.js b/lib/api.js
index b66dcb4de..bbfefa4b8 100644
--- a/lib/api.js
+++ b/lib/api.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ module.exports.create = function (config) {
             config.store = _store;
         }));
     }).nThen(function (w) {
+        // XXX embed this in historyKeeper
         require("../storage/tasks").create(config, w(function (e, tasks) {
             if (e) {
                 throw e;
@@ -20,8 +21,8 @@ module.exports.create = function (config) {
             config.tasks = tasks;
             if (config.disableIntegratedTasks) { return; }
 
-            // XXX support stopping this interval
-            setInterval(function () {
+            config.intervals = config.intervals || {};
+            config.intervals.taskExpiration = setInterval(function () {
                 tasks.runAll(function (err) {
                     if (err) {
                         // either TASK_CONCURRENCY or an error with tasks.list
diff --git a/lib/commands/admin-rpc.js b/lib/commands/admin-rpc.js
index 763bfb517..e3f0c6c58 100644
--- a/lib/commands/admin-rpc.js
+++ b/lib/commands/admin-rpc.js
@@ -15,11 +15,20 @@ var getActiveSessions = function (Env, Server, cb) {
 };
 
 var shutdown = function (Env, Server, cb) {
-    return void cb('E_NOT_IMPLEMENTED');
-    //clearInterval(Env.sessionExpirationInterval);
-    // XXX set a flag to prevent incoming database writes
-    // XXX disconnect all users and reject new connections
-    // XXX wait until all pending writes are complete
+    if (true) {
+        return void cb('E_NOT_IMPLEMENTED');
+    }
+
+    // disconnect all users and reject new connections
+    Server.shutdown();
+
+    // stop all intervals that may be running
+    Object.keys(Env.intervals).forEach(function (name) {
+        clearInterval(Env.intervals[name]);
+    });
+
+    // set a flag to prevent incoming database writes
+    // wait until all pending writes are complete
     // then process.exit(0);
     // and allow system functionality to restart the server
 };
diff --git a/lib/historyKeeper.js b/lib/historyKeeper.js
index d5202876d..a1c09f9aa 100644
--- a/lib/historyKeeper.js
+++ b/lib/historyKeeper.js
@@ -359,7 +359,6 @@ module.exports.create = function (cfg, cb) {
 
         // close the channel
         store.closeChannel(channel, function () {
-            // XXX make sure that clients actually disconnect when we broadcast an error
             Server.channelBroadcast(channel, {
                 error: 'EEXPIRED',
                 channel: channel
diff --git a/lib/rpc.js b/lib/rpc.js
index eaa4efbbf..0df97efe3 100644
--- a/lib/rpc.js
+++ b/lib/rpc.js
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@ RPC.create = function (config, cb) {
 
     var Env = {
         historyKeeper: config.historyKeeper,
+        intervals: config.intervals || {},
         defaultStorageLimit: config.defaultStorageLimit,
         maxUploadSize: config.maxUploadSize || (20 * 1024 * 1024),
         Sessions: {},
@@ -388,7 +389,6 @@ RPC.create = function (config, cb) {
         evPinnedPadsReady: mkEvent(true),
         limits: {},
         admins: [],
-        sessionExpirationInterval: undefined,
         Log: Log,
         WARN: WARN,
         flushCache: config.flushCache,
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ RPC.create = function (config, cb) {
     };
     Quota.applyCustomLimits(Env);
     updateLimitDaily();
-    setInterval(updateLimitDaily, 24*3600*1000);
+    Env.intervals.dailyLimitUpdate = setInterval(updateLimitDaily, 24*3600*1000);
 
     Pinning.loadChannelPins(Env);
 
@@ -458,8 +458,7 @@ RPC.create = function (config, cb) {
             }
         });
         // expire old sessions once per minute
-        // XXX allow for graceful shutdown
-        Env.sessionExpirationInterval = setInterval(function () {
+        Env.intervals.sessionExpirationInterval = setInterval(function () {
             Core.expireSessions(Sessions);
         }, Core.SESSION_EXPIRATION_TIME);
     });