diff --git a/expire-channels.js b/expire-channels.js
index fda2c20bb..a37a4677b 100644
--- a/expire-channels.js
+++ b/expire-channels.js
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ nt = nThen(function (w) {
         store = _store;
     }));
 }).nThen(function () {
-    dirs.forEach(function (dir) {
+    dirs.forEach(function (dir, dIdx) {
         queue(function (w) {
             console.log('recursing into %s', dir);
             Fs.readdir(Path.join(root, dir), w(function (e, list) {
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ nt = nThen(function (w) {
                         });
                     });
                 });
+                if (dIdx === (dirs.length - 1)) {
+                    queue(function () {
+                        store.shutdown();
+                    });
+                }
             }));
         });
     });
diff --git a/storage/file.js b/storage/file.js
index 33df00692..08a9f19cd 100644
--- a/storage/file.js
+++ b/storage/file.js
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ module.exports.create = function (
         openFileLimit: conf.openFileLimit || 2048,
     };
     // 0x1ff -> 777
+    var it;
     Fs.mkdir(env.root, 0x1ff, function (err) {
         if (err && err.code !== 'EEXIST') {
             // TODO: somehow return a nice error
@@ -465,9 +466,12 @@ module.exports.create = function (
                 if (!isValidChannelId(channelName)) { return void cb(new Error('EINVAL')); }
                 clearChannel(env, channelName, cb);
             },
+            shutdown: function () {
+                clearInterval(it);
+            }
         });
     });
-    setInterval(function () {
+    it = setInterval(function () {
         flushUnusedChannels(env, function () { });
     }, 5000);
 };