diff --git a/construct/console.cc b/construct/console.cc
index b2d8d2146..990209a6a 100644
--- a/construct/console.cc
+++ b/construct/console.cc
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ construct::console::seen_message;
 decltype(construct::console::queue)
 construct::console::queue;
 
+decltype(construct::console::quit_when_done)
+construct::console::quit_when_done;
+
 bool
 construct::console::spawn()
 {
@@ -155,6 +158,9 @@ try
 			if(!next_command())
 				break;
 
+		if(quit_when_done)
+			ircd::post{ircd::quit};
+
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/construct/console.h b/construct/console.h
index 7bd3f2d2a..a857be5ca 100644
--- a/construct/console.h
+++ b/construct/console.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ struct construct::console
 	static const ircd::string_view console_message;
 	static std::once_flag seen_message;
 	static std::deque<std::string> queue;
+	static bool quit_when_done;
 
 	std::string line;
 	std::string record_path;
diff --git a/construct/construct.cc b/construct/construct.cc
index eb0900eb1..9d038adb0 100644
--- a/construct/construct.cc
+++ b/construct/construct.cc
@@ -178,17 +178,28 @@ noexcept try
 
 	// The smoketest uses this ircd::run::level callback to set a flag when
 	// each ircd::run::level is reached. All flags must be set to pass. The
-	// smoketest is inert unless the -smoketest program option is used. Note
-	// the special case for run::level::RUN, which initiates the transition
-	// to QUIT; the ircd::post allows any operations queued in the io_context
-	// to run in case the smoketest isn't the only callback being invoked.
+	// smoketest is inert unless the -smoketest program option is used.
 	const ircd::run::changed smoketester
 	{
 		[](const auto &level)
 		{
 			smoketest.at(size_t(level) + 1) = true;
-			if(smoketest[0] && level == ircd::run::level::RUN)
-				ircd::post {[] { ircd::quit(); }};
+			if(!smoketest[0])
+				return;
+
+			if(level != ircd::run::level::RUN)
+				return;
+
+			if(construct::console::active())
+			{
+				construct::console::quit_when_done = true;
+				return;
+			};
+
+			ircd::post
+			{
+				ircd::quit
+			};
 		}
 	};