diff --git a/include/ircd/db/database/database.h b/include/ircd/db/database/database.h
index f6b3d9a77..7cad780c9 100644
--- a/include/ircd/db/database/database.h
+++ b/include/ircd/db/database/database.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ namespace ircd::db
 	void setopt(database &, const string_view &key, const string_view &val);
 	void fdeletions(database &, const bool &enable, const bool &force = false);
 	uint64_t checkpoint(database &);
+	void bgcontinue(database &);
+	void bgpause(database &);
 	void resume(database &);
 	void check(database &);
 	void compact(database &, const std::pair<int, int> &level, const compactor & = {});
diff --git a/ircd/db.cc b/ircd/db.cc
index 828333b52..bd788a884 100644
--- a/ircd/db.cc
+++ b/ircd/db.cc
@@ -497,6 +497,42 @@ ircd::db::resume(database &d)
 	};
 }
 
+void
+ircd::db::bgpause(database &d)
+{
+	assert(d.d);
+	const ctx::uninterruptible::nothrow ui;
+
+	throw_on_error
+	{
+		d.d->PauseBackgroundWork()
+	};
+
+	log::debug
+	{
+		log, "'%s': Paused all background work",
+		name(d)
+	};
+}
+
+void
+ircd::db::bgcontinue(database &d)
+{
+	assert(d.d);
+	const ctx::uninterruptible::nothrow ui;
+
+	log::debug
+	{
+		log, "'%s': Continuing background work",
+		name(d)
+	};
+
+	throw_on_error
+	{
+		d.d->ContinueBackgroundWork()
+	};
+}
+
 /// Writes a snapshot of this database to the directory specified. The
 /// snapshot consists of hardlinks to the bulk data files of this db, but
 /// copies the other stuff that usually gets corrupted. The directory can
diff --git a/modules/console.cc b/modules/console.cc
index 9c6b16179..b5656f954 100644
--- a/modules/console.cc
+++ b/modules/console.cc
@@ -1324,6 +1324,64 @@ console_cmd__db__compressions(opt &out, const string_view &line)
 	return true;
 }
 
+bool
+console_cmd__db__pause(opt &out, const string_view &line)
+try
+{
+	const params param{line, " ",
+	{
+		"dbname",
+	}};
+
+	const auto dbname
+	{
+		param.at(0)
+	};
+
+	auto &database
+	{
+		db::database::get(dbname)
+	};
+
+	bgpause(database);
+	out << "Paused background jobs for '" << dbname << "'" << std::endl;
+	return true;
+}
+catch(const std::out_of_range &e)
+{
+	out << "No open database by that name" << std::endl;
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool
+console_cmd__db__continue(opt &out, const string_view &line)
+try
+{
+	const params param{line, " ",
+	{
+		"dbname",
+	}};
+
+	const auto dbname
+	{
+		param.at(0)
+	};
+
+	auto &database
+	{
+		db::database::get(dbname)
+	};
+
+	bgcontinue(database);
+	out << "Resumed background jobs for '" << dbname << "'" << std::endl;
+	return true;
+}
+catch(const std::out_of_range &e)
+{
+	out << "No open database by that name" << std::endl;
+	return true;
+}
+
 bool
 console_cmd__db__sync(opt &out, const string_view &line)
 try