diff --git a/services/syncbase/server/service.go b/services/syncbase/server/service.go
index c51d939..87b1e09 100644
--- a/services/syncbase/server/service.go
+++ b/services/syncbase/server/service.go
@@ -43,11 +43,13 @@
 
 // service is a singleton (i.e. not per-request) that handles Service RPCs.
 type service struct {
-	st      store.Store // keeps track of which databases exist, etc.
-	sync    interfaces.SyncServerMethods
-	vclock  *vclock.VClock
-	vclockD *vclock.VClockD
-	opts    ServiceOptions
+	st                      store.Store // keeps track of which databases exist, etc.
+	sync                    interfaces.SyncServerMethods
+	vclock                  *vclock.VClock
+	vclockD                 *vclock.VClockD
+	opts                    ServiceOptions
+	cancelServerBlobFetcher context.CancelFunc
+	serverBlobFetcherDone   sync.WaitGroup
 	// Guards the fields below. Held during database Create, Delete, and
 	// SetPermissions.
 	mu  sync.Mutex
@@ -221,6 +223,12 @@
 		vsync.NewSyncDatabase(d).StartStoreWatcher(ctx)
 	}
 
+	// Start a blob fetcher, setting up for stopping it in Close().
+	var serverBlobFetcherCtx *context.T
+	serverBlobFetcherCtx, s.cancelServerBlobFetcher = context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	s.serverBlobFetcherDone.Add(1)
+	go vsync.ServerBlobFetcher(serverBlobFetcherCtx, s.sync, &s.serverBlobFetcherDone)
+
 	// Start the vclock daemon. For now, we disable NTP when running in dev mode.
 	// If we decide to change this behavior, we'll need to update the tests in
 	// v.io/v23/syncbase/featuretests/vclock_v23_test.go to disable NTP some other
@@ -300,9 +308,11 @@
 //
 // TODO(hpucha): Close or cleanup Syncbase database data structures.
 func (s *service) Close() {
+	s.cancelServerBlobFetcher()
 	s.vclockD.Close()
 	vsync.Close(s.sync)
 	s.st.Close()
+	s.serverBlobFetcherDone.Wait()
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/services/syncbase/vsync/server_blob_fetcher.go b/services/syncbase/vsync/server_blob_fetcher.go
index ec38aea..76f8719 100644
--- a/services/syncbase/vsync/server_blob_fetcher.go
+++ b/services/syncbase/vsync/server_blob_fetcher.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import "container/heap"
 import "math/rand"
+import "sync"
 import "time"
 
 import "v.io/v23/context"
@@ -319,7 +320,8 @@
 // with gaps specified by parameters in parameters.go before scanning them all again.  It
 // stops only if the context *ctx is cancelled.  The function fetchFunc() will
 // be used to fetch blobs, and passed the argument clientData on each call.
-func ServerBlobFetcher(ctx *context.T, ssm interfaces.SyncServerMethods) {
+// If done!=nil, done.Done() is called just before the routine returns.
+func ServerBlobFetcher(ctx *context.T, ssm interfaces.SyncServerMethods, done *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	bf := NewBlobFetcher(ctx, serverBlobFetchConcurrency)
 	ss := ssm.(*syncService)
 	var delay time.Duration = serverBlobFetchInitialScanDelay
@@ -340,4 +342,8 @@
 		}
 		delay = serverBlobFetchExtraScanDelay + serverBlobFetchScanDelayMultiplier*time.Since(startTime)
 	}
+	bf.WaitForExit()
+	if done != nil {
+		done.Done()
+	}
 }
diff --git a/services/syncbase/vsync/sync.go b/services/syncbase/vsync/sync.go
index 3d7e4fe..20eabc5 100644
--- a/services/syncbase/vsync/sync.go
+++ b/services/syncbase/vsync/sync.go
@@ -234,9 +234,6 @@
 	// Start the discovery service thread to listen to neighborhood updates.
 	go s.discoverNeighborhood(ctx)
 
-	// Start a blob fetcher.
-	go ServerBlobFetcher(ctx, s)
-
 	return s, nil
 }