diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 69eaef4..de71701 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ cov.out
 *mem.out
 /webapi/test.db
 /database/test.db
-/database/test.db-backup
 
 # Go workspace
 go.work
diff --git a/cmd/vspd/main.go b/cmd/vspd/main.go
index 630b77c..4831b60 100644
--- a/cmd/vspd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/vspd/main.go
@@ -78,14 +78,18 @@ func run() int {
 	defer log.Criticalf("Shutdown complete")
 
 	// Open database.
-	db, err := database.Open(shutdownCtx, &shutdownWg, dbLog, cfg.dbPath, cfg.BackupInterval, maxVoteChangeRecords)
+	db, err := database.Open(cfg.dbPath, dbLog, maxVoteChangeRecords)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Database error: %v", err)
 		requestShutdown()
 		shutdownWg.Wait()
 		return 1
 	}
-	defer db.Close()
+
+	writeBackup := true
+	defer db.Close(writeBackup)
+
+	db.WritePeriodicBackups(shutdownCtx, &shutdownWg, cfg.BackupInterval)
 
 	// Create RPC client for local dcrd instance (used for broadcasting and
 	// checking the status of fee transactions).
diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index 0463f0e..62114fb 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -175,9 +175,7 @@ func CreateNew(dbFile, feeXPub string, log slog.Logger) error {
 
 // Open initializes and returns an open database. An error is returned if no
 // database file is found at the provided path.
-func Open(shutdownCtx context.Context, shutdownWg *sync.WaitGroup, log slog.Logger, dbFile string,
-	backupInterval time.Duration, maxVoteChangeRecords int) (*VspDatabase, error) {
-
+func Open(dbFile string, log slog.Logger, maxVoteChangeRecords int) (*VspDatabase, error) {
 	// Error if db file does not exist. This is needed because bolt.Open will
 	// silently create a new empty database if the file does not exist. A new
 	// vspd database should be created with the CreateNew() function.
@@ -216,7 +214,15 @@ func Open(shutdownCtx context.Context, shutdownWg *sync.WaitGroup, log slog.Logg
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("upgrade failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Periodically update the database backup file.
+	return vdb, nil
+}
+
+// WritePeriodicBackups starts a goroutine to periodically write a database backup file.
+// It can be stopped by cancelling the provided context, and uses the provided
+// WaitGroup to signal that it has finished.
+func (vdb *VspDatabase) WritePeriodicBackups(shutdownCtx context.Context, shutdownWg *sync.WaitGroup,
+	backupInterval time.Duration) {
+
 	shutdownWg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		for {
@@ -224,7 +230,7 @@ func Open(shutdownCtx context.Context, shutdownWg *sync.WaitGroup, log slog.Logg
 			case <-time.After(backupInterval):
 				err := vdb.writeHotBackupFile()
 				if err != nil {
-					log.Errorf("Failed to write database backup: %v", err)
+					vdb.log.Errorf("Failed to write database backup: %v", err)
 				}
 			case <-shutdownCtx.Done():
 				shutdownWg.Done()
@@ -232,13 +238,11 @@ func Open(shutdownCtx context.Context, shutdownWg *sync.WaitGroup, log slog.Logg
 			}
 		}
 	}()
-
-	return vdb, nil
 }
 
-// Close will close the database and then make a copy of the database to the
-// backup location.
-func (vdb *VspDatabase) Close() {
+// Close will close the database and, if requested, make a copy of the database
+// to the backup location.
+func (vdb *VspDatabase) Close(writeBackup bool) {
 
 	// Make a copy of the db path here because once the db is closed, db.Path
 	// returns empty string.
@@ -257,6 +261,10 @@ func (vdb *VspDatabase) Close() {
 
 	vdb.log.Debug("Database closed")
 
+	if !writeBackup {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Ensure the database backup file is up-to-date.
 	backupPath := dbPath + "-backup"
 	tempPath := backupPath + "~"
@@ -291,7 +299,7 @@ func (vdb *VspDatabase) Close() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	vdb.log.Tracef("Database backup written to %s", backupPath)
+	vdb.log.Debugf("Database backup written to %s", backupPath)
 }
 
 // KeyPair retrieves the keypair used to sign API responses from the database.
diff --git a/database/database_test.go b/database/database_test.go
index b0ee598..721eb6e 100644
--- a/database/database_test.go
+++ b/database/database_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 package database
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"crypto/ed25519"
 	"io"
 	"math/rand"
@@ -13,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
-	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -22,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	testDb               = "test.db"
-	backupDb             = "test.db-backup"
 	feeXPub              = "feexpub"
 	maxVoteChangeRecords = 3
 
@@ -70,7 +67,6 @@ func stdoutLogger() slog.Logger {
 func TestDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 	// Ensure we are starting with a clean environment.
 	os.Remove(testDb)
-	os.Remove(backupDb)
 
 	// All sub-tests to run.
 	tests := map[string]func(*testing.T){
@@ -95,14 +91,13 @@ func TestDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 	for testName, test := range tests {
 
 		// Create a new blank database for each sub-test.
-		var err error
-		var wg sync.WaitGroup
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.TODO())
-		err = CreateNew(testDb, feeXPub, log)
+		err := CreateNew(testDb, feeXPub, log)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("error creating test database: %v", err)
 		}
-		db, err = Open(ctx, &wg, log, testDb, time.Hour, maxVoteChangeRecords)
+
+		// Open the newly created database so it is ready to use.
+		db, err = Open(testDb, log, maxVoteChangeRecords)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("error opening test database: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -110,14 +105,9 @@ func TestDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 		// Run the sub-test.
 		t.Run(testName, test)
 
-		// Request database shutdown and wait for it to complete.
-		cancel()
-		wg.Wait()
-
-		db.Close()
-
+		writeBackup := false
+		db.Close(writeBackup)
 		os.Remove(testDb)
-		os.Remove(backupDb)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/webapi/setaltsignaddr_test.go b/webapi/setaltsignaddr_test.go
index 98cf6e4..6cf424e 100644
--- a/webapi/setaltsignaddr_test.go
+++ b/webapi/setaltsignaddr_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package webapi
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"context"
 	"crypto/ed25519"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
@@ -15,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
-	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -33,7 +31,6 @@ const (
 	// (base64 encoding).
 	sigCharset = "0123456789ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz+/="
 	testDb     = "test.db"
-	backupDb   = "test.db-backup"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -72,17 +69,15 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	// Create a database to use.
 	// Ensure we are starting with a clean environment.
 	os.Remove(testDb)
-	os.Remove(backupDb)
 
 	// Create a new blank database for all tests.
-	var err error
-	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	err = database.CreateNew(testDb, feeXPub, log)
+	err := database.CreateNew(testDb, feeXPub, log)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("error creating test database: %w", err))
 	}
-	db, err := database.Open(ctx, &wg, log, testDb, time.Hour, maxVoteChangeRecords)
+
+	// Open the newly created database so it is ready to use.
+	db, err := database.Open(testDb, log, maxVoteChangeRecords)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("error opening test database: %w", err))
 	}
@@ -97,12 +92,9 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	// Run tests.
 	exitCode := m.Run()
 
-	// Request database shutdown and wait for it to complete.
-	cancel()
-	wg.Wait()
-	db.Close()
+	writeBackup := false
+	db.Close(writeBackup)
 	os.Remove(testDb)
-	os.Remove(backupDb)
 
 	os.Exit(exitCode)
 }