diff --git a/cmd/vspd/main.go b/cmd/vspd/main.go
index 2dd6bae..50fe3be 100644
--- a/cmd/vspd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/vspd/main.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/decred/dcrd/wire"
 	"github.com/decred/vspd/database"
@@ -108,13 +109,28 @@ func run() int {
 	}()
 
 	// Start vspd.
-	vspd := newVspd(cfg, log, db, dcrd, wallets, blockNotifChan)
+	vspd := newVspd(cfg.network, log, db, dcrd, wallets, blockNotifChan)
 	shutdownWg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		vspd.run(ctx)
 		shutdownWg.Done()
 	}()
 
+	// Periodically write a database backup file.
+	shutdownWg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			shutdownWg.Done()
+			return
+		case <-time.After(cfg.BackupInterval):
+			err := db.WriteHotBackupFile()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Errorf("Failed to write database backup: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
 	// Wait for shutdown tasks to complete before running deferred tasks and
 	// returning.
 	shutdownWg.Wait()
diff --git a/cmd/vspd/spentticket.go b/cmd/vspd/spentticket.go
index 9c61c98..c130a54 100644
--- a/cmd/vspd/spentticket.go
+++ b/cmd/vspd/spentticket.go
@@ -66,8 +66,6 @@ func (s *spentTicket) missed() bool {
 // height of the most recent scanned block.
 func (v *vspd) findSpentTickets(ctx context.Context, toCheck database.TicketList,
 	startHeight int64) ([]spentTicket, int64, error) {
-	network := v.cfg.network
-
 	dcrdClient, _, err := v.dcrd.Client()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
@@ -102,7 +100,7 @@ func (v *vspd) findSpentTickets(ctx context.Context, toCheck database.TicketList
 	tickets := make([]ticketTuple, 0, len(toCheck))
 	scripts := make([][]byte, 0, len(toCheck))
 	for _, ticket := range toCheck {
-		parsedAddr, err := stdaddr.DecodeAddress(ticket.CommitmentAddress, network)
+		parsedAddr, err := stdaddr.DecodeAddress(ticket.CommitmentAddress, v.network)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, 0, err
 		}
@@ -135,7 +133,7 @@ func (v *vspd) findSpentTickets(ctx context.Context, toCheck database.TicketList
 			return nil, 0, err
 		}
 
-		verifyProof := network.DCP5Active(iHeight)
+		verifyProof := v.network.DCP5Active(iHeight)
 		key, filter, err := dcrdClient.GetCFilterV2(iHeader, verifyProof)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, 0, err
@@ -165,10 +163,12 @@ func (v *vspd) findSpentTickets(ctx context.Context, toCheck database.TicketList
 				// Confirmed - ticket is spent in block.
 
 				spent = append(spent, spentTicket{
-					dbTicket:     tickets[i].dbTicket,
-					expiryHeight: tickets[i].dbTicket.PurchaseHeight + int64(network.TicketMaturity) + int64(network.TicketExpiry),
-					heightSpent:  iHeight,
-					spendingTx:   blkTx,
+					dbTicket: tickets[i].dbTicket,
+					expiryHeight: tickets[i].dbTicket.PurchaseHeight +
+						int64(v.network.TicketMaturity) +
+						int64(v.network.TicketExpiry),
+					heightSpent: iHeight,
+					spendingTx:  blkTx,
 				})
 
 				// Remove this ticket and its script before continuing with the
diff --git a/cmd/vspd/vspd.go b/cmd/vspd/vspd.go
index cd83ed7..a7dedd6 100644
--- a/cmd/vspd/vspd.go
+++ b/cmd/vspd/vspd.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/decred/dcrd/wire"
 	"github.com/decred/slog"
 	"github.com/decred/vspd/database"
+	"github.com/decred/vspd/internal/config"
 	"github.com/decred/vspd/rpc"
 	"github.com/jrick/wsrpc/v2"
 )
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 type vspd struct {
-	cfg     *vspdConfig
+	network *config.Network
 	log     slog.Logger
 	db      *database.VspDatabase
 	dcrd    rpc.DcrdConnect
@@ -50,11 +51,11 @@ type vspd struct {
 	lastScannedBlock int64
 }
 
-func newVspd(cfg *vspdConfig, log slog.Logger, db *database.VspDatabase,
+func newVspd(network *config.Network, log slog.Logger, db *database.VspDatabase,
 	dcrd rpc.DcrdConnect, wallets rpc.WalletConnect, blockNotifChan chan *wire.BlockHeader) *vspd {
 
 	v := &vspd{
-		cfg:     cfg,
+		network: network,
 		log:     log,
 		db:      db,
 		dcrd:    dcrd,
@@ -104,8 +105,6 @@ func (v *vspd) run(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 
 	// Start all background tasks and notification handlers.
-	backupTicker := time.NewTicker(v.cfg.BackupInterval)
-	defer backupTicker.Stop()
 	consistencyTicker := time.NewTicker(consistencyInterval)
 	defer consistencyTicker.Stop()
 	dcrdTicker := time.NewTicker(dcrdInterval)
@@ -113,14 +112,6 @@ func (v *vspd) run(ctx context.Context) {
 
 	for {
 		select {
-
-		// Periodically write a database backup file.
-		case <-backupTicker.C:
-			err := v.db.WriteHotBackupFile()
-			if err != nil {
-				v.log.Errorf("Failed to write database backup: %v", err)
-			}
-
 		// Run voting wallet consistency check periodically.
 		case <-consistencyTicker.C:
 			v.checkWalletConsistency(ctx)
@@ -223,7 +214,7 @@ func (v *vspd) checkRevoked(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	// Search for the transactions which spend these tickets, starting at the
 	// earliest height one of them matured.
-	startHeight := revoked.EarliestPurchaseHeight() + int64(v.cfg.network.TicketMaturity)
+	startHeight := revoked.EarliestPurchaseHeight() + int64(v.network.TicketMaturity)
 
 	spent, _, err := v.findSpentTickets(ctx, revoked, startHeight)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -492,7 +483,7 @@ func (v *vspd) blockConnected(ctx context.Context) {
 		// Use the earliest height at which a votable ticket matured if vspd has
 		// not performed a scan for spent tickets since it started. This will
 		// catch any tickets which were spent whilst vspd was offline.
-		startHeight = votableTickets.EarliestPurchaseHeight() + int64(v.cfg.network.TicketMaturity)
+		startHeight = votableTickets.EarliestPurchaseHeight() + int64(v.network.TicketMaturity)
 	} else {
 		startHeight = v.lastScannedBlock
 	}