diff --git a/copyparty/__main__.py b/copyparty/__main__.py
index 249a8936..812c6009 100644
--- a/copyparty/__main__.py
+++ b/copyparty/__main__.py
@@ -552,9 +552,10 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2.add_argument("--no-robots", action="store_true", help="adds http and html headers asking search engines to not index anything")
     ap2.add_argument("--logout", metavar="H", type=float, default="8086", help="logout clients after H hours of inactivity (0.0028=10sec, 0.1=6min, 24=day, 168=week, 720=month, 8760=year)")
 
-    ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('yolo options')
+    ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('shutdown options')
     ap2.add_argument("--ign-ebind", action="store_true", help="continue running even if it's impossible to listen on some of the requested endpoints")
     ap2.add_argument("--ign-ebind-all", action="store_true", help="continue running even if it's impossible to receive connections at all")
+    ap2.add_argument("--exit", metavar="WHEN", type=u, default="", help="shutdown after WHEN has finished; for example 'idx' will do volume indexing + metadata analysis")
 
     ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('logging options')
     ap2.add_argument("-q", action="store_true", help="quiet")
diff --git a/copyparty/svchub.py b/copyparty/svchub.py
index e10b52e2..1e1f87e2 100644
--- a/copyparty/svchub.py
+++ b/copyparty/svchub.py
@@ -206,6 +206,9 @@ class SvcHub(object):
         self.log("root", t, 1)
 
         self.retcode = 1
+        self.sigterm()
+
+    def sigterm(self) -> None:
         os.kill(os.getpid(), signal.SIGTERM)
 
     def cb_httpsrv_up(self) -> None:
diff --git a/copyparty/up2k.py b/copyparty/up2k.py
index c125b5e6..c2c33fca 100644
--- a/copyparty/up2k.py
+++ b/copyparty/up2k.py
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@ class Up2k(object):
         all_vols = self.asrv.vfs.all_vols
         have_e2d = self.init_indexes(all_vols, [])
 
+        if not self.pp and self.args.exit == "idx":
+            return self.hub.sigterm()
+
         thr = threading.Thread(target=self._snapshot, name="up2k-snapshot")
         thr.daemon = True
         thr.start()
@@ -571,7 +574,6 @@ class Up2k(object):
             t = "online (running mtp)"
             if scan_vols:
                 thr = threading.Thread(target=self._run_all_mtp, name="up2k-mtp-scan")
-                thr.daemon = True
         else:
             self.pp = None
             t = "online, idle"
@@ -580,6 +582,7 @@ class Up2k(object):
             self.volstate[vol.vpath] = t
 
         if thr:
+            thr.daemon = True
             thr.start()
 
         return have_e2d
@@ -1313,6 +1316,9 @@ class Up2k(object):
             if "OFFLINE" not in self.volstate[k]:
                 self.volstate[k] = "online, idle"
 
+        if self.args.exit == "idx":
+            self.hub.sigterm()
+
     def _run_one_mtp(self, ptop: str, gid: int) -> None:
         if gid != self.gid:
             return