diff --git a/src/xrpld/app/main/Application.cpp b/src/xrpld/app/main/Application.cpp
index 6cf5e028ee..cb8547bfbe 100644
--- a/src/xrpld/app/main/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/xrpld/app/main/Application.cpp
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ public:
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     ApplicationImp(std::unique_ptr<Config> config, std::unique_ptr<Logs> logs, std::unique_ptr<TimeKeeper> timeKeeper)
-        : BasicApp(numberOfThreads(*config))
+        : BasicApp(numberOfThreads(*config), DeferStart{})
         , config_(std::move(config))
         , logs_(std::move(logs))
         , timeKeeper_(std::move(timeKeeper))
diff --git a/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.cpp b/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.cpp
index 20fb5369d6..4ae5c04771 100644
--- a/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.cpp
+++ b/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
 #include <boost/asio/executor_work_guard.hpp>
 
 BasicApp::BasicApp(std::size_t numberOfThreads) : numberOfThreads_(numberOfThreads)
+{
+    work_.emplace(boost::asio::make_work_guard(io_context_));
+    startIOThreads();
+}
+
+BasicApp::BasicApp(std::size_t numberOfThreads, DeferStart) : numberOfThreads_(numberOfThreads)
 {
     work_.emplace(boost::asio::make_work_guard(io_context_));
 }
diff --git a/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.h b/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.h
index 779467f69e..fde5317680 100644
--- a/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.h
+++ b/src/xrpld/app/main/BasicApp.h
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ public:
     }
 
 protected:
+    // Construct without starting threads. Derived classes must call
+    // startIOThreads() once construction is complete.
+    struct DeferStart
+    {
+    };
+    BasicApp(std::size_t numberOfThreads, DeferStart);
+
     void
     startIOThreads();
 };