diff --git a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
index 9cb7e6f13d..35fc838274 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
@@ -9,12 +9,7 @@ use clap::{App, Arg};
 use daemonize::Daemonize;
 
 use fail::FailScenario;
-use pageserver::{
-    config::{defaults::*, PageServerConf},
-    http, page_cache, page_service, profiling, tenant_mgr, thread_mgr,
-    thread_mgr::ThreadKind,
-    timelines, virtual_file, LOG_FILE_NAME,
-};
+use pageserver::{LOG_FILE_NAME, config::{defaults::*, PageServerConf}, http, page_cache, page_service, profiling, tenant_jobs::gc::GC_POOL, tenant_mgr, thread_mgr, thread_mgr::ThreadKind, timelines, virtual_file};
 use utils::{
     auth::JwtAuth,
     http::endpoint,
@@ -305,6 +300,36 @@ fn start_pageserver(conf: &'static PageServerConf, daemonize: bool) -> Result<()
         move || page_service::thread_main(conf, auth, pageserver_listener, conf.auth_type),
     )?;
 
+    // Spawn GC workers
+    for i in 0..3 {
+        let name = format!("gc_worker_{}", i);
+        thread_mgr::spawn(
+            ThreadKind::GarbageCollectionWorker,
+            None,
+            None,
+            &name.clone(),
+            true,
+            move || {
+                GC_POOL.get().unwrap().worker_main(name.clone())
+            },
+        ).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    // Spawn compaction workers
+    for i in 0..3 {
+        let name = format!("compaction_worker_{}", i);
+        thread_mgr::spawn(
+            ThreadKind::CompactionWorker,
+            None,
+            None,
+            &name.clone(),
+            true,
+            move || {
+                GC_POOL.get().unwrap().worker_main(name.clone())
+            },
+        ).unwrap();
+    }
+
     signals.handle(|signal| match signal {
         Signal::Quit => {
             info!(
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant_jobs/worker.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant_jobs/worker.rs
index fc8824171f..0d26d22faa 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant_jobs/worker.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant_jobs/worker.rs
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ impl<J: Job> Pool<J> where J::ErrorType: Debug {
         }
     }
 
-    fn worker_main(&self, worker_name: String) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    // TODO listen for shutdown request?
+    pub fn worker_main(&self, worker_name: String) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let mut job_table = self.job_table.lock().unwrap();
         loop {
             if let Some(Deadline {job, ..}) = job_table.pop_due() {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs
index 238be6ab00..6387676e63 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ pub fn shutdown_all_tenants() {
     drop(m);
 
     thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(Some(ThreadKind::WalReceiver), None, None);
-    thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(Some(ThreadKind::GarbageCollector), None, None);
-    thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(Some(ThreadKind::Compactor), None, None);
+    thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(Some(ThreadKind::GarbageCollectionWorker), None, None);
+    thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(Some(ThreadKind::CompactionWorker), None, None);
 
     // Ok, no background threads running anymore. Flush any remaining data in
     // memory to disk.
diff --git a/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs b/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs
index b908f220ee..15735a8043 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs
@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ pub enum ThreadKind {
     // Thread that connects to a safekeeper to fetch WAL for one timeline.
     WalReceiver,
 
-    // Thread that handles compaction of all timelines for a tenant.
-    Compactor,
+    // Worker that does compaction jobs
+    CompactionWorker,
 
-    // Thread that handles GC of a tenant
-    GarbageCollector,
+    // Worker that does GC jobs
+    GarbageCollectionWorker,
 
     // Thread that flushes frozen in-memory layers to disk
     LayerFlushThread,