diff --git a/src/ckdb.c b/src/ckdb.c
index 046df82f..b191f347 100644
--- a/src/ckdb.c
+++ b/src/ckdb.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
  *	be created irrelevant of any being deleted
  *
  * The threads that can be managed have a command option to set them when
- *  running ckdb and can also be changed via the cmd_threads socket command
+ *  starting ckdb and can also be changed via the cmd_threads socket command
  *
  * The main() 'ckdb' thread starts:
  *	iomsgs() for filelog '_fiomsgs' and console '_ciomsgs'
@@ -71,13 +71,13 @@
  *  completes and just process authorise messages immediately while the
  *  reload runs
  * However, we start the ckpool message queue after loading
- *  the optioncontrol, users, workers and useratts DB tables, before loading
- *  the much larger DB tables, so that ckdb is effectively ready for messages
- *  almost immediately
+ *  the optioncontrol, idcontrol, users, workers and useratts DB tables,
+ *  before loading the much larger DB tables, so that ckdb is effectively
+ *  ready for messages almost immediately
  * The first ckpool message allows us to know where ckpool is up to
  *  in the CCLs - see reload_from() for how this is handled
  * The users table, required for the authorise messages, is always updated
- *  immediately
+ *  in the disk DB immediately
  */
 
 /* Reload data needed
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
  *  RAM accountbalance: TODO: created as data is loaded
  *
  *  idcontrol: only userid reuse is critical and the user is added
- *	immeditately to the DB before replying to the add message
+ *	immeditately to the disk DB before replying to the add message
  *
  *  Tables that are/will be written straight to the DB, so are OK:
  *	users, useraccounts, paymentaddresses, payments,
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ bool dbload_only_sharesummary = false;
  *  markersummaries and pplns payouts may not be correct */
 bool sharesummary_marks_limit = false;
 
-// DB optioncontrol,users,workers,useratts load is complete
+// DB optioncontrol,idcontrol,users,workers,useratts load is complete
 bool db_users_complete = false;
 // DB load is complete
 bool db_load_complete = false;
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ bool reloaded_N_files = false;
 // Data load is complete
 bool startup_complete = false;
 // Set to true when pool0 completes, pool0 = socket data during reload
-static bool reload_queue_complete = false;
+bool reload_queue_complete = false;
 // Tell everyone to die
 bool everyone_die = false;
 // Set to true every time a store is created
@@ -551,6 +551,8 @@ int reload_processing;
 int cmd_processing;
 int sockd_count;
 int max_sockd_count;
+ts_t breaker_sleep_stt;
+int breaker_sleep_ms;
 
 // Trigger breaker() processing
 mutex_t bq_reload_waitlock;
@@ -4516,6 +4518,9 @@ static void *breaker(void *arg)
 	ts_t when, when_add;
 	int i, typ, mythread, done, tot, ret;
 	int breaker_delta = 0;
+	ts_t last_sleep = { 0L, 0L };
+	int last_sleep_ms = 0;
+	bool do_sleep = false;
 
 	setup = (struct breaker_setup *)(arg);
 	mythread = setup->thread;
@@ -4591,7 +4596,11 @@ static void *breaker(void *arg)
 		K_WLOCK(breakqueue_free);
 		bq_item = NULL;
 		was_null = false;
-		if (mythread == 0 && reload && reload_breakdown_threads_delta != 0) {
+		if (breaker_sleep_stt.tv_sec > last_sleep.tv_sec) {
+			copy_ts(&last_sleep, &breaker_sleep_stt);
+			last_sleep_ms = breaker_sleep_ms;
+			do_sleep = true;
+		} else if (mythread == 0 && reload && reload_breakdown_threads_delta != 0) {
 			breaker_delta = reload_breakdown_threads_delta;
 			reload_breakdown_threads_delta = 0;
 		} else if (mythread == 0 && !reload && cmd_breakdown_threads_delta != 0) {
@@ -4621,6 +4630,12 @@ static void *breaker(void *arg)
 		}
 		K_WUNLOCK(breakqueue_free);
 
+		if (do_sleep) {
+			do_sleep = false;
+			cksleep_ms_r(&last_sleep, last_sleep_ms);
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		// TODO: deal with thread creation/shutdown failure
 		if (breaker_delta != 0) {
 			if (breaker_delta > 0) {
@@ -6396,6 +6411,7 @@ static void *process_socket(__maybe_unused void *arg)
 				case CMD_CHKPASS:
 				case CMD_GETATTS:
 				case CMD_THREADS:
+				case CMD_PAUSE:
 				case CMD_HOMEPAGE:
 				case CMD_QUERY:
 					break;
@@ -6597,6 +6613,7 @@ static void *process_socket(__maybe_unused void *arg)
 			case CMD_EVENTS:
 			case CMD_HIGH:
 			case CMD_THREADS:
+			case CMD_PAUSE:
 			case CMD_QUERY:
 				msgline->sockd = bq->sockd;
 				bq->sockd = -1;
@@ -7111,6 +7128,7 @@ static void process_reload_item(PGconn *conn, K_ITEM *bq_item)
 		case CMD_EVENTS:
 		case CMD_HIGH:
 		case CMD_THREADS:
+		case CMD_PAUSE:
 			LOGERR("%s() INVALID message line %"PRIu64
 				" ignored '%.42s...",
 				__func__, bq->count,
diff --git a/src/ckdb.h b/src/ckdb.h
index 4a9b9560..86f407d4 100644
--- a/src/ckdb.h
+++ b/src/ckdb.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 
 #define DB_VLOCK "1"
 #define DB_VERSION "1.0.7"
-#define CKDB_VERSION DB_VERSION"-2.703"
+#define CKDB_VERSION DB_VERSION"-2.704"
 
 #define WHERE_FFL " - from %s %s() line %d"
 #define WHERE_FFL_HERE __FILE__, __func__, __LINE__
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ extern bool dbload_only_sharesummary;
  *  markersummaries and pplns payouts may not be correct */
 extern bool sharesummary_marks_limit;
 
-// DB users,workers load is complete
+// DB optioncontrol,idcontrol,users,workers,useratts load is complete
 extern bool db_users_complete;
 // DB load is complete
 extern bool db_load_complete;
@@ -367,6 +367,8 @@ extern bool reloading;
 extern bool reloaded_N_files;
 // Data load is complete
 extern bool startup_complete;
+// Set to true when pool0 completes, pool0 = socket data during reload
+extern bool reload_queue_complete;
 // Tell everyone to die
 extern bool everyone_die;
 
@@ -747,6 +749,7 @@ enum cmd_values {
 	CMD_EVENTS,
 	CMD_HIGH,
 	CMD_THREADS,
+	CMD_PAUSE,
 	CMD_END
 };
 
@@ -1450,6 +1453,8 @@ extern int reload_processing;
 extern int cmd_processing;
 extern int sockd_count;
 extern int max_sockd_count;
+extern ts_t breaker_sleep_stt;
+extern int breaker_sleep_ms;
 
 // Trigger breaker() processing
 extern mutex_t bq_reload_waitlock;
@@ -2877,6 +2882,11 @@ extern K_STORE *userstats_eos_store;
 // newer OR equal
 #define tv_newer_eq(_old, _new) (!(tv_newer(_new, _old)))
 
+#define copy_ts(_dest, _src) do { \
+		(_dest)->tv_sec = (_src)->tv_sec; \
+		(_dest)->tv_nsec = (_src)->tv_nsec; \
+	} while(0)
+
 // WORKERSTATUS from various incoming data
 typedef struct workerstatus {
 	int64_t userid;
diff --git a/src/ckdb_cmd.c b/src/ckdb_cmd.c
index 5eb52d35..775221b0 100644
--- a/src/ckdb_cmd.c
+++ b/src/ckdb_cmd.c
@@ -8510,6 +8510,71 @@ static char *cmd_threads(__maybe_unused PGconn *conn, char *cmd, char *id,
 	return buf;
 }
 
+static char *cmd_pause(__maybe_unused PGconn *conn, char *cmd, char *id,
+			__maybe_unused tv_t *now, __maybe_unused char *by,
+			__maybe_unused char *code, __maybe_unused char *inet,
+			__maybe_unused tv_t *cd, K_TREE *trf_root,
+			__maybe_unused bool reload_data)
+{
+	K_ITEM *i_name;
+	char reply[1024] = "";
+	size_t siz = sizeof(reply);
+	char *name;
+
+	LOGDEBUG("%s(): cmd '%s'", __func__, cmd);
+
+	i_name = require_name(trf_root, "name", 1, NULL, reply, siz);
+	if (!i_name)
+		return strdup(reply);
+	name = transfer_data(i_name);
+
+	/* Pause the breaker threads to help culling to take place for some
+	 *  tables that can be culled but 'never' empty due to threads always
+	 *  creating new data before the old data has finished being processed
+	 * N.B. this should only be needed on a sizeable pool, once after
+	 *  the reload completes ... and even 499ms would be a long time to
+	 *  pause in the case of a sizeable pool ... DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! */
+	if (strcasecmp(name, "breaker") == 0) {
+		K_ITEM *i_ms;
+		int ms = 100;
+
+		i_ms = optional_name(trf_root, "ms", 1, NULL, reply, siz);
+		if (*reply)
+			return strdup(reply);
+		if (i_ms) {
+			ms = atoi(transfer_data(i_ms));
+			// 4999 is too long, don't do it!
+			if (ms < 10 || ms > 4999) {
+				snprintf(reply, siz,
+					 "%s ms %d outside range 10-4999",
+					 name, ms);
+				goto out;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (!reload_queue_complete && !key_update) {
+			snprintf(reply, siz,
+				 "no point pausing %s before reload completes",
+				 name);
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		/* Use an absolute start time to try to get all threads asleep
+		 *  at the same time */
+		K_WLOCK(breakqueue_free);
+		cksleep_prepare_r(&breaker_sleep_stt);
+		breaker_sleep_ms = ms;
+		K_WUNLOCK(breakqueue_free);
+		snprintf(reply, siz, "ok.%s %s%dms pause sent", name,
+					ms > 499 ? "ALERT!!! " : EMPTY, ms);
+	} else
+		snprintf(reply, siz, "unknown name '%s'", name);
+
+out:
+	LOGWARNING("%s() %s.%s", __func__, id, reply);
+	return strdup(reply);
+}
+
 /* The socket command format is as follows:
  *  Basic structure:
  *    cmd.ID.fld1=value1 FLDSEP fld2=value2 FLDSEP fld3=...
@@ -8623,5 +8688,6 @@ struct CMDS ckdb_cmds[] = {
 	{ CMD_EVENTS,	"events",	false,	false,	cmd_events,	SEQ_NONE,	ACCESS_SYSTEM | ACCESS_WEB },
 	{ CMD_HIGH,	"high",		false,	false,	cmd_high,	SEQ_NONE,	ACCESS_SYSTEM },
 	{ CMD_THREADS,	"threads",	false,	false,	cmd_threads,	SEQ_NONE,	ACCESS_SYSTEM },
+	{ CMD_PAUSE,	"pause",	false,	false,	cmd_pause,	SEQ_NONE,	ACCESS_SYSTEM },
 	{ CMD_END,	NULL,		false,	false,	NULL,		SEQ_NONE,	0 }
 };