diff --git a/veilid-core/src/network_manager/mod.rs b/veilid-core/src/network_manager/mod.rs
index 924a2531..609fe0ee 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/network_manager/mod.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/network_manager/mod.rs
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ impl NetworkManager {
             )),
         };
 
-        this.start_tasks();
+        this.setup_tasks();
 
         this
     }
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ impl NetworkManager {
         debug!("starting network manager shutdown");
 
         // Cancel all tasks
-        self.stop_tasks().await;
+        self.cancel_tasks().await;
 
         // Shutdown network components if they started up
         debug!("shutting down network components");
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/network_manager/tasks/mod.rs b/veilid-core/src/network_manager/tasks/mod.rs
index 03f76a42..35e3e99c 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/network_manager/tasks/mod.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/network_manager/tasks/mod.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ pub mod rolling_transfers;
 use super::*;
 
 impl NetworkManager {
-    pub(crate) fn start_tasks(&self) {
+    pub(crate) fn setup_tasks(&self) {
         // Set rolling transfers tick task
         {
             let this = self.clone();
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ impl NetworkManager {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub(crate) async fn stop_tasks(&self) {
+    pub(crate) async fn cancel_tasks(&self) {
         debug!("stopping rolling transfers task");
         if let Err(e) = self.unlocked_inner.rolling_transfers_task.stop().await {
             warn!("rolling_transfers_task not stopped: {}", e);
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/mod.rs b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/mod.rs
index 021d9c40..50c4db74 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/mod.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/mod.rs
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ impl RoutingTable {
             unlocked_inner,
         };
 
-        this.start_tasks();
+        this.setup_tasks();
 
         this
     }
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ impl RoutingTable {
         debug!("starting routing table terminate");
 
         // Stop tasks
-        self.stop_tasks().await;
+        self.cancel_tasks().await;
 
         // Load bucket entries from table db if possible
         debug!("saving routing table entries");
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/mod.rs b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/mod.rs
index b7841b78..cf7f7cdc 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/mod.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/mod.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ pub mod rolling_transfers;
 use super::*;
 
 impl RoutingTable {
-    pub(crate) fn start_tasks(&self) {
+    pub(crate) fn setup_tasks(&self) {
         // Set rolling transfers tick task
         {
             let this = self.clone();
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ impl RoutingTable {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub(crate) async fn stop_tasks(&self) {
+    pub(crate) async fn cancel_tasks(&self) {
         // Cancel all tasks being ticked
         debug!("stopping rolling transfers task");
         if let Err(e) = self.unlocked_inner.rolling_transfers_task.stop().await {
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/mod.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/mod.rs
index 7c04adca..68720be4 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/mod.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/mod.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ mod record;
 mod record_data;
 mod record_store;
 mod record_store_limits;
+mod tasks;
 mod types;
 
 use keys::*;
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ use crate::rpc_processor::*;
 const MAX_SUBKEY_SIZE: usize = ValueData::MAX_LEN;
 /// The maximum total size of all subkeys of a record
 const MAX_RECORD_DATA_SIZE: usize = 1_048_576;
+/// Frequency to flush record stores to disk
+const FLUSH_RECORD_STORES_INTERVAL_SECS: u32 = 1;
 
 /// Locked structure for storage manager
 struct StorageManagerInner {
@@ -31,6 +34,8 @@ struct StorageManagerInner {
     remote_record_store: Option<RecordStore>,
     /// RPC processor if it is available
     rpc_processor: Option<RPCProcessor>,
+    /// Background processing task (not part of attachment manager tick tree so it happens when detached too)
+    tick_future: Option<SendPinBoxFuture<()>>,
 }
 
 struct StorageManagerUnlockedInner {
@@ -39,6 +44,9 @@ struct StorageManagerUnlockedInner {
     protected_store: ProtectedStore,
     table_store: TableStore,
     block_store: BlockStore,
+
+    // Background processes
+    flush_record_stores_task: TickTask<EyreReport>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -61,6 +69,7 @@ impl StorageManager {
             protected_store,
             table_store,
             block_store,
+            flush_record_stores_task: TickTask::new(FLUSH_RECORD_STORES_INTERVAL_SECS),
         }
     }
     fn new_inner() -> StorageManagerInner {
@@ -69,6 +78,7 @@ impl StorageManager {
             local_record_store: None,
             remote_record_store: None,
             rpc_processor: None,
+            tick_future: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -107,7 +117,7 @@ impl StorageManager {
         table_store: TableStore,
         block_store: BlockStore,
     ) -> StorageManager {
-        StorageManager {
+        let this = StorageManager {
             unlocked_inner: Arc::new(Self::new_unlocked_inner(
                 config,
                 crypto,
@@ -116,7 +126,11 @@ impl StorageManager {
                 block_store,
             )),
             inner: Arc::new(AsyncMutex::new(Self::new_inner())),
-        }
+        };
+
+        this.setup_tasks();
+
+        this
     }
 
     #[instrument(level = "debug", skip_all, err)]
@@ -144,6 +158,18 @@ impl StorageManager {
         inner.local_record_store = Some(local_record_store);
         inner.remote_record_store = Some(remote_record_store);
 
+        // Schedule tick
+        let this = self.clone();
+        let tick_future = interval(1000, move || {
+            let this = this.clone();
+            async move {
+                if let Err(e) = this.tick().await {
+                    warn!("storage manager tick failed: {}", e);
+                }
+            }
+        });
+        inner.tick_future = Some(tick_future);
+
         inner.initialized = true;
 
         Ok(())
@@ -151,8 +177,18 @@ impl StorageManager {
 
     pub async fn terminate(&self) {
         debug!("starting storage manager shutdown");
+
         let mut inner = self.inner.lock().await;
 
+        // Stop ticker
+        let tick_future = inner.tick_future.take();
+        if let Some(f) = tick_future {
+            f.await;
+        }
+
+        // Cancel all tasks
+        self.cancel_tasks().await;
+
         // Release the storage manager
         *inner = Self::new_inner();
 
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/record_store.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/record_store.rs
index c0b67668..9490fc27 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/record_store.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/record_store.rs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ impl RecordStore {
 
     async fn purge_dead_records(&mut self, lazy: bool) {
         let purge_dead_records_mutex = self.purge_dead_records_mutex.clone();
-        let lock = if lazy {
+        let _lock = if lazy {
             match mutex_try_lock!(purge_dead_records_mutex) {
                 Some(v) => v,
                 None => {
@@ -212,9 +212,10 @@ impl RecordStore {
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn tick(&mut self, last_ts: Timestamp, cur_ts: Timestamp) {
+    pub async fn tick(&mut self) -> EyreResult<()> {
         self.flush_changed_records().await;
         self.purge_dead_records(true).await;
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     pub async fn new_record(
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/flush_record_stores.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/flush_record_stores.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c2fb1b0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/flush_record_stores.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+use super::*;
+
+impl StorageManager {
+    // Flush records stores to disk and remove dead records
+    #[instrument(level = "trace", skip(self), err)]
+    pub(crate) async fn flush_record_stores_task_routine(
+        self,
+        stop_token: StopToken,
+        _last_ts: Timestamp,
+        _cur_ts: Timestamp,
+    ) -> EyreResult<()> {
+        let mut inner = self.inner.lock().await;
+        if let Some(local_record_store) = &mut inner.local_record_store {
+            local_record_store.tick().await?;
+        }
+        if let Some(remote_record_store) = &mut inner.remote_record_store {
+            remote_record_store.tick().await?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/mod.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cd90a82e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+pub mod flush_record_stores;
+
+use super::*;
+
+impl StorageManager {
+    pub(crate) fn setup_tasks(&self) {
+        // Set rolling transfers tick task
+        debug!("starting flush record stores task");
+        {
+            let this = self.clone();
+            self.unlocked_inner
+                .flush_record_stores_task
+                .set_routine(move |s, l, t| {
+                    Box::pin(
+                        this.clone()
+                            .flush_record_stores_task_routine(
+                                s,
+                                Timestamp::new(l),
+                                Timestamp::new(t),
+                            )
+                            .instrument(trace_span!(
+                                parent: None,
+                                "StorageManager flush record stores task routine"
+                            )),
+                    )
+                });
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub async fn tick(&self) -> EyreResult<()> {
+        // Run the rolling transfers task
+        self.unlocked_inner.flush_record_stores_task.tick().await?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) async fn cancel_tasks(&self) {
+        debug!("stopping flush record stores task");
+        if let Err(e) = self.unlocked_inner.flush_record_stores_task.stop().await {
+            warn!("flush_record_stores_task not stopped: {}", e);
+        }
+    }
+}