diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
index b058e194d2..89b86dbf81 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
@@ -1397,7 +1397,7 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
     }
 
     pub fn set_startup(&self, value: bool) {
-        self.storage.storage.set_startup(value);
+        self.storage.set_startup(value);
     }
 
     /// Get an account
diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
index 74ab683b69..96700bd535 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
@@ -43,20 +43,23 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> Drop for AccountsIndexStorage<T> {
 }
 
 impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndexStorage<T> {
-    pub fn new(bins: usize, config: &Option<AccountsIndexConfig>) -> AccountsIndexStorage<T> {
-        let num_threads = std::cmp::max(2, num_cpus::get() / 4);
-        let threads = config
-            .as_ref()
-            .and_then(|config| config.flush_threads)
-            .unwrap_or(num_threads);
+    pub fn add_worker_threads(existing: &Self, threads: usize) -> Self {
+        Self::allocate(
+            Arc::clone(&existing.storage),
+            existing.in_mem.clone(),
+            threads,
+        )
+    }
 
-        let storage = Arc::new(BucketMapHolder::new(bins, config, threads));
-
-        let in_mem = (0..bins)
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|bin| Arc::new(InMemAccountsIndex::new(&storage, bin)))
-            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    pub fn set_startup(&self, value: bool) {
+        self.storage.set_startup(self, value);
+    }
 
+    fn allocate(
+        storage: Arc<BucketMapHolder<T>>,
+        in_mem: Vec<Arc<InMemAccountsIndex<T>>>,
+        threads: usize,
+    ) -> Self {
         let exit = Arc::new(AtomicBool::default());
         let handles = Some(
             (0..threads)
@@ -84,4 +87,21 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndexStorage<T> {
             in_mem,
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn new(bins: usize, config: &Option<AccountsIndexConfig>) -> Self {
+        let num_threads = std::cmp::max(2, num_cpus::get() / 4);
+        let threads = config
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(|config| config.flush_threads)
+            .unwrap_or(num_threads);
+
+        let storage = Arc::new(BucketMapHolder::new(bins, config, threads));
+
+        let in_mem = (0..bins)
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|bin| Arc::new(InMemAccountsIndex::new(&storage, bin)))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+        Self::allocate(storage, in_mem, threads)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
index a28e79e70b..34ccbfaa25 100644
--- a/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::accounts_index::{AccountsIndexConfig, IndexValue};
+use crate::accounts_index_storage::AccountsIndexStorage;
 use crate::bucket_map_holder_stats::BucketMapHolderStats;
 use crate::in_mem_accounts_index::{InMemAccountsIndex, SlotT};
 use crate::waitable_condvar::WaitableCondvar;
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ pub struct BucketMapHolder<T: IndexValue> {
     /// and writing to disk in parallel are.
     /// Note startup is an optimization and is not required for correctness.
     startup: AtomicBool,
+
+    startup_worker_threads: Mutex<Option<AccountsIndexStorage<T>>>,
 }
 
 impl<T: IndexValue> Debug for BucketMapHolder<T> {
@@ -75,9 +78,15 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> BucketMapHolder<T> {
         self.startup.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
     }
 
-    pub fn set_startup(&self, value: bool) {
-        if !value {
+    pub fn set_startup(&self, storage: &AccountsIndexStorage<T>, value: bool) {
+        if value {
+            let num_threads = std::cmp::max(2, num_cpus::get() / 4);
+            *self.startup_worker_threads.lock().unwrap() = Some(
+                AccountsIndexStorage::add_worker_threads(storage, num_threads),
+            );
+        } else {
             self.wait_for_idle();
+            *self.startup_worker_threads.lock().unwrap() = None;
         }
         self.startup.store(value, Ordering::Relaxed)
     }
@@ -151,6 +160,7 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> BucketMapHolder<T> {
             bins,
             startup: AtomicBool::default(),
             mem_budget_mb,
+            startup_worker_threads: Mutex::default(),
             _threads: threads,
         }
     }