diff --git a/autopilot/prefattach_test.go b/autopilot/prefattach_test.go
index f553482bb..f20c3a480 100644
--- a/autopilot/prefattach_test.go
+++ b/autopilot/prefattach_test.go
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ func newDiskChanGraph(t *testing.T) (testGraph, error) {
 	graphDB, err := graphdb.NewChannelGraph(&graphdb.Config{KVDB: backend})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	require.NoError(t, graphDB.Start())
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		require.NoError(t, graphDB.Stop())
+	})
+
 	return &testDBGraph{
 		db: graphDB,
 		databaseChannelGraph: databaseChannelGraph{
diff --git a/graph/db/graph.go b/graph/db/graph.go
index 6e2132a5f..f926aaea3 100644
--- a/graph/db/graph.go
+++ b/graph/db/graph.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package graphdb
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/chaincfg/chainhash"
@@ -32,13 +33,20 @@ type Config struct {
 // KVStore. Upcoming commits will move the graph cache out of the KVStore and
 // into this layer so that the KVStore is only responsible for CRUD operations.
 type ChannelGraph struct {
+	started atomic.Bool
+	stopped atomic.Bool
+
 	// cacheMu guards any writes to the graphCache. It should be held
 	// across the DB write call and the graphCache update to make the
 	// two updates as atomic as possible.
-	cacheMu    sync.Mutex
+	cacheMu sync.Mutex
+
 	graphCache *GraphCache
 
 	*KVStore
+
+	quit chan struct{}
+	wg   sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 // NewChannelGraph creates a new ChannelGraph instance with the given backend.
@@ -58,6 +66,7 @@ func NewChannelGraph(cfg *Config, options ...ChanGraphOption) (*ChannelGraph,
 	if !opts.useGraphCache {
 		return &ChannelGraph{
 			KVStore: store,
+			quit:    make(chan struct{}),
 		}, nil
 	}
 
@@ -96,9 +105,38 @@ func NewChannelGraph(cfg *Config, options ...ChanGraphOption) (*ChannelGraph,
 	return &ChannelGraph{
 		KVStore:    store,
 		graphCache: graphCache,
+		quit:       make(chan struct{}),
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// Start kicks off any goroutines required for the ChannelGraph to function.
+// If the graph cache is enabled, then it will be populated with the contents of
+// the database.
+func (c *ChannelGraph) Start() error {
+	if !c.started.CompareAndSwap(false, true) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	log.Debugf("ChannelGraph starting")
+	defer log.Debug("ChannelGraph started")
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Stop signals any active goroutines for a graceful closure.
+func (c *ChannelGraph) Stop() error {
+	if !c.stopped.CompareAndSwap(false, true) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	log.Debugf("ChannelGraph shutting down...")
+	defer log.Debug("ChannelGraph shutdown complete")
+
+	close(c.quit)
+	c.wg.Wait()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ForEachNodeDirectedChannel iterates through all channels of a given node,
 // executing the passed callback on the directed edge representing the channel
 // and its incoming policy. If the callback returns an error, then the iteration
diff --git a/graph/db/graph_test.go b/graph/db/graph_test.go
index bc130c599..dc41f02a2 100644
--- a/graph/db/graph_test.go
+++ b/graph/db/graph_test.go
@@ -4077,6 +4077,10 @@ func TestGraphLoading(t *testing.T) {
 
 	graph, err := NewChannelGraph(&Config{KVDB: backend})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, graph.Start())
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		require.NoError(t, graph.Stop())
+	})
 
 	// Populate the graph with test data.
 	const numNodes = 100
@@ -4087,6 +4091,10 @@ func TestGraphLoading(t *testing.T) {
 	// populated.
 	graphReloaded, err := NewChannelGraph(&Config{KVDB: backend})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, graphReloaded.Start())
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		require.NoError(t, graphReloaded.Stop())
+	})
 
 	// Assert that the cache content is identical.
 	require.Equal(
diff --git a/graph/db/kv_store.go b/graph/db/kv_store.go
index 0ea61a76c..aa120a39a 100644
--- a/graph/db/kv_store.go
+++ b/graph/db/kv_store.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/kvdb"
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/lnwire"
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/routing/route"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -4722,10 +4723,12 @@ func MakeTestGraph(t testing.TB, modifiers ...KVStoreOptionModifier) (
 
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	require.NoError(t, graph.Start())
 
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = backend.Close()
 		backendCleanup()
+		require.NoError(t, graph.Stop())
 	})
 
 	return graph, nil
diff --git a/graph/notifications_test.go b/graph/notifications_test.go
index aab1d4137..807b3fea7 100644
--- a/graph/notifications_test.go
+++ b/graph/notifications_test.go
@@ -1100,6 +1100,10 @@ func makeTestGraph(t *testing.T, useCache bool) (*graphdb.ChannelGraph,
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
+	require.NoError(t, graph.Start())
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		require.NoError(t, graph.Stop())
+	})
 
 	return graph, backend, nil
 }
diff --git a/peer/test_utils.go b/peer/test_utils.go
index 7d3c5ca37..87a80712f 100644
--- a/peer/test_utils.go
+++ b/peer/test_utils.go
@@ -619,6 +619,10 @@ func createTestPeer(t *testing.T) *peerTestCtx {
 		KVDB: graphBackend,
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, dbAliceGraph.Start())
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		require.NoError(t, dbAliceGraph.Stop())
+	})
 
 	dbAliceChannel := channeldb.OpenForTesting(t, dbPath)
 
diff --git a/routing/pathfind_test.go b/routing/pathfind_test.go
index 029383e0b..8a0280686 100644
--- a/routing/pathfind_test.go
+++ b/routing/pathfind_test.go
@@ -173,6 +173,10 @@ func makeTestGraph(t *testing.T, useCache bool) (*graphdb.ChannelGraph,
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
+	require.NoError(t, graph.Start())
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		require.NoError(t, graph.Stop())
+	})
 
 	return graph, backend, nil
 }
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index ad521cd67..731d69797 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -2377,6 +2377,12 @@ func (s *server) Start() error {
 			return
 		}
 
+		cleanup = cleanup.add(s.graphDB.Stop)
+		if err := s.graphDB.Start(); err != nil {
+			startErr = err
+			return
+		}
+
 		cleanup = cleanup.add(s.graphBuilder.Stop)
 		if err := s.graphBuilder.Start(); err != nil {
 			startErr = err
@@ -2683,6 +2689,9 @@ func (s *server) Stop() error {
 		if err := s.graphBuilder.Stop(); err != nil {
 			srvrLog.Warnf("failed to stop graphBuilder %v", err)
 		}
+		if err := s.graphDB.Stop(); err != nil {
+			srvrLog.Warnf("failed to stop graphDB %v", err)
+		}
 		if err := s.chainArb.Stop(); err != nil {
 			srvrLog.Warnf("failed to stop chainArb: %v", err)
 		}