diff --git a/server/src/config.rs b/server/src/config.rs
index c8e9fcbd77..34fbf42ae8 100644
--- a/server/src/config.rs
+++ b/server/src/config.rs
@@ -543,10 +543,7 @@ impl<'a> DatabaseHandle<'a> {
                     write_buffer,
                 };
 
-                let db = Arc::new(Db::new(
-                    database_to_commit,
-                    Arc::clone(application.job_registry()),
-                ));
+                let db = Db::new(database_to_commit, Arc::clone(application.job_registry()));
 
                 self.state = Some(Arc::new(DatabaseState::Replay { db, replay_plan }));
 
diff --git a/server/src/db.rs b/server/src/db.rs
index 72d400c8cd..f5591368a9 100644
--- a/server/src/db.rs
+++ b/server/src/db.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use crate::{
             table::TableSchemaUpsertHandle,
             Catalog, TableNameFilter,
         },
-        lifecycle::{ArcDb, LockableCatalogChunk, LockableCatalogPartition},
+        lifecycle::{LockableCatalogChunk, LockableCatalogPartition, WeakDb},
     },
     JobRegistry,
 };
@@ -367,6 +367,11 @@ pub struct Db {
     /// The cleanup job needs exclusive access and hence will acquire a write-guard. Creating parquet files and creating
     /// catalog transaction only needs shared access and hence will acquire a read-guard.
     cleanup_lock: Arc<tokio::sync::RwLock<()>>,
+
+    /// Lifecycle policy.
+    ///
+    /// Optional because it will be created after `Arc<Self>`.
+    lifcycle_policy: tokio::sync::Mutex<Option<::lifecycle::LifecyclePolicy<WeakDb>>>,
 }
 
 /// All the information needed to commit a database
@@ -382,7 +387,7 @@ pub(crate) struct DatabaseToCommit {
 }
 
 impl Db {
-    pub(crate) fn new(database_to_commit: DatabaseToCommit, jobs: Arc<JobRegistry>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn new(database_to_commit: DatabaseToCommit, jobs: Arc<JobRegistry>) -> Arc<Self> {
         let db_name = database_to_commit.rules.name.clone();
 
         let rules = RwLock::new(database_to_commit.rules);
@@ -408,7 +413,7 @@ impl Db {
 
         let process_clock = process_clock::ProcessClock::new();
 
-        Self {
+        let this = Self {
             rules,
             server_id,
             store,
@@ -425,7 +430,13 @@ impl Db {
             ingest_metrics,
             write_buffer: database_to_commit.write_buffer,
             cleanup_lock: Default::default(),
-        }
+            lifcycle_policy: tokio::sync::Mutex::new(None),
+        };
+        let this = Arc::new(this);
+        *this.lifcycle_policy.try_lock().expect("not used yet") = Some(
+            ::lifecycle::LifecyclePolicy::new(WeakDb(Arc::downgrade(&this))),
+        );
+        this
     }
 
     /// Return a handle to the executor used to run queries
@@ -763,13 +774,15 @@ impl Db {
         tokio::join!(
             // lifecycle policy loop
             async {
-                let mut policy = ::lifecycle::LifecyclePolicy::new(ArcDb(Arc::clone(self)));
-
                 while !shutdown.is_cancelled() {
                     self.worker_iterations_lifecycle
                         .fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
                     tokio::select! {
-                        _ = policy.check_for_work(Utc::now(), std::time::Instant::now()) => {},
+                        _ = async {
+                            let mut guard = self.lifcycle_policy.lock().await;
+                            let policy = guard.as_mut().expect("lifecycle policy should be initialized");
+                            policy.check_for_work(Utc::now(), std::time::Instant::now()).await
+                        } => {},
                         _ = shutdown.cancelled() => break,
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/server/src/db/lifecycle.rs b/server/src/db/lifecycle.rs
index aa16c7cbda..698ad9cf2c 100644
--- a/server/src/db/lifecycle.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/lifecycle.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ use lifecycle::{
 use observability_deps::tracing::{info, trace};
 use persistence_windows::persistence_windows::FlushHandle;
 use query::QueryChunkMeta;
-use std::{fmt::Display, sync::Arc, time::Instant};
+use std::{
+    convert::TryInto,
+    fmt::Display,
+    sync::{Arc, Weak},
+    time::Instant,
+};
 use tracker::{RwLock, TaskTracker};
 
 pub(crate) use compact::compact_chunks;
@@ -43,17 +48,9 @@ mod persist;
 mod unload;
 mod write;
 
-/// A newtype wrapper around `Arc<Db>` to workaround trait orphan rules
+/// A newtype wrapper around `Weak<Db>` to workaround trait orphan rules
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
-pub struct ArcDb(pub(super) Arc<Db>);
-
-impl std::ops::Deref for ArcDb {
-    type Target = Db;
-
-    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
-        &self.0
-    }
-}
+pub struct WeakDb(pub(super) Weak<Db>);
 
 ///
 /// A `LockableCatalogChunk` combines a `CatalogChunk` with its owning `Db`
@@ -232,28 +229,42 @@ impl LockablePartition for LockableCatalogPartition {
     }
 }
 
-impl LifecycleDb for ArcDb {
+impl LifecycleDb for WeakDb {
     type Chunk = LockableCatalogChunk;
     type Partition = LockableCatalogPartition;
 
     fn buffer_size(&self) -> usize {
-        self.catalog.metrics().memory().total()
+        self.0
+            .upgrade()
+            .map(|db| db.catalog.metrics().memory().total())
+            .unwrap_or_default()
     }
 
     fn rules(&self) -> LifecycleRules {
-        self.rules.read().lifecycle_rules.clone()
+        self.0
+            .upgrade()
+            .map(|db| db.rules.read().lifecycle_rules.clone())
+            .unwrap_or_default()
     }
 
     fn partitions(&self) -> Vec<Self::Partition> {
-        self.catalog
-            .partitions()
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|partition| LockableCatalogPartition::new(Arc::clone(&self.0), partition))
-            .collect()
+        self.0
+            .upgrade()
+            .map(|db| {
+                db.catalog
+                    .partitions()
+                    .into_iter()
+                    .map(|partition| LockableCatalogPartition::new(Arc::clone(&db), partition))
+                    .collect()
+            })
+            .unwrap_or_default()
     }
 
     fn name(&self) -> DatabaseName<'static> {
-        self.rules.read().name.clone()
+        self.0
+            .upgrade()
+            .map(|db| db.rules.read().name.clone())
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "gone".to_string().try_into().unwrap())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/server/src/utils.rs b/server/src/utils.rs
index e28b5f9060..704b8c864d 100644
--- a/server/src/utils.rs
+++ b/server/src/utils.rs
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ impl TestDbBuilder {
 
         TestDb {
             metric_registry: metrics::TestMetricRegistry::new(metrics_registry),
-            db: Arc::new(Db::new(database_to_commit, Arc::new(JobRegistry::new()))),
+            db: Db::new(database_to_commit, Arc::new(JobRegistry::new())),
             replay_plan,
         }
     }