diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
index 3d22f311b1..84fb5cb37b 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ pub struct AccountsIndexStorage<T: IndexValue> {
     // for managing the bg threads
     exit: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     wait: Arc<WaitableCondvar>,
-    handle: Option<JoinHandle<()>>,
+    handles: Option<Vec<JoinHandle<()>>>,
 
     // eventually the backing storage
     storage: Arc<BucketMapHolder<T>>,
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> Drop for AccountsIndexStorage<T> {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         self.exit.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
         self.wait.notify_all();
-        if let Some(x) = self.handle.take() {
-            x.join().unwrap()
+        if let Some(handles) = self.handles.take() {
+            handles
+                .into_iter()
+                .for_each(|handle| handle.join().unwrap());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -52,24 +54,32 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndexStorage<T> {
             .map(|bin| Arc::new(InMemAccountsIndex::new(&storage, bin)))
             .collect();
 
-        let storage_ = Arc::clone(&storage);
+        const DEFAULT_THREADS: usize = 1; // soon, this will be a cpu calculation
+        let threads = DEFAULT_THREADS;
         let exit = Arc::new(AtomicBool::default());
-        let exit_ = Arc::clone(&exit);
         let wait = Arc::new(WaitableCondvar::default());
-        let wait_ = Arc::clone(&wait);
-        let handle = Some(
-            Builder::new()
-                .name("solana-index-flusher".to_string())
-                .spawn(move || {
-                    Self::background(storage_, exit_, wait_);
+        let handles = Some(
+            (0..threads)
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|_| {
+                    let storage_ = Arc::clone(&storage);
+                    let exit_ = Arc::clone(&exit);
+                    let wait_ = Arc::clone(&wait);
+                    // note that rayon use here causes us to exhaust # rayon threads and many tests running in parallel deadlock
+                    Builder::new()
+                        .name("solana-idx-flusher".to_string())
+                        .spawn(move || {
+                            Self::background(storage_, exit_, wait_);
+                        })
+                        .unwrap()
                 })
-                .unwrap(),
+                .collect(),
         );
 
         Self {
             exit,
             wait,
-            handle,
+            handles,
             storage,
             in_mem,
         }