diff --git a/test/test.nonci.ts b/test/test.nonci.ts
index 86a99ca..e05e46e 100644
--- a/test/test.nonci.ts
+++ b/test/test.nonci.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ tap.test('first test', async () => {
   testClickhouseDb = new smartclickhouse.SmartClickHouseDb({
     url: 'http://localhost:8123',
     database: 'test2',
+    unref: true,
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
index 136040d..8775b43 100644
--- a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
+++ b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@pushrocks/smartclickhouse',
-  version: '2.0.8',
+  version: '2.0.9',
   description: 'an odm for talking to clickhouse'
 }
diff --git a/ts/smartclickhouse.classes.smartclickhouse.ts b/ts/smartclickhouse.classes.smartclickhouse.ts
index 7938554..140c9f6 100644
--- a/ts/smartclickhouse.classes.smartclickhouse.ts
+++ b/ts/smartclickhouse.classes.smartclickhouse.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ export interface IClickhouseConstructorOptions {
   database: string;
   username?: string;
   password?: string;
+  /**
+   * allow services to exit when waiting for clickhouse startup
+   * this allows to leave the lifecycle flow to other processes
+   * like a listening server.
+   */
+  unref?: boolean;
 }
 
 export class SmartClickHouseDb {
@@ -44,7 +50,7 @@ export class SmartClickHouseDb {
       });
       if (!available) {
         console.log(`NOT OK: tried pinging ${this.options.url}... Trying again in 5 seconds.`);
-        await plugins.smartdelay.delayFor(5000);
+        await plugins.smartdelay.delayFor(5000, null, this.options.unref);
       }
     }
   }