diff --git a/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.cpp b/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.cpp
index 8d5febd9c..1d46d5e61 100644
--- a/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.cpp
+++ b/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.cpp
@@ -434,6 +434,8 @@ EmbeddedNetworkController::EmbeddedNetworkController(Node *node,const char *dbPa
 	_db(dbPath,this),
 	_node(node)
 {
+	if ((dbPath[0] == '-')&&(dbPath[1] == 0))
+		_startThreads(); // start threads now in Central harnessed mode
 }
 
 EmbeddedNetworkController::~EmbeddedNetworkController()
@@ -1721,4 +1723,18 @@ void EmbeddedNetworkController::_request(
 	_sender->ncSendConfig(nwid,requestPacketId,identity.address(),*(nc.get()),metaData.getUI(ZT_NETWORKCONFIG_REQUEST_METADATA_KEY_VERSION,0) < 6);
 }
 
+void EmbeddedNetworkController::_startThreads()
+{
+	Mutex::Lock _l(_threads_m);
+	if (_threads.size() == 0) {
+		long hwc = (long)std::thread::hardware_concurrency();
+		if (hwc < 1)
+			hwc = 1;
+		else if (hwc > 16)
+			hwc = 16;
+		for(long i=0;i<hwc;++i)
+			_threads.push_back(Thread::start(this));
+	}
+}
+
 } // namespace ZeroTier
diff --git a/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.hpp b/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.hpp
index d1217d605..19469164c 100644
--- a/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.hpp
+++ b/controller/EmbeddedNetworkController.hpp
@@ -115,20 +115,7 @@ private:
 	};
 
 	void _request(uint64_t nwid,const InetAddress &fromAddr,uint64_t requestPacketId,const Identity &identity,const Dictionary<ZT_NETWORKCONFIG_METADATA_DICT_CAPACITY> &metaData);
-
-	inline void _startThreads()
-	{
-		Mutex::Lock _l(_threads_m);
-		if (_threads.size() == 0) {
-			long hwc = (long)std::thread::hardware_concurrency();
-			if (hwc < 1)
-				hwc = 1;
-			else if (hwc > 16)
-				hwc = 16;
-			for(long i=0;i<hwc;++i)
-				_threads.push_back(Thread::start(this));
-		}
-	}
+	void _startThreads();
 
 	// These init objects with default and static/informational fields
 	inline void _initMember(nlohmann::json &member)