diff --git a/include/maxscale/housekeeper.h b/include/maxscale/housekeeper.h
index 46861a382..d5552ab46 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/housekeeper.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/housekeeper.h
@@ -32,30 +32,6 @@ MXS_BEGIN_DECLS
  */
 typedef bool (* TASKFN)(void* data);
 
-/**
- * Initialises the housekeeper mechanism.
- *
- * A call to any of the other housekeeper functions can be made only if
- * this function returns successfully. This function must be called after all
- * module level initialization is done but before any monitors or services are
- * started.
- *
- * @return True if the housekeeper mechanism was initialized, false otherwise.
- */
-bool hkinit();
-
-/**
- * Start the housekeeper thread
- *
- * @return True if the housekeeper mechanism was started
- */
-bool hkstart();
-
-/**
- * Waits for the housekeeper thread to finish.
- */
-void hkfinish();
-
 /**
  * @brief Add a new task
  *
diff --git a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 78e46561d..d49d87bc2 100644
--- a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ add_library(maxscale-common SHARED
   externcmd.cc
   filter.cc
   hint.cc
-  housekeeper.cc
   httprequest.cc
   httpresponse.cc
   json_api.cc
diff --git a/server/core/gateway.cc b/server/core/gateway.cc
index e40853cfa..d09171a8b 100644
--- a/server/core/gateway.cc
+++ b/server/core/gateway.cc
@@ -2072,13 +2072,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 
     // Initialize the housekeeper
     main_worker = new maxscale::MainWorker;
-    if (!hkinit())
-    {
-        const char* logerr = "Failed to initialize housekeeper";
-        print_log_n_stderr(true, true, logerr, logerr, 0);
-        rc = MAXSCALE_INTERNALERROR;
-        goto return_main;
-    }
 
     if (!qc_setup(&cnf->qc_cache_properties, cnf->qc_sql_mode, cnf->qc_name, cnf->qc_args))
     {
@@ -2203,15 +2196,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         goto return_main;
     }
 
-    // Start the housekeeper thread
-    if (!hkstart())
-    {
-        const char* logerr = "Failed to start housekeeper thread.";
-        print_log_n_stderr(true, true, logerr, logerr, 0);
-        rc = MAXSCALE_INTERNALERROR;
-        goto return_main;
-    }
-
     /** Start all monitors */
     monitor_start_all();
 
@@ -2290,11 +2274,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     /*< Destroy all monitors */
     monitor_destroy_all();
 
-    /*<
-     * Wait for the housekeeper to finish.
-     */
-    hkfinish();
-
     /*<
      * Wait for worker threads to exit.
      */
diff --git a/server/core/mainworker.cc b/server/core/mainworker.cc
index e3f193cb8..744000d5c 100644
--- a/server/core/mainworker.cc
+++ b/server/core/mainworker.cc
@@ -206,3 +206,33 @@ bool MainWorker::inc_ticks(Worker::Call::action_t action)
 }
 
 }
+
+extern "C"
+{
+
+void hktask_add(const char* zName, TASKFN func, void* pData, int frequency)
+{
+    mxs::MainWorker::get().add_task(zName, func, pData, frequency);
+}
+
+void hktask_remove(const char* zName)
+{
+    mxs::MainWorker::get().remove_task(zName);
+}
+
+void hkshow_tasks(DCB* pDcb)
+{
+    mxs::MainWorker::get().show_tasks(pDcb);
+}
+
+json_t* hk_tasks_json(const char* zHost)
+{
+    return mxs::MainWorker::get().tasks_to_json(zHost);
+}
+
+int64_t mxs_clock()
+{
+    return mxs::MainWorker::ticks();
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/server/core/test/test_housekeeper.cc b/server/core/test/test_housekeeper.cc
index 76b5c5275..ab54e1ec8 100644
--- a/server/core/test/test_housekeeper.cc
+++ b/server/core/test/test_housekeeper.cc
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <maxbase/log.hh>
 #include <maxscale/housekeeper.h>
+#include <maxscale/mainworker.hh>
 #include "test_utils.hh"
 
 using namespace std;
@@ -92,23 +93,13 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 
     init_test_env();
 
-    if (hkinit())
-    {
-        if (hkstart())
-        {
-            rc = test();
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            cerr << "Could not start the housekeeper." << endl;
-        }
+    maxscale::MainWorker mw;
+    mw.start();
 
-        hkfinish();
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        cerr << "Could not initialize the housekeeper." << endl;
-    }
+    rc = test();
+
+    mw.shutdown();
+    mw.join();
 
     return rc;
 }
diff --git a/server/core/test/test_utils.hh b/server/core/test/test_utils.hh
index e07e7338f..9a16bde6a 100644
--- a/server/core/test/test_utils.hh
+++ b/server/core/test/test_utils.hh
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ void init_test_env(char* __attribute((unused)) path = nullptr, uint32_t init_typ
     poll_init();
     maxbase::init();
     maxscale::RoutingWorker::init();
-    hkinit();
     set_libdir(MXS_STRDUP(old_libdir.c_str()));
 
     preload_module("mariadbclient", "server/modules/protocol/MySQL/mariadbclient/", MODULE_PROTOCOL);
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc b/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc
index 6d40e6d6a..c46c52687 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc
@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@
 #include <maxscale/server.hh>
 #include <maxscale/router.hh>
 #include <maxbase/atomic.h>
+#include <maxbase/maxbase.hh>
 #include <maxscale/dcb.hh>
-#include <maxscale/housekeeper.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <maxscale/paths.h>
 #include <maxscale/alloc.h>
+#include <maxscale/mainworker.hh>
 #include <maxscale/utils.hh>
 #include "../../../../core/internal/modules.hh"
 #include "../../../../core/internal/config.hh"
@@ -105,8 +106,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     set_libdir(MXS_STRDUP_A("../../../../../query_classifier/qc_sqlite/"));
     load_module("qc_sqlite", MODULE_QUERY_CLASSIFIER);
 
+    maxbase::MaxBase initer;
+    maxscale::MainWorker mw;
+    mw.start();
     qc_init(NULL, QC_SQL_MODE_DEFAULT, NULL, NULL);
-    hkinit();
 
     CONFIG_CONTEXT ctx {(char*)""};
     config_add_defaults(&ctx, get_module("binlogrouter", MODULE_ROUTER)->parameters);
@@ -909,6 +912,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     MXS_FREE(inst->password);
     MXS_FREE(inst->fileroot);
     MXS_FREE(inst);
+    mw.shutdown();
+    mw.join();
     return 0;
 }