diff --git a/DPDPU/Common/Include/DPU/FileService.h b/DPDPU/Common/Include/DPU/FileService.h
index 64c6f19..c36b995 100644
--- a/DPDPU/Common/Include/DPU/FileService.h
+++ b/DPDPU/Common/Include/DPU/FileService.h
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ void
 StartFileService(
     int Argc,
     char **Argv,
-    FileService *FS,
-    pthread_t *AppPthread
+    FileService *FS
 );
 
 struct WorkerThreadExitCtx {
diff --git a/DPDPU/Common/Source/DPU/FileService.c b/DPDPU/Common/Source/DPU/FileService.c
index 39766b5..16a1074 100644
--- a/DPDPU/Common/Source/DPU/FileService.c
+++ b/DPDPU/Common/Source/DPU/FileService.c
@@ -252,8 +252,7 @@ void
 StartFileService(
     int Argc,
     char **Argv,
-    FileService *FS,
-    pthread_t *AppPthread
+    FileService *FS
 ) {
     G_INITIALIZATION_DONE = false;
     struct StartFileServiceCtx *StartCtx = malloc(sizeof(*StartCtx));
@@ -261,8 +260,7 @@ StartFileService(
     StartCtx->Argv = Argv;
     StartCtx->FS = FS;
     
-    SPDK_NOTICELOG("Calling pthread_create()...\n");
-    pthread_create(AppPthread, NULL, StartFileServiceWrapper, StartCtx);
+    StartFileServiceWrapper(StartCtx);
 }
 
 //
diff --git a/DPDPU/StorageEngine/DDSBackEndDPUService/Source/FileBackEnd.c b/DPDPU/StorageEngine/DDSBackEndDPUService/Source/FileBackEnd.c
index 61eadc8..e4dc55b 100644
--- a/DPDPU/StorageEngine/DDSBackEndDPUService/Source/FileBackEnd.c
+++ b/DPDPU/StorageEngine/DDSBackEndDPUService/Source/FileBackEnd.c
@@ -28,12 +28,6 @@ static inline void DebugPrint(const char* Fmt, ...) { }
 volatile int ForceQuitFileBackEnd = 0;
 bool G_INITIALIZATION_DONE = false;
 
-//
-// the pthread on which spdk_app_start() is called, might wanna join?
-//
-//
-pthread_t AppPthread;
-
 //
 // Set a CM channel to be non-blocking
 //
@@ -2689,57 +2683,19 @@ CheckAndProcessControlPlaneCompletions(
     return ret;
 }
 
-//
-// The entry point for the back end
-// This is on the main thread not app thread, i.e. app start not called when entering this func
-//
-//
-int RunFileBackEnd(
-    const char* ServerIpStr,
-    const int ServerPort,
-    const uint32_t MaxClients,
-    const uint32_t MaxBuffs,
-    int Argc,
-    char **Argv
+void* DMAAgentThread(
+    void* Arg
 ) {
-    BackEndConfig config;
     struct rdma_cm_event *event;
     int ret = 0;
     int dataPlaneCounter = 0;
-
-    //
-    // Initialize the back end configuration
-    //
-    //
-    config.ServerIp = inet_addr(ServerIpStr);
-    config.ServerPort = htons(ServerPort);;
-    config.MaxClients = MaxClients;
-    config.MaxBuffs = MaxBuffs;
-    config.CtrlConns = NULL;
-    config.BuffConns = NULL;
-    config.DMAConf.CmChannel = NULL;
-    config.DMAConf.CmId = NULL;
-    config.FS = NULL;
-
-    //
-    // Allocate the file service object
-    //
-    //
-    config.FS = AllocateFileService();
-    if (!config.FS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "AllocateFileService failed\n");
-        return ret;
-    }
-
-    SPDK_NOTICELOG("Starting file service... StartFileService()\n");
-    StartFileService(Argc, Argv, config.FS, &AppPthread);
-
+    BackEndConfig* config = (BackEndConfig*)Arg;
 
     //
     // Initialize DMA
     //
     //
-    ret = InitDMA(&config.DMAConf, config.ServerIp, config.ServerPort);
+    ret = InitDMA(&config->DMAConf, config->ServerIp, config->ServerPort);
     if (ret) {
         fprintf(stderr, "InitDMA failed with %d\n", ret);
         return ret;
@@ -2749,10 +2705,10 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
     // Allocate connections
     //
     //
-    ret = AllocConns(&config);
+    ret = AllocConns(config);
     if (ret) {
         fprintf(stderr, "AllocConns failed with %d\n", ret);
-        TermDMA(&config.DMAConf);
+        TermDMA(&config->DMAConf);
         return ret;
     }
 
@@ -2760,7 +2716,7 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
     // Listen for incoming connections
     //
     //
-    ret = rdma_listen(config.DMAConf.CmId, LISTEN_BACKLOG);
+    ret = rdma_listen(config->DMAConf.CmId, LISTEN_BACKLOG);
     if (ret) {
         ret = errno;
         fprintf(stderr, "rdma_listen error %d\n", ret);
@@ -2776,7 +2732,7 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
             // Process connection events
             //
             //
-            ret = rdma_get_cm_event(config.DMAConf.CmChannel, &event);
+            ret = rdma_get_cm_event(config->DMAConf.CmChannel, &event);
             if (ret && errno != EAGAIN) {
                 ret = errno;
                 fprintf(stderr, "rdma_get_cm_event error %d\n", ret);
@@ -2786,10 +2742,10 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
 #ifdef DDS_STORAGE_FILE_BACKEND_VERBOSE
                 fprintf(stdout, "cma_event type %s cma_id %p (%s)\n",
                     rdma_event_str(event->event), event->id,
-                    (event->id == config.DMAConf.CmId) ? "parent" : "child");
+                    (event->id == config->DMAConf.CmId) ? "parent" : "child");
 #endif
 
-                ret = ProcessCmEvents(&config, event);
+                ret = ProcessCmEvents(config, event);
                 if (ret) {
                     fprintf(stderr, "ProcessCmEvents error %d\n", ret);
                     SignalHandler(SIGTERM);
@@ -2801,7 +2757,7 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
             // Process RDMA events for control connections
             //
             //
-            ret = ProcessCtrlCqEvents(&config);
+            ret = ProcessCtrlCqEvents(config);
             if (ret) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "ProcessCtrlCqEvents error %d\n", ret);
                 SignalHandler(SIGTERM);
@@ -2812,7 +2768,7 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
             // Check and process control plane completions
             //
             //
-            ret = CheckAndProcessControlPlaneCompletions(&config);
+            ret = CheckAndProcessControlPlaneCompletions(config);
             if (ret) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "CheckAndProcessControlPlaneCompletions error %d\n", ret);
                 SignalHandler(SIGTERM);
@@ -2825,7 +2781,7 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
         //
         //
         // SPDK_NOTICELOG("buffer connections started\n");
-        ret = ProcessBuffCqEvents(&config);
+        ret = ProcessBuffCqEvents(config);
         if (ret) {
             fprintf(stderr, "ProcessBuffCqEvents error %d\n", ret);
             SignalHandler(SIGTERM);
@@ -2836,7 +2792,7 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
         // Check and process I/O completions
         //
         //
-        ret = CheckAndProcessIOCompletions(&config);
+        ret = CheckAndProcessIOCompletions(config);
         if (ret) {
             fprintf(stderr, "CheckAndProcessIOCompletions error %d\n", ret);
             SignalHandler(SIGTERM);
@@ -2853,11 +2809,72 @@ int RunFileBackEnd(
     // Clean up
     //
     //
-    DeallocConns(&config);
-    TermDMA(&config.DMAConf);
-    StopFileService(config.FS);
-    DeallocateFileService(config.FS);
-    sleep(1);  // return only after all spdk threads have finished exiting, so wait a bit here
+    DeallocConns(config);
+    TermDMA(&config->DMAConf);
+    StopFileService(config->FS);
+    DeallocateFileService(config->FS);
+}
+
+//
+// The entry point for the back end
+// This is on the main thread not app thread, i.e. app start not called when entering this func
+//
+//
+int RunFileBackEnd(
+    const char* ServerIpStr,
+    const int ServerPort,
+    const uint32_t MaxClients,
+    const uint32_t MaxBuffs,
+    int Argc,
+    char **Argv
+) {
+    BackEndConfig config;
+    pthread_t dmaAgent;
+    int ret;
+
+    //
+    // Initialize the back end configuration
+    //
+    //
+    config.ServerIp = inet_addr(ServerIpStr);
+    config.ServerPort = htons(ServerPort);;
+    config.MaxClients = MaxClients;
+    config.MaxBuffs = MaxBuffs;
+    config.CtrlConns = NULL;
+    config.BuffConns = NULL;
+    config.DMAConf.CmChannel = NULL;
+    config.DMAConf.CmId = NULL;
+    config.FS = NULL;
+
+    //
+    // Allocate the file service object
+    //
+    //
+    config.FS = AllocateFileService();
+    if (!config.FS) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "AllocateFileService failed\n");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    //
+    // Run DMA agent in a new thread
+    //
+    //
+    ret = pthread_create(&dmaAgent, NULL, DMAAgentThread, (void*)&config);
+    if (ret) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Failed to start DMA agent thread\n");
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    //
+    // Run file service on the current thread
+    //
+    //
+    SPDK_NOTICELOG("Starting file service... StartFileService()\n");
+    StartFileService(Argc, Argv, config.FS);
+
+    pthread_join(dmaAgent, NULL);
+    
     return ret;
 }