diff --git a/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go b/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
index 1b52eb548d8..f61219e7288 100644
--- a/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
+++ b/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
@@ -396,6 +396,9 @@ func (b *Blockstore) doCopy(from, to *badger.DB) error {
 	if workers < 2 {
 		workers = 2
 	}
+	if workers > 8 {
+		workers = 8
+	}
 
 	stream := from.NewStream()
 	stream.NumGo = workers
@@ -441,7 +444,7 @@ func (b *Blockstore) deleteDB(path string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (b *Blockstore) onlineGC(ctx context.Context, threshold float64) error {
+func (b *Blockstore) onlineGC(ctx context.Context, threshold float64, checkFreq time.Duration, check func() error) error {
 	b.lockDB()
 	defer b.unlockDB()
 
@@ -458,11 +461,15 @@ func (b *Blockstore) onlineGC(ctx context.Context, threshold float64) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
+	checkTick := time.NewTimer(checkFreq)
+	defer checkTick.Stop()
 	for err == nil {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			err = ctx.Err()
+		case <-checkTick.C:
+			check()
+			checkTick.Reset(checkFreq)
 		default:
 			err = b.db.RunValueLogGC(threshold)
 		}
@@ -499,7 +506,17 @@ func (b *Blockstore) CollectGarbage(ctx context.Context, opts ...blockstore.Bloc
 	if threshold == 0 {
 		threshold = defaultGCThreshold
 	}
-	return b.onlineGC(ctx, threshold)
+	checkFreq := options.CheckFreq
+	if checkFreq < 30*time.Second { // disallow checking more frequently than block time
+		checkFreq = 30 * time.Second
+	}
+	check := options.Check
+	if check == nil {
+		check = func() error {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	return b.onlineGC(ctx, threshold, checkFreq, check)
 }
 
 // GCOnce runs garbage collection on the value log;
diff --git a/blockstore/blockstore.go b/blockstore/blockstore.go
index 8d16bbd509b..195e991e1f4 100644
--- a/blockstore/blockstore.go
+++ b/blockstore/blockstore.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package blockstore
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	ds "github.com/ipfs/go-datastore"
@@ -57,6 +58,10 @@ type BlockstoreGCOptions struct {
 	FullGC bool
 	// fraction of garbage in badger vlog before its worth processing in online GC
 	Threshold float64
+	// how often to call the check function
+	CheckFreq time.Duration
+	// function to call periodically to pause or early terminate GC
+	Check func() error
 }
 
 func WithFullGC(fullgc bool) BlockstoreGCOption {
@@ -73,6 +78,20 @@ func WithThreshold(threshold float64) BlockstoreGCOption {
 	}
 }
 
+func WithCheckFreq(f time.Duration) BlockstoreGCOption {
+	return func(opts *BlockstoreGCOptions) error {
+		opts.CheckFreq = f
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+func WithCheck(check func() error) BlockstoreGCOption {
+	return func(opts *BlockstoreGCOptions) error {
+		opts.Check = check
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // BlockstoreSize is a trait for on-disk blockstores that can report their size
 type BlockstoreSize interface {
 	Size() (int64, error)
diff --git a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore_gc.go b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore_gc.go
index 486633e1585..8b154f574c3 100644
--- a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore_gc.go
+++ b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore_gc.go
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ func (s *SplitStore) gcBlockstore(b bstore.Blockstore, opts []bstore.BlockstoreG
 		log.Info("garbage collecting blockstore")
 		startGC := time.Now()
 
+		opts = append(opts, bstore.WithCheckFreq(90*time.Second))
+		opts = append(opts, bstore.WithCheck(s.checkYield))
 		if err := gc.CollectGarbage(s.ctx, opts...); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}