diff --git a/ganga/GangaCore/Core/MonitoringComponent/MonitoringService.py b/ganga/GangaCore/Core/MonitoringComponent/MonitoringService.py
index 83387e81ce..e29276fc2b 100644
--- a/ganga/GangaCore/Core/MonitoringComponent/MonitoringService.py
+++ b/ganga/GangaCore/Core/MonitoringComponent/MonitoringService.py
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ def _check_active_backends(self, job_slice=None):
                 log.debug("RegistryLockError: The job was most likely removed")
                 log.debug("Reg LockError%s" % str(err))
 
+        if job_slice and len(found_active_backends)==0:
+            log.debug("No active backends found with a job slice. Turning off the monitoring loop")
+            self.enabled = False
+            return
+
         # If a backend is newly found as active, trigger its monitoring
         previously_active_backends = self.active_backends
         self.active_backends = found_active_backends
@@ -84,7 +89,7 @@ def _check_active_backends(self, job_slice=None):
         if previously_active_backends:
             self._cleanup_finished_backends(previously_active_backends, found_active_backends)
 
-        self.loop.call_later(POLL_RATE, self._check_active_backends)
+        self.loop.call_later(POLL_RATE, self._check_active_backends, job_slice)
 
     def _log_backend_summary(self, active_backends):
         summary = "{"
@@ -226,3 +231,27 @@ def stop(self):
             log.error(err)
         self._cleanup_scheduled_tasks()
         self.loop.call_soon_threadsafe(self.loop.stop)
+
+    def runMonitoring(self, jobs=None):
+        """
+        Enable/Run the monitoring loop and wait for the monitoring steps completion.
+        Parameters:
+          steps:   number of monitoring steps to run
+          timeout: how long to wait for monitor steps termination (seconds)
+          jobs: a registry slice to be monitored (None -> all jobs)
+        Return:
+          False, if the loop cannot be started or the timeout occured while waiting for monitoring termination
+          True, if the monitoring steps were successfully executed  
+        Note:         
+          This method is meant to be used in Ganga scripts to request monitoring on demand. 
+        """
+        log.debug("runMonitoring")
+        if not self.alive:
+            log.error("Cannot run the monitoring loop. It has already been stopped")
+            return False
+
+        self.enabled = True
+        self.thread_executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=THREAD_POOL_SIZE)
+        self._cleanup_dirty_jobs()
+        self.loop.call_soon_threadsafe(functools.partial(self._check_active_backends, jobs))
+        return True
diff --git a/ganga/GangaCore/Core/__init__.py b/ganga/GangaCore/Core/__init__.py
index 1099a0b71b..0d3a6b952e 100644
--- a/ganga/GangaCore/Core/__init__.py
+++ b/ganga/GangaCore/Core/__init__.py
@@ -55,4 +55,4 @@ def bootstrap(reg_slice, interactive_session, my_interface=None):
         import GangaCore.GPI
         my_interface = GangaCore.GPI
 
-    exportToInterface(my_interface, 'runMonitoring', monitoring_component.enable, 'Functions')
+    exportToInterface(my_interface, 'runMonitoring', monitoring_component.runMonitoring, 'Functions')