diff --git a/cmd/stepd/main.go b/cmd/stepd/main.go
index 4ddbc5b..7a56bc0 100644
--- a/cmd/stepd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/stepd/main.go
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func main () {
 
 	// set up the trimming routine
 	trimmer := trimmerRoutine {
-		HTTPHandler: &handler,
+		Trimmer: &handler,
 	}
 
 	// set up the routine manager
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ func (this *httpServerRoutine) Run (ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 type trimmerRoutine struct {
-	HTTPHandler *stephttp.Handler
+	Trimmer step.Trimmer
 }
 
 func (this *trimmerRoutine) Run (ctx context.Context) error {
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ func (this *trimmerRoutine) Run (ctx context.Context) error {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <- ticker.C:
-			this.HTTPHandler.Trim()
+			this.Trimmer.Trim()
 		case <- ctx.Done():
 			return ctx.Err()
 		}
diff --git a/provider.go b/provider.go
index 92abdff..4dac5df 100644
--- a/provider.go
+++ b/provider.go
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ type ConfigProcessor interface {
 	ProcessConfig (config Meta) error
 }
 
+// Trimmer is an object that needs to be routinely "trimmed". This can be
+// garbage collecting, sanity checking, etc.
+type Trimmer interface {
+	// Trim trims the object. It must not block for any significant length
+	// of time. It should be called every minute or so.
+	Trim ()
+}
+
 // FuncProvider provides a template.FuncMap.
 type FuncProvider interface {
 	Provider