diff --git a/core/artwork/image_store.go b/core/artwork/image_store.go
index 53662f686..77c69de7d 100644
--- a/core/artwork/image_store.go
+++ b/core/artwork/image_store.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package artwork
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -137,12 +138,16 @@ func (s *ImageStore) Remove(hash, mimeType string, olderThan time.Time) error {
 
 // Sweep removes store files not accepted by keep. Files modified after cutoff
 // (including temp files) are always kept: their acquisition row may not be committed yet.
-func (s *ImageStore) Sweep(cutoff time.Time, keep func(hash, ext string) bool) (int, error) {
+// The walk is cancellable: it runs under the worker's prune lock, which shutdown waits on.
+func (s *ImageStore) Sweep(ctx context.Context, cutoff time.Time, keep func(hash, ext string) bool) (int, error) {
 	removed := 0
 	err := filepath.WalkDir(s.root, func(path string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
 		if err != nil || d.IsDir() {
 			return err
 		}
+		if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		info, err := d.Info()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/core/artwork/image_store_test.go b/core/artwork/image_store_test.go
index 6537ca906..80c8a14f9 100644
--- a/core/artwork/image_store_test.go
+++ b/core/artwork/image_store_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package artwork
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -14,10 +15,12 @@ import (
 var _ = Describe("ImageStore", func() {
 	var store *ImageStore
 	var root string
+	var ctx context.Context
 
 	BeforeEach(func() {
 		root = GinkgoT().TempDir()
 		store = NewImageStore(root)
+		ctx = context.Background()
 	})
 
 	It("hashes deterministically", func() {
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageStore", func() {
 		old := time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Hour)
 		Expect(os.Chtimes(store.path(h2, "image/jpeg"), old, old)).To(Succeed())
 
-		removed, err := store.Sweep(time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(h, _ string) bool { return h == h1 })
+		removed, err := store.Sweep(ctx, time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(h, _ string) bool { return h == h1 })
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(removed).To(Equal(1))
 		_, err = store.Open(h2, "image/jpeg")
@@ -161,7 +164,7 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageStore", func() {
 		Expect(os.Chtimes(store.path(h, "image/jpeg"), old, old)).To(Succeed())
 
 		// The recorded mime is image/jpeg, so the .png variant is obsolete.
-		removed, err := store.Sweep(time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(hash, ext string) bool {
+		removed, err := store.Sweep(ctx, time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(hash, ext string) bool {
 			return hash == h && ext == ".jpg"
 		})
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
@@ -178,7 +181,7 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageStore", func() {
 		h, _ := HashImage(bytes.NewReader(d))
 		Expect(store.Write(h, "image/jpeg", bytes.NewReader(d))).To(Succeed())
 
-		removed, err := store.Sweep(time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(string, string) bool { return false })
+		removed, err := store.Sweep(ctx, time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(string, string) bool { return false })
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(removed).To(Equal(0))
 		rc, err := store.Open(h, "image/jpeg")
@@ -195,10 +198,28 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageStore", func() {
 		freshTmp := filepath.Join(root, ".fresh.tmp")
 		Expect(os.WriteFile(freshTmp, []byte("y"), 0600)).To(Succeed())
 
-		removed, err := store.Sweep(time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(string, string) bool { return true })
+		removed, err := store.Sweep(ctx, time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(string, string) bool { return true })
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(removed).To(Equal(1))
 		Expect(oldTmp).ToNot(BeAnExistingFile())
 		Expect(freshTmp).To(BeAnExistingFile())
 	})
+
+	// Prune holds the worker's write lock for the whole sweep, and shutdown waits on the
+	// worker, so an uncancellable walk over a large store stalls it until SIGKILL.
+	It("abandons the walk when the context is cancelled", func() {
+		old := time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Hour)
+		for _, name := range []string{"a", "b", "c", "d"} {
+			p := filepath.Join(root, name+".jpg")
+			Expect(os.WriteFile(p, []byte("x"), 0600)).To(Succeed())
+			Expect(os.Chtimes(p, old, old)).To(Succeed())
+		}
+		cancelCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+		cancel()
+
+		_, err := store.Sweep(cancelCtx, time.Now().Add(-time.Hour), func(string, string) bool { return false })
+		Expect(err).To(MatchError(context.Canceled))
+		matches, _ := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(root, "*.jpg"))
+		Expect(matches).To(HaveLen(4), "a cancelled sweep must not keep deleting")
+	})
 })
diff --git a/core/artwork/prune.go b/core/artwork/prune.go
index 35eddb525..f6bc53186 100644
--- a/core/artwork/prune.go
+++ b/core/artwork/prune.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func Prune(ctx context.Context, ds model.DataStore, store *ImageStore) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	removed, err := store.Sweep(cutoff, func(hash, ext string) bool {
+	removed, err := store.Sweep(ctx, cutoff, func(hash, ext string) bool {
 		// A known hash under a stale extension is a superseded mime variant — reclaim it.
 		m, ok := mimes[hash]
 		return ok && ext == extForMime(m)