diff --git a/deploy/deploy.sh b/deploy/deploy.sh
index 587a799..982da19 100755
--- a/deploy/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy/deploy.sh
@@ -45,8 +45,14 @@ docker compose run --rm --no-deps migrate
 # stream keeps the node API from exiting.
 echo "== recreating app services"
 docker compose stop edge
-docker compose up -d --no-deps node-api web coordinator prober merger judge spotter spot-inspector
-docker compose up -d --no-deps edge
+if [ -e "$CACHE/paused" ]; then
+  # Paused for the night (~/bin/usenet-rebuild-pause.sh): the workers stay stopped, the resume starts the new build.
+  echo "== paused: coordinator, prober, merger, judge, spotter, spot-inspector and edge left stopped"
+  docker compose up -d --no-deps node-api web
+else
+  docker compose up -d --no-deps node-api web coordinator prober merger judge spotter spot-inspector
+  docker compose up -d --no-deps edge
+fi
 echo "$SHA $(date -Is)" >> "$ROOT/deployed.log"
 # The images this replaced (321 MB each; the root filesystem is the NVMe, with a 10 GB floor).
 docker image prune -f --filter label=com.docker.compose.project=usenet-rebuild >/dev/null
diff --git a/deploy/usenet-rebuild-pause.sh b/deploy/usenet-rebuild-pause.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e6617f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/usenet-rebuild-pause.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Installed as ~/bin/usenet-rebuild-pause.sh (by hand). Nightly (homelab crontab, 23:45): voyager 2's processing paused for the night; usenet-rebuild-resume.sh (07:45)
+# starts it again. Postgres, web and node-api stay up. Takes the deploy lock, so it never runs during a CI deploy, and
+# leaves .cache/paused, so a deploy in the night doesn't start the workers again.
+cd /mnt/bulk/usenet-rebuild || exit 1
+exec 9>.cache/deploy.lock
+flock 9
+touch .cache/paused
+date "+%F %T pausing"
+docker compose stop edge
+docker compose stop coordinator prober merger judge spotter spot-inspector
+docker compose ps --format "{{.Service}} {{.Status}}"
diff --git a/deploy/usenet-rebuild-resume.sh b/deploy/usenet-rebuild-resume.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..32c8e14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/usenet-rebuild-resume.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Installed as ~/bin/usenet-rebuild-resume.sh (by hand). Nightly (homelab crontab, 07:45): voyager 2's processing back after usenet-rebuild-pause.sh (23:45). Takes the
+# deploy lock, like the pause.
+cd /mnt/bulk/usenet-rebuild || exit 1
+exec 9>.cache/deploy.lock
+flock 9
+rm -f .cache/paused
+date "+%F %T resuming"
+docker compose up -d --no-deps coordinator prober merger judge spotter spot-inspector
+docker compose up -d --no-deps edge
+docker compose ps --format "{{.Service}} {{.Status}}"