diff --git a/src/plotman/archive.py b/src/plotman/archive.py
index 17a29af0..6d9f15f8 100644
--- a/src/plotman/archive.py
+++ b/src/plotman/archive.py
@@ -15,6 +15,34 @@
 
 # TODO : write-protect and delete-protect archived plots
 
+def spawn_archive_process(dir_cfg, all_jobs):
+    '''Spawns a new archive process using the command created 
+    in the archive() function. Returns archiving status and a log message to print.'''
+
+    log_message = None
+    archiving_status = None
+    
+    # Look for running archive jobs.  Be robust to finding more than one
+    # even though the scheduler should only run one at a time.
+    arch_jobs = get_running_archive_jobs(dir_cfg.archive)
+    
+    if arch_jobs:
+        archiving_status = 'pid: ' + ', '.join(map(str, arch_jobs))
+    else:
+        (should_start, status_or_cmd) = archive(dir_cfg, all_jobs)
+        if not should_start:
+            archiving_status = status_or_cmd
+        else:
+            cmd = status_or_cmd
+            # TODO: do something useful with output instead of DEVNULL
+            p = subprocess.Popen(cmd,
+                    shell=True,
+                    stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                    stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+                    start_new_session=True) 
+            log_message = 'Starting archive: ' + cmd
+    return archiving_status, log_message
+            
 def compute_priority(phase, gb_free, n_plots):
     # All these values are designed around dst buffer dirs of about
     # ~2TB size and containing k32 plots.  TODO: Generalize, and
diff --git a/src/plotman/interactive.py b/src/plotman/interactive.py
index d10a2b22..1597bb82 100644
--- a/src/plotman/interactive.py
+++ b/src/plotman/interactive.py
@@ -120,25 +120,9 @@ def curses_main(stdscr):
 
             if archiving_configured:
                 if archiving_active:
-                    # Look for running archive jobs.  Be robust to finding more than one
-                    # even though the scheduler should only run one at a time.
-                    arch_jobs = archive.get_running_archive_jobs(cfg.directories.archive)
-                    if arch_jobs:
-                        archiving_status = 'pid: ' + ', '.join(map(str, arch_jobs))
-                    else:
-                        (should_start, status_or_cmd) = archive.archive(cfg.directories, jobs)
-                        if not should_start:
-                            archiving_status = status_or_cmd
-                        else:
-                            cmd = status_or_cmd
-                            log.log('Starting archive: ' + cmd)
-
-                            # TODO: do something useful with output instead of DEVNULL
-                            p = subprocess.Popen(cmd,
-                                    shell=True,
-                                    stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
-                                    stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-                                    start_new_session=True)
+                    archiving_status, log_message = archive.spawn_archive_process(cfg.directories, jobs)
+                    if log_message:
+                        log.log(log_message)
 
                 archdir_freebytes = archive.get_archdir_freebytes(cfg.directories.archive)
 
diff --git a/src/plotman/plotman.py b/src/plotman/plotman.py
index 77602d69..2dd34579 100755
--- a/src/plotman/plotman.py
+++ b/src/plotman/plotman.py
@@ -180,7 +180,11 @@ def main():
                     time.sleep(60)
                     jobs = Job.get_running_jobs(cfg.directories.log)
                 firstit = False
-                archive.archive(cfg.directories, jobs)
+
+                archiving_status, log_message = archive.spawn_archive_process(cfg.directories, jobs)
+                if log_message:
+                    print(log_message)
+
 
         # Debugging: show the destination drive usage schedule
         elif args.cmd == 'dsched':