diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/keepalive/KeepAlive.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/keepalive/KeepAlive.java
index ea7958ee9..bfaef564c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/keepalive/KeepAlive.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/keepalive/KeepAlive.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ protected KeepAlive(ConnectionImpl conn, String name) {
         this.conn = conn;
         log = conn.getTransport().getConfig().getLoggerFactory().getLogger(getClass());
         setName(name);
+        setDaemon(true);
     }
 
     public synchronized int getKeepAliveInterval() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/PacketReader.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/PacketReader.java
index 30233ed44..0404aa7a1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/PacketReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/PacketReader.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ public PacketReader(SFTPEngine engine) {
         log = engine.getLoggerFactory().getLogger(getClass());
         this.in = engine.getSubsystem().getInputStream();
         setName("sftp reader");
+        setDaemon(true);
     }
 
     private void readIntoBuffer(byte[] buf, int off, int len)
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/Reader.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/Reader.java
index 2d6820119..49adeafce 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/Reader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/Reader.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public Reader(TransportImpl trans) {
         this.trans = trans;
         log = trans.getConfig().getLoggerFactory().getLogger(getClass());
         setName("reader");
+        setDaemon(true);
     }
 
     @Override