diff --git a/dp3/task_processing/task_distributor.py b/dp3/task_processing/task_distributor.py
index 537f45c7..e7f86f48 100644
--- a/dp3/task_processing/task_distributor.py
+++ b/dp3/task_processing/task_distributor.py
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+import contextlib
+import faulthandler
 import logging
+import os
 import queue
+import sys
 import threading
 import time
 from datetime import datetime
@@ -12,6 +16,8 @@
 from ..common.callback_registrar import CallbackRegistrar
 from .task_queue import TaskQueueReader, TaskQueueWriter
 
+SHUTDOWN_TIME = 60.0  # Wait up to 60 seconds for workers to finish their tasks
+
 
 class TaskDistributor:
     """
@@ -123,17 +129,35 @@ def stop(self) -> None:
 
         # Signalize stop to worker threads
         self.running = False
+        deadline_ts = time.monotonic() + SHUTDOWN_TIME
 
-        # Wait until all workers stopped
+        # Wait until all workers stopped (bounded)
         for worker in self._worker_threads:
-            worker.join()
+            remaining = max(0.0, deadline_ts - time.monotonic())
+            worker.join(timeout=remaining)
 
         self._task_queue_reader.disconnect()
         self._task_queue_writer.disconnect()
 
+        alive = [w for w in self._worker_threads if w.is_alive()]
+        if alive:
+            self._dump_thread_stacks()
+            self.log.critical("Forcing shutdown with %d workers still alive", len(alive))
+            with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                logging.shutdown()  # flush logs
+            os._exit(1)  # nuke entire process
+
         # Cleanup
         self._worker_threads = []
 
+    def _dump_thread_stacks(self) -> None:
+        self.log.critical("=== Graceful shutdown failed, thread stack dump follows ===")
+        for worker in self._worker_threads:
+            if not worker.is_alive():
+                continue
+            self.log.error("Thread %s (ident=0x%x) still alive", worker.name, worker.ident)
+        faulthandler.dump_traceback(file=sys.stderr, all_threads=True)
+
     def _distribute_task(self, msg_id, task: DataPointTask):
         """
         Puts given task into local queue of the corresponding thread.