diff --git a/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooper.java b/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooper.java
index 8744990bda4..e989c2baa3f 100644
--- a/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooper.java
+++ b/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooper.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.PriorityQueue;
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 /**
  * A WakeableLooper is a class that could:
@@ -52,12 +54,15 @@ public abstract class WakeableLooper {
   // We will also multiple 1000*1000 to convert mill-seconds to nano-seconds
   private static final Duration INFINITE_FUTURE = Duration.ofMillis(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
   private volatile boolean exitLoop;
+  // Used as a flag that the looper has exited after exitLoop() is called.
+  private final CountDownLatch exitCountDownLatch;
 
   public WakeableLooper() {
     exitLoop = false;
     tasksOnWakeup = new ArrayList<Runnable>();
     timers = new PriorityQueue<TimerTask>();
     exitTasks = new ArrayList<>();
+    exitCountDownLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
   }
 
   public void clear() {
@@ -95,6 +100,21 @@ private void onExit() {
     for (Runnable r : exitTasks) {
       r.run();
     }
+    exitCountDownLatch.countDown();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * After exitLoop() is called, caller can use waitForExit() to make sure
+   * the looper has finished/skipped all sheduled tasks and the runOnce() function
+   * won't be called any more.
+   * @return true if the count down lanch reaches 0, false if the wait times out or is interrupted.
+   */
+  public boolean waitForExit(long timeout, TimeUnit unit) {
+    try {
+      return exitCountDownLatch.await(timeout, unit);
+    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+      return false;
+    }
   }
 
   protected abstract void doWait();
diff --git a/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/network/SocketChannelHelper.java b/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/network/SocketChannelHelper.java
index ebdee5581ba..196585b6b90 100644
--- a/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/network/SocketChannelHelper.java
+++ b/heron/common/src/java/com/twitter/heron/common/network/SocketChannelHelper.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Queue;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
 import com.twitter.heron.common.basics.ByteAmount;
@@ -213,6 +214,10 @@ public void write() {
   // Force to flush all data in underneath buffer queue to socket with best effort
   // It is most likely happen when we are handling some unexpected cases, such as exiting
   public void forceFlushWithBestEffort() {
+    looper.exitLoop();
+    // Wait for NIO loop to confirm stopping process.
+    looper.waitForExit(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+
     LOG.info("Forcing to flush data to socket with best effort.");
     while (!outgoingPacketsToWrite.isEmpty()) {
       int writeState = outgoingPacketsToWrite.poll().writeToChannel(socketChannel);
diff --git a/heron/common/tests/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooperTest.java b/heron/common/tests/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooperTest.java
index 3256bac0048..1fd4c8dce4f 100644
--- a/heron/common/tests/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooperTest.java
+++ b/heron/common/tests/java/com/twitter/heron/common/basics/WakeableLooperTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Assert;
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@
  * WakeableLooper Tester.
  */
 public class WakeableLooperTest {
-  private static int globalValue;
+  private static volatile int globalValue;
   private WakeableLooper slaveLooper;
 
   @Before
@@ -41,6 +42,19 @@ public void after() {
     slaveLooper = null;
   }
 
+  class LooperThread extends Thread {
+    private WakeableLooper looper;
+
+    LooperThread(WakeableLooper looper) {
+      super();
+      this.looper = looper;
+    }
+
+    public void run() {
+      looper.loop();
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Method: loop()
    */
@@ -142,6 +156,65 @@ public void run() {
     Assert.assertEquals(10, globalValue);
   }
 
+
+  /**
+   * Method: waitForExit()
+   */
+  @Test
+  public void testWaitForExit() {
+    int sleepTimeMS = 200;
+    Runnable r = new Runnable() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        try {
+          slaveLooper.exitLoop();  // Exit after the first wake up
+          Thread.sleep(sleepTimeMS);
+          globalValue = 10;
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+    };
+    LooperThread looperThread = new LooperThread(slaveLooper);
+    looperThread.start();
+    long startTime = System.nanoTime();
+    slaveLooper.addTasksOnWakeup(r);
+    // Wait for it to finish.
+    boolean ret = slaveLooper.waitForExit(sleepTimeMS * 2, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+    long endTime = System.nanoTime();
+
+    Assert.assertTrue(ret);
+    Assert.assertTrue(endTime - startTime >= sleepTimeMS * 1000);
+    Assert.assertEquals(10, globalValue);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testWaitForExitTimeout() {
+    int sleepTimeMS = 200;
+    Runnable r = new Runnable() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        try {
+          slaveLooper.exitLoop(); // Exit after the first wake up
+          Thread.sleep(sleepTimeMS);
+          globalValue = 10;
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+    };
+    LooperThread looperThread = new LooperThread(slaveLooper);
+    looperThread.start();
+    long startTime = System.nanoTime();
+    slaveLooper.addTasksOnWakeup(r);
+    // Wait for it to finish.
+    boolean ret = slaveLooper.waitForExit(sleepTimeMS / 10, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+    long endTime = System.nanoTime();
+
+    Assert.assertFalse(ret);
+    Assert.assertEquals(6, globalValue);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Method: getNextTimeoutInterval()
    */