diff --git a/tools/shell/inc/shellInt.h b/tools/shell/inc/shellInt.h
index 358377f804..26ca6895ac 100644
--- a/tools/shell/inc/shellInt.h
+++ b/tools/shell/inc/shellInt.h
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ typedef struct {
   TAOS*           conn;
   TdThread        pid;
   tsem_t          cancelSem;
+  bool            exit;
 #ifdef WEBSOCKET
   WS_TAOS*        ws_conn;
   bool		      stop_query;
diff --git a/tools/shell/src/shellEngine.c b/tools/shell/src/shellEngine.c
index 724ac8fbfd..68e3a272c3 100644
--- a/tools/shell/src/shellEngine.c
+++ b/tools/shell/src/shellEngine.c
@@ -948,6 +948,10 @@ void shellCleanup(void *arg) { taosResetTerminalMode(); }
 void *shellCancelHandler(void *arg) {
   setThreadName("shellCancelHandler");
   while (1) {
+    if (shell.exit == true) {
+      break;
+    }
+
     if (tsem_wait(&shell.cancelSem) != 0) {
       taosMsleep(10);
       continue;
@@ -961,7 +965,7 @@ void *shellCancelHandler(void *arg) {
 		taos_kill_query(shell.conn);
 #ifdef WEBSOCKET
 	}
-#endif 
+#endif
   #ifdef WINDOWS
     printf("\n%s", shell.info.promptHeader);
   #endif
@@ -1009,7 +1013,7 @@ int32_t shellExecute() {
   if (shell.args.restful || shell.args.cloud) {
 	if (shell_conn_ws_server(1)) {
 		return -1;
-	}	
+	}
   } else {
 #endif
 	if (shell.args.auth == NULL) {
@@ -1043,7 +1047,7 @@ int32_t shellExecute() {
 	if (shell.args.restful || shell.args.cloud) {
 		ws_close(shell.ws_conn);
 	} else {
-#endif	
+#endif
 		taos_close(shell.conn);
 #ifdef WEBSOCKET
 	}
@@ -1079,7 +1083,12 @@ int32_t shellExecute() {
     taosThreadCreate(&shell.pid, NULL, shellThreadLoop, NULL);
     taosThreadJoin(shell.pid, NULL);
     taosThreadClear(&shell.pid);
+    if (shell.exit) {
+      tsem_post(&shell.cancelSem);
+      break;
+    }
   }
+  taosThreadJoin(spid, NULL);
 
   shellCleanupHistory();
   return 0;
diff --git a/tools/shell/src/shellUtil.c b/tools/shell/src/shellUtil.c
index e5e61e0b24..0430428c38 100644
--- a/tools/shell/src/shellUtil.c
+++ b/tools/shell/src/shellUtil.c
@@ -157,6 +157,6 @@ void shellExit() {
     taos_close(shell.conn);
     shell.conn = NULL;
   }
+  shell.exit = true;
   taos_cleanup();
-  exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }