diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
index 81f885d19..7e8bd0e92 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@
 #include "ftl_internal.h"
 #include "mngt/ftl_mngt.h"
 
+static int
+ftl_shutdown_complete(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev)
+{
+	if (dev->num_inflight) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 void
 spdk_ftl_dev_get_attrs(const struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct spdk_ftl_attrs *attrs)
 {
@@ -27,4 +37,22 @@ spdk_ftl_dev_get_attrs(const struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct spdk_ftl_attrs *at
 	attrs->optimum_io_size = dev->xfer_size;
 }
 
+int
+ftl_core_poller(void *ctx)
+{
+	struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev = ctx;
+	uint64_t io_activity_total_old = dev->io_activity_total;
+
+	if (dev->halt && ftl_shutdown_complete(dev)) {
+		spdk_poller_unregister(&dev->core_poller);
+		return SPDK_POLLER_IDLE;
+	}
+
+	if (io_activity_total_old != dev->io_activity_total) {
+		return SPDK_POLLER_BUSY;
+	}
+
+	return SPDK_POLLER_IDLE;
+}
+
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT(ftl_core)
diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h
index 734a86a65..934005516 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ struct spdk_ftl_dev {
 	/* Cache IO channel */
 	struct spdk_io_channel		*cache_ioch;
 
+	/* Poller */
+	struct spdk_poller		*core_poller;
+
 	/* Read submission queue */
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, ftl_io)		rd_sq;
 
@@ -93,6 +96,8 @@ struct spdk_ftl_dev {
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, ftl_io)		wr_sq;
 };
 
+int ftl_core_poller(void *ctx);
+
 static inline uint64_t
 ftl_get_num_blocks_in_band(const struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev)
 {
diff --git a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_misc.c b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_misc.c
index e4371098f..19df9d302 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_misc.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_misc.c
@@ -62,6 +62,31 @@ ftl_mngt_finalize_startup(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mng
 	ftl_mngt_next_step(mngt);
 }
 
+void
+ftl_mngt_start_core_poller(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt)
+{
+	dev->core_poller = SPDK_POLLER_REGISTER(ftl_core_poller, dev, 0);
+	if (!dev->core_poller) {
+		FTL_ERRLOG(dev, "Unable to register core poller\n");
+		ftl_mngt_fail_step(mngt);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	ftl_mngt_next_step(mngt);
+}
+
+void
+ftl_mngt_stop_core_poller(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt)
+{
+	dev->halt = true;
+
+	if (dev->core_poller) {
+		ftl_mngt_continue_step(mngt);
+	} else {
+		ftl_mngt_next_step(mngt);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 ftl_mngt_dump_stats(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt)
 {
diff --git a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_shutdown.c b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_shutdown.c
index a72cbb138..5f1e3bdf5 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_shutdown.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_shutdown.c
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ static const struct ftl_mngt_process_desc desc_shutdown = {
 	.name = "FTL shutdown",
 	.error_handler = ftl_mngt_rollback_device,
 	.steps = {
+		{
+			.name = "Stop core poller",
+			.action = ftl_mngt_stop_core_poller
+		},
 		{
 			.name = "Dump statistics",
 			.action = ftl_mngt_dump_stats
diff --git a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_startup.c b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_startup.c
index 2f36f3385..9e483a1fe 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_startup.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_startup.c
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ static const struct ftl_mngt_process_desc desc_first_start = {
 			.name = "Scrub NV cache",
 			.action = ftl_mngt_scrub_nv_cache,
 		},
+		{
+			.name = "Start core poller",
+			.action = ftl_mngt_start_core_poller,
+			.cleanup = ftl_mngt_stop_core_poller
+		},
 		{
 			.name = "Finalize initialization",
 			.action = ftl_mngt_finalize_startup,
diff --git a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_steps.h b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_steps.h
index a91366938..e41879ed5 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_steps.h
+++ b/lib/ftl/mngt/ftl_mngt_steps.h
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ void ftl_mngt_scrub_nv_cache(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *
 
 void ftl_mngt_finalize_startup(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt);
 
+void ftl_mngt_start_core_poller(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt);
+
+void ftl_mngt_stop_core_poller(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt);
+
 void ftl_mngt_init_layout(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt);
 
 void ftl_mngt_init_md(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_mngt_process *mngt);