diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/thread.h b/include/spdk_internal/thread.h
index a047a750e..d517e2c37 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/thread.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/thread.h
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ struct spdk_thread {
 	SLIST_HEAD(, spdk_msg)		msg_cache;
 	size_t				msg_cache_count;
 	spdk_msg_fn			critical_msg;
+	uint64_t			exit_timeout_tsc;
+
 	/* User context allocated at the end */
 	uint8_t				ctx[0];
 };
diff --git a/lib/thread/thread.c b/lib/thread/thread.c
index 31f9c8645..455d01046 100644
--- a/lib/thread/thread.c
+++ b/lib/thread/thread.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 
 #define SPDK_MSG_BATCH_SIZE		8
 #define SPDK_MAX_DEVICE_NAME_LEN	256
+#define SPDK_THREAD_EXIT_TIMEOUT_SEC	5
 
 static pthread_mutex_t g_devlist_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
@@ -317,11 +318,17 @@ spdk_set_thread(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 }
 
 static void
-_spdk_thread_exit(struct spdk_thread *thread)
+_spdk_thread_exit(struct spdk_thread *thread, uint64_t now)
 {
 	struct spdk_poller *poller;
 	struct spdk_io_channel *ch;
 
+	if (now >= thread->exit_timeout_tsc) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("thread %s got timeout, and move it to the exited state forcefully\n",
+			    thread->name);
+		goto exited;
+	}
+
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(poller, &thread->active_pollers, tailq) {
 		if (poller->state != SPDK_POLLER_STATE_UNREGISTERED) {
 			SPDK_INFOLOG(SPDK_LOG_THREAD,
@@ -354,6 +361,7 @@ _spdk_thread_exit(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 		return;
 	}
 
+exited:
 	thread->state = SPDK_THREAD_STATE_EXITED;
 }
 
@@ -371,6 +379,8 @@ spdk_thread_exit(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	thread->exit_timeout_tsc = spdk_get_ticks() + (spdk_get_ticks_hz() *
+				   SPDK_THREAD_EXIT_TIMEOUT_SEC);
 	thread->state = SPDK_THREAD_STATE_EXITING;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -664,7 +674,7 @@ spdk_thread_poll(struct spdk_thread *thread, uint32_t max_msgs, uint64_t now)
 	rc = _spdk_thread_poll(thread, max_msgs, now);
 
 	if (spdk_unlikely(thread->state == SPDK_THREAD_STATE_EXITING)) {
-		_spdk_thread_exit(thread);
+		_spdk_thread_exit(thread, now);
 	}
 
 	_spdk_thread_update_stats(thread, spdk_get_ticks(), now, rc);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
index b1b885f24..2e2782fd2 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
@@ -810,7 +810,10 @@ thread_exit(void)
 	bool done1 = false, done2 = false, poller1_run = false, poller2_run = false;
 	int rc __attribute__((unused));
 
-	allocate_threads(3);
+	MOCK_SET(spdk_get_ticks, 10);
+	MOCK_SET(spdk_get_ticks_hz, 1);
+
+	allocate_threads(4);
 
 	/* Test if all pending messages are reaped for the exiting thread, and the
 	 * thread moves to the exited state.
@@ -919,6 +922,37 @@ thread_exit(void)
 
 	CU_ASSERT(spdk_thread_is_exited(thread) == true);
 
+	/* Test if the exiting thread is exited forcefully after timeout. */
+	set_thread(3);
+	thread = spdk_get_thread();
+
+	poller1 = spdk_poller_register(poller_run_done, &poller1_run, 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(poller1 != NULL);
+
+	spdk_thread_exit(thread);
+
+	CU_ASSERT(spdk_thread_is_exited(thread) == false);
+
+	MOCK_SET(spdk_get_ticks, 11);
+
+	poll_threads();
+
+	CU_ASSERT(spdk_thread_is_exited(thread) == false);
+
+	/* Cause timeout forcefully. */
+	MOCK_SET(spdk_get_ticks, 15);
+
+	poll_threads();
+
+	CU_ASSERT(spdk_thread_is_exited(thread) == true);
+
+	spdk_poller_unregister(&poller1);
+
+	poll_threads();
+
+	MOCK_CLEAR(spdk_get_ticks);
+	MOCK_CLEAR(spdk_get_ticks_hz);
+
 	free_threads();
 }