diff --git a/lib/event/reactor.c b/lib/event/reactor.c
index 1d7266635..eb2e2db84 100644
--- a/lib/event/reactor.c
+++ b/lib/event/reactor.c
@@ -392,10 +392,8 @@ _spdk_reactor_run(void *arg)
 		assert(reactor->thread_count > 0);
 		reactor->thread_count--;
 		spdk_set_thread(thread);
-		if (!spdk_thread_is_exited(thread)) {
-			rc = spdk_thread_exit(thread);
-			assert(rc == 0);
-		}
+		rc = spdk_thread_exit(thread);
+		assert(rc == 0);
 		spdk_thread_destroy(thread);
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/thread/thread.c b/lib/thread/thread.c
index c63d25a19..1a9c98544 100644
--- a/lib/thread/thread.c
+++ b/lib/thread/thread.c
@@ -325,9 +325,9 @@ spdk_thread_exit(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 	assert(tls_thread == thread);
 
 	if (thread->exit) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("thread %s is already marked as exited\n",
-			    thread->name);
-		return -EINVAL;
+		SPDK_INFOLOG(SPDK_LOG_THREAD, "thread %s is already marked as exited\n",
+			     thread->name);
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(poller, &thread->active_pollers, tailq) {
diff --git a/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c b/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c
index 0a01e03b9..973995b05 100644
--- a/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c
+++ b/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c
@@ -107,10 +107,8 @@ free_threads(void)
 
 	for (i = 0; i < g_ut_num_threads; i++) {
 		set_thread(i);
-		if (!spdk_thread_is_exited(g_ut_threads[i].thread)) {
-			rc = spdk_thread_exit(g_ut_threads[i].thread);
-			assert(rc == 0);
-		}
+		rc = spdk_thread_exit(g_ut_threads[i].thread);
+		assert(rc == 0);
 		spdk_thread_destroy(g_ut_threads[i].thread);
 		g_ut_threads[i].thread = NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
index e2fa62bfd..53beeb910 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
@@ -852,13 +852,13 @@ thread_exit(void)
 	spdk_io_device_unregister(&g_device1, NULL);
 	poll_threads();
 
-	/* Test call spdk_thread_exit() is only once for a single thread. */
+	/* Test 2nd spdk_thread_exit() call is ignored. */
 	set_thread(3);
 
 	thread = spdk_get_thread();
 
 	CU_ASSERT(spdk_thread_exit(thread) == 0);
-	CU_ASSERT(spdk_thread_exit(thread) == -EINVAL);
+	CU_ASSERT(spdk_thread_exit(thread) == 0);
 
 	/* Test if spdk_thread_exit() fails when there is any registered poller,
 	 * and if no poller is executed after the thread is marked as exited.