diff --git a/record/record.py b/record/record.py
index 3be683e..77daa93 100755
--- a/record/record.py
+++ b/record/record.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 from pymongo import MongoClient, uri_parser
 from threading import Thread
 
+WRITER_THREAD_NAME = "write-all-docs-to-file"
+
 def tail_to_queue(tailer, identifier, doc_queue, state, end_time,
                   check_duration_secs=1):
     """
@@ -304,7 +306,7 @@ def _generate_workers(self, files, state, start_utc_secs, end_utc_secs):
         # be written to the same device (disk or SSD), as a result it yields
         # not much benefit to have multiple writers.
         workers_info.append({
-            "name": "write-all-docs-to-file",
+            "name": WRITER_THREAD_NAME,
             "thread": Thread(
                 target=MongoQueryRecorder._process_doc_queue,
                 args=(doc_queue, files, state))
@@ -370,11 +372,16 @@ def _generate_workers(self, files, state, start_utc_secs, end_utc_secs):
     def _join_workers(self, state, workers_info):
         """Prepare to exit all workers"""
         for idx, worker_info in enumerate(workers_info):
-            utils.LOG.info(
-                "Time to stop, waiting for thread: %s to finish",
-                worker_info["name"])
             thread = worker_info["thread"]
             name = worker_info["name"]
+
+            # stop tailing threads before attempting to stop the writer thread
+            if name == WRITER_THREAD_NAME:
+                continue
+
+            utils.LOG.info(
+                "Time to stop, waiting for thread: %s to finish",
+                name)
             # Idempotently wait for thread to exit
             wait_secs = 5
             while thread.is_alive():
@@ -384,12 +391,26 @@ def _join_workers(self, state, workers_info):
                         worker_info["on_close"]()
                     utils.LOG.error(
                         "Thread %s didn't exit after %d seconds. Will wait for "
-                        "another %d seconds", name, wait_secs, 2 * wait_secs)
-                    wait_secs *= 2
-                    thread.join(wait_secs)
+                        "another %d seconds", name, wait_secs, wait_secs)
                 else:
                     utils.LOG.info("Thread %s exits normally.", name)
 
+        # now find the writer thread and wait on it
+        for worker_info in workers_info:
+            name = worker_info['name']
+            thread = worker_info['thread']
+            if name == WRITER_THREAD_NAME:
+                wait_secs = 5
+                while thread.is_alive():
+                    thread.join(wait_secs)
+                    if thread.is_alive():
+                        utils.LOG.error(
+                            "Thread %s didn't exit after %d seconds. "
+                            "Will wait for another %d seconds",
+                            name, wait_secs, wait_secs)
+                    else:
+                        utils.LOG.info("Thread %s exits normally.", name)
+
     @utils.set_interval(3)
     def _periodically_report_status(self, state):
         return MongoQueryRecorder._report_status(state)