diff --git a/parity/run.rs b/parity/run.rs
index ae5a299e6..3ee4b9db6 100644
--- a/parity/run.rs
+++ b/parity/run.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 use std::fmt;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Weak};
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+use std::thread;
 use std::net::{TcpListener};
 
 use ansi_term::Colour;
@@ -172,8 +174,10 @@ impl ::local_store::NodeInfo for FullNodeInfo {
 	}
 }
 
+type LightClient = ::light::client::Client<::light_helpers::EpochFetch>;
+
 // helper for light execution.
-fn execute_light(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) -> Result<(bool, Option<String>), String> {
+fn execute_light_impl(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) -> Result<((bool, Option<String>), Weak<LightClient>), String> {
 	use light::client as light_client;
 	use ethsync::{LightSyncParams, LightSync, ManageNetwork};
 	use parking_lot::{Mutex, RwLock};
@@ -238,8 +242,9 @@ fn execute_light(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) ->
 
 	let service = light_client::Service::start(config, &spec, fetch, &db_dirs.client_path(algorithm), cache.clone())
 		.map_err(|e| format!("Error starting light client: {}", e))?;
+	let client = service.client();
 	let txq = Arc::new(RwLock::new(::light::transaction_queue::TransactionQueue::default()));
-	let provider = ::light::provider::LightProvider::new(service.client().clone(), txq.clone());
+	let provider = ::light::provider::LightProvider::new(client.clone(), txq.clone());
 
 	// start network.
 	// set up bootnodes
@@ -276,7 +281,7 @@ fn execute_light(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) ->
 
 	// queue cull service.
 	let queue_cull = Arc::new(::light_helpers::QueueCull {
-		client: service.client().clone(),
+		client: client.clone(),
 		sync: light_sync.clone(),
 		on_demand: on_demand.clone(),
 		txq: txq.clone(),
@@ -300,7 +305,7 @@ fn execute_light(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) ->
 	let signer_service = Arc::new(signer::new_service(&cmd.ws_conf, &cmd.ui_conf, &cmd.logger_config));
 	let (node_health, dapps_deps) = {
 		let contract_client = Arc::new(::dapps::LightRegistrar {
-			client: service.client().clone(),
+			client: client.clone(),
 			sync: light_sync.clone(),
 			on_demand: on_demand.clone(),
 		});
@@ -343,7 +348,7 @@ fn execute_light(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) ->
 	let dapps_service = dapps::service(&dapps_middleware);
 	let deps_for_rpc_apis = Arc::new(rpc_apis::LightDependencies {
 		signer_service: signer_service,
-		client: service.client().clone(),
+		client: client.clone(),
 		sync: light_sync.clone(),
 		net: light_sync.clone(),
 		health: node_health,
@@ -383,7 +388,7 @@ fn execute_light(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) ->
 	// the informant
 	let informant = Arc::new(Informant::new(
 		LightNodeInformantData {
-			client: service.client().clone(),
+			client: client.clone(),
 			sync: light_sync.clone(),
 			cache: cache,
 		},
@@ -398,26 +403,13 @@ fn execute_light(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) ->
 	let res = wait_for_exit(None, None, can_restart);
 	informant.shutdown();
 
-	Ok(res)
+	// Create a weak reference to the client so that we can wait on shutdown until it is dropped
+	let weak_client = Arc::downgrade(&client);
+
+	Ok((res, weak_client))
 }
 
-pub fn execute(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) -> Result<(bool, Option<String>), String> {
-	if cmd.ui && cmd.dapps_conf.enabled {
-		// Check if Parity is already running
-		let addr = format!("{}:{}", cmd.ui_conf.interface, cmd.ui_conf.port);
-		if !TcpListener::bind(&addr as &str).is_ok() {
-			return open_ui(&cmd.ws_conf, &cmd.ui_conf, &cmd.logger_config).map(|_| (false, None));
-		}
-	}
-
-	// increase max number of open files
-	raise_fd_limit();
-
-	// run as light client.
-	if cmd.light {
-		return execute_light(cmd, can_restart, logger);
-	}
-
+pub fn execute_impl(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) -> Result<((bool, Option<String>), Weak<Client>), String> {
 	// load spec
 	let spec = cmd.spec.spec(&cmd.dirs.cache)?;
 
@@ -856,6 +848,9 @@ pub fn execute(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) -> R
 		open_dapp(&cmd.dapps_conf, &cmd.http_conf, &dapp)?;
 	}
 
+	// Create a weak reference to the client so that we can wait on shutdown until it is dropped
+	let weak_client = Arc::downgrade(&client);
+
 	// Handle exit
 	let restart = wait_for_exit(Some(updater), Some(client), can_restart);
 
@@ -869,7 +864,33 @@ pub fn execute(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) -> R
 	// just Arc is dropping here, to allow other reference release in its default time
 	drop(informant);
 
-	Ok(restart)
+	Ok((restart, weak_client))
+}
+
+pub fn execute(cmd: RunCmd, can_restart: bool, logger: Arc<RotatingLogger>) -> Result<(bool, Option<String>), String> {
+	if cmd.ui && cmd.dapps_conf.enabled {
+		// Check if Parity is already running
+		let addr = format!("{}:{}", cmd.ui_conf.interface, cmd.ui_conf.port);
+		if !TcpListener::bind(&addr as &str).is_ok() {
+			return open_ui(&cmd.ws_conf, &cmd.ui_conf, &cmd.logger_config).map(|_| (false, None));
+		}
+	}
+
+	// increase max number of open files
+	raise_fd_limit();
+
+	fn wait<T>(res: Result<((bool, Option<String>), Weak<T>), String>) -> Result<(bool, Option<String>), String> {
+		res.map(|(restart, weak_client)| {
+			wait_for_drop(weak_client);
+			restart
+		})
+	}
+
+	if cmd.light {
+		wait(execute_light_impl(cmd, can_restart, logger))
+	} else {
+		wait(execute_impl(cmd, can_restart, logger))
+	}
 }
 
 #[cfg(not(windows))]
@@ -1002,3 +1023,27 @@ fn wait_for_exit(
 	let _ = exit.1.wait(&mut l);
 	l.clone()
 }
+
+fn wait_for_drop<T>(w: Weak<T>) {
+	let sleep_duration = Duration::from_secs(1);
+	let warn_timeout = Duration::from_secs(60);
+	let max_timeout = Duration::from_secs(300);
+
+	let instant = Instant::now();
+	let mut warned = false;
+
+	while instant.elapsed() < max_timeout {
+		if w.upgrade().is_none() {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		if !warned && instant.elapsed() > warn_timeout {
+			warned = true;
+			warn!("Shutdown is taking longer than expected.");
+		}
+
+		thread::sleep(sleep_duration);
+	}
+
+	warn!("Shutdown timeout reached, exiting uncleanly.");
+}