diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
index 49cc9ea5..ad5749dd 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
@@ -52,12 +52,7 @@ falco_outputs::~falco_outputs()
 {
 	if(m_initialized)
 	{
-		this->cleanup_outputs();
 		this->stop_worker();
-		if(m_worker_thread.joinable())
-		{
-			m_worker_thread.join();
-		}
 		for(auto it = m_outputs.cbegin(); it != m_outputs.cend(); ++it)
 		{
 			delete *it;
@@ -276,7 +271,19 @@ void falco_outputs::reopen_outputs()
 
 void falco_outputs::stop_worker()
 {
+	Watchdog<void *> wd;
+	wd.start([&](void *) -> void {
+		falco_logger::log(LOG_NOTICE, "output channels still blocked, discarding all remaining notifications\n");
+		m_queue.clear();
+		this->push(falco_outputs::ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_STOP);
+	});
+	wd.set_timeout(m_timeout, nullptr);
+
 	this->push(falco_outputs::ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_STOP);
+	if(m_worker_thread.joinable())
+	{
+		m_worker_thread.join();
+	}
 }
 
 inline void falco_outputs::push(ctrl_msg_type cmt)
@@ -290,20 +297,17 @@ void falco_outputs::worker()
 {
 	Watchdog<std::string> wd;
 	wd.start([&](std::string payload) -> void {
-		falco_logger::log(LOG_CRIT, "\"" + payload + "\" output timeout, all output channels are blocked.\n");
+		falco_logger::log(LOG_CRIT, "\"" + payload + "\" output timeout, all output channels are blocked\n");
 	});
 
 	auto timeout = m_timeout;
 
 	falco_outputs::ctrl_msg cmsg;
-	while(true)
+	do
 	{
 		// Block until a message becomes available.
 		m_queue.pop(cmsg);
 
-		if (cmsg.type == ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_STOP)
-			return;
-
 		for(auto it = m_outputs.cbegin(); it != m_outputs.cend(); ++it)
 		{
 			wd.set_timeout(timeout, (*it)->get_name());
@@ -312,13 +316,14 @@ void falco_outputs::worker()
 				switch(cmsg.type)
 				{
 					case ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_OUTPUT:
-							(*it)->output(&cmsg);
+						(*it)->output(&cmsg);
 						break;
 					case ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_CLEANUP:
-							(*it)->cleanup();
+					case ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_STOP:
+						(*it)->cleanup();
 						break;
 					case ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_REOPEN:
-							(*it)->reopen();
+						(*it)->reopen();
 						break;
 					default:
 						falco_logger::log(LOG_DEBUG, "Outputs worker received an unknown message type\n");	
@@ -330,5 +335,5 @@ void falco_outputs::worker()
 			}
 		}
 		wd.cancel_timeout();
-	}
+	} while(cmsg.type != ctrl_msg_type::CTRL_MSG_STOP);
 }