{
        struct internal_config *internal_conf =
                eal_get_internal_configuration();
+
+       eal_intr_thread_cancel();
        /* after this point, any DPDK pointers will become dangling */
        rte_eal_memory_detach();
        eal_cleanup_config(internal_conf);
 
 #include "eal_private.h"
 #include "eal_windows.h"
 
+#define IOCP_KEY_SHUTDOWN UINT32_MAX
+
 static pthread_t intr_thread;
 
 static HANDLE intr_iocp;
 static void *
 eal_intr_thread_main(LPVOID arg __rte_unused)
 {
+       bool finished = false;
+
        if (eal_intr_thread_handle_init() < 0) {
                RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot open interrupt thread handle\n");
                goto cleanup;
        }
 
-       while (1) {
+       while (!finished) {
                OVERLAPPED_ENTRY events[16];
                ULONG event_count, i;
                BOOL result;
                        continue;
                }
 
-               for (i = 0; i < event_count; i++)
+               for (i = 0; i < event_count; i++) {
+                       if (events[i].lpCompletionKey == IOCP_KEY_SHUTDOWN) {
+                               finished = true;
+                               break;
+                       }
                        eal_intr_process(&events[i]);
+               }
        }
 
        CloseHandle(intr_thread_handle);
        return 0;
 }
 
+void
+eal_intr_thread_cancel(void)
+{
+       if (!PostQueuedCompletionStatus(
+                       intr_iocp, 0, IOCP_KEY_SHUTDOWN, NULL)) {
+               RTE_LOG_WIN32_ERR("PostQueuedCompletionStatus()");
+               RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot cancel interrupt thread\n");
+               return;
+       }
+
+       WaitForSingleObject(intr_thread_handle, INFINITE);
+}
+
 int
 rte_intr_callback_register(
        __rte_unused const struct rte_intr_handle *intr_handle,
 
  */
 int eal_intr_thread_schedule(void (*func)(void *arg), void *arg);
 
+/**
+ * Request interrupt thread to stop and wait its termination.
+ */
+void eal_intr_thread_cancel(void);
+
 /**
  * Open virt2phys driver interface device.
  *