diff --git a/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycle.java b/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycle.java
index 6c83eea9bb8..4c398bb38d3 100644
--- a/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycle.java
+++ b/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycle.java
@@ -139,29 +139,31 @@ public class ExecutorLifecycle
       throw Throwables.propagate(e);
     }
 
-    // Spawn monitor thread to keep a watch on parent's stdin
-    // If stdin reaches eof, the parent is gone, and we should shut down
-    parentMonitorExec.submit(
-        new Runnable()
-        {
-          @Override
-          public void run()
+    if (taskExecutorConfig.isParentStreamDefined()) {
+      // Spawn monitor thread to keep a watch on parent's stdin
+      // If stdin reaches eof, the parent is gone, and we should shut down
+      parentMonitorExec.submit(
+          new Runnable()
           {
-            try {
-              while (parentStream.read() != -1) {
-                // Toss the byte
+            @Override
+            public void run()
+            {
+              try {
+                while (parentStream.read() != -1) {
+                  // Toss the byte
+                }
+              }
+              catch (Exception e) {
+                log.error(e, "Failed to read from stdin");
               }
-            }
-            catch (Exception e) {
-              log.error(e, "Failed to read from stdin");
-            }
 
-            // Kind of gross, but best way to kill the JVM as far as I know
-            log.info("Triggering JVM shutdown.");
-            System.exit(2);
+              // Kind of gross, but best way to kill the JVM as far as I know
+              log.info("Triggering JVM shutdown.");
+              System.exit(2);
+            }
           }
-        }
-    );
+      );
+    }
 
     // Won't hurt in remote mode, and is required for setting up locks in local mode:
     try {
diff --git a/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycleConfig.java b/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycleConfig.java
index e25fe5739f9..5c81b848024 100644
--- a/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycleConfig.java
+++ b/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/worker/executor/ExecutorLifecycleConfig.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 package io.druid.indexing.worker.executor;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty;
-
 import io.druid.java.util.common.ISE;
 
 import javax.validation.constraints.NotNull;
@@ -43,6 +42,22 @@ public class ExecutorLifecycleConfig
   @JsonProperty
   @Pattern(regexp = "\\{stdin\\}")
   private String parentStreamName = "stdin";
+  @JsonProperty
+  private boolean parentStreamDefined = true;
+
+  /**
+   * Should parent stream be monitored.
+   */
+  public boolean isParentStreamDefined()
+  {
+    return parentStreamDefined;
+  }
+
+  public ExecutorLifecycleConfig setParentStreamDefined(boolean parentStreamDefined)
+  {
+    this.parentStreamDefined = parentStreamDefined;
+    return this;
+  }
 
   public File getTaskFile()
   {