diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
index f8eb8069cb3..48167e8faf9 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
 
     private volatile DiscoveryNodes latestDiscoNodes;
 
+    private volatile Thread currentJoinThread;
+
     private final AtomicBoolean initialStateSent = new AtomicBoolean();
 
     @Inject public ZenDiscovery(Settings settings, ClusterName clusterName, ThreadPool threadPool,
@@ -136,11 +138,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
         pingService.start();
 
         // do the join on a different thread, the DiscoveryService waits for 30s anyhow till it is discovered
-        threadPool.cached().execute(new Runnable() {
-            @Override public void run() {
-                joinCluster();
-            }
-        });
+        asyncJoinCluster();
     }
 
     @Override protected void doStop() throws ElasticSearchException {
@@ -170,6 +168,13 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
             }
         }
         master = false;
+        if (currentJoinThread != null) {
+            try {
+                currentJoinThread.interrupt();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                // ignore
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @Override protected void doClose() throws ElasticSearchException {
@@ -214,7 +219,20 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
         publishClusterState.publish(clusterState);
     }
 
-    private void joinCluster() {
+    private void asyncJoinCluster() {
+        threadPool.cached().execute(new Runnable() {
+            @Override public void run() {
+                currentJoinThread = Thread.currentThread();
+                try {
+                    innterJoinCluster();
+                } finally {
+                    currentJoinThread = null;
+                }
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    private void innterJoinCluster() {
         boolean retry = true;
         while (retry) {
             if (lifecycle.stoppedOrClosed()) {
@@ -371,12 +389,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
                             routingTable = RoutingTable.newRoutingTableBuilder().build();
                         }
                         masterFD.stop("no master elected since master left (reason = " + reason + ")");
-                        // try and join the cluster again...
-                        threadPool.cached().execute(new Runnable() {
-                            @Override public void run() {
-                                joinCluster();
-                            }
-                        });
+                        asyncJoinCluster();
                     }
                     latestDiscoNodes = builder.build();
                     return newClusterStateBuilder().state(currentState)