diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/CloseJobAction.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/CloseJobAction.java
index c36dc601a1b..cd1f09ebc53 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/CloseJobAction.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/CloseJobAction.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.AbstractRunnable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ObjectParser;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContentObject;
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.job.config.Job;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.job.config.JobState;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.job.metadata.MlMetadata;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.utils.ExceptionsHelper;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.persistent.PersistentTaskClusterService;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.utils.JobStateObserver;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.persistent.PersistentTasksInProgress;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.persistent.PersistentTasksInProgress.PersistentTaskInProgress;
 
@@ -225,22 +226,22 @@ public class CloseJobAction extends Action<CloseJobAction.Request, CloseJobActio
 
     public static class TransportAction extends TransportMasterNodeAction<Request, Response> {
 
+        private final JobStateObserver observer;
         private final ClusterService clusterService;
         private final TransportListTasksAction listTasksAction;
         private final TransportCancelTasksAction cancelTasksAction;
-        private final PersistentTaskClusterService persistentTaskClusterService;
 
         @Inject
         public TransportAction(Settings settings, TransportService transportService, ThreadPool threadPool,
                                ActionFilters actionFilters, IndexNameExpressionResolver indexNameExpressionResolver,
                                ClusterService clusterService, TransportListTasksAction listTasksAction,
-                               TransportCancelTasksAction cancelTasksAction, PersistentTaskClusterService persistentTaskClusterService) {
+                               TransportCancelTasksAction cancelTasksAction) {
             super(settings, CloseJobAction.NAME, transportService, clusterService, threadPool, actionFilters,
                     indexNameExpressionResolver, Request::new);
+            this.observer = new JobStateObserver(threadPool, clusterService);
             this.clusterService = clusterService;
             this.listTasksAction = listTasksAction;
             this.cancelTasksAction = cancelTasksAction;
-            this.persistentTaskClusterService = persistentTaskClusterService;
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -255,7 +256,6 @@ public class CloseJobAction extends Action<CloseJobAction.Request, CloseJobActio
 
         @Override
         protected void masterOperation(Request request, ClusterState state, ActionListener<Response> listener) throws Exception {
-            PersistentTaskInProgress<?> task = validateAndFindTask(request.getJobId(), state);
             clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("closing job [" + request.getJobId() + "]", new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
                 @Override
                 public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) throws Exception {
@@ -269,28 +269,39 @@ public class CloseJobAction extends Action<CloseJobAction.Request, CloseJobActio
 
                 @Override
                 public void clusterStateProcessed(String source, ClusterState oldState, ClusterState newState) {
-                    ListTasksRequest listTasksRequest = new ListTasksRequest();
-                    listTasksRequest.setDetailed(true);
-                    listTasksRequest.setActions(OpenJobAction.NAME + "[c]");
-                    listTasksAction.execute(listTasksRequest, ActionListener.wrap(listTasksResponse -> {
-                        String expectedDescription = "job-" + request.getJobId();
-                        for (TaskInfo taskInfo : listTasksResponse.getTasks()) {
-                            if (expectedDescription.equals(taskInfo.getDescription())) {
-                                CancelTasksRequest cancelTasksRequest = new CancelTasksRequest();
-                                cancelTasksRequest.setTaskId(taskInfo.getTaskId());
-                                cancelTasksAction.execute(cancelTasksRequest, ActionListener.wrap(cancelTaskResponse -> {
-                                    persistentTaskClusterService.completeOrRestartPersistentTask(task.getId(), null,
-                                            ActionListener.wrap(
-                                                    empty -> listener.onResponse(new CloseJobAction.Response(true)),
-                                                    listener::onFailure
-                                            )
-                                    );
-                                }, listener::onFailure));
-                                return;
-                            }
+                    threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.GENERIC).execute(new AbstractRunnable() {
+                        @Override
+                        public void onFailure(Exception e) {
+                            listener.onFailure(e);
                         }
-                        listener.onFailure(new ResourceNotFoundException("task not found for job [" + request.getJobId() + "]"));
-                    }, listener::onFailure));
+
+                        @Override
+                        protected void doRun() throws Exception {
+                            ListTasksRequest listTasksRequest = new ListTasksRequest();
+                            listTasksRequest.setDetailed(true);
+                            listTasksRequest.setActions(OpenJobAction.NAME + "[c]");
+                            listTasksAction.execute(listTasksRequest, ActionListener.wrap(listTasksResponse -> {
+                                String expectedDescription = "job-" + request.getJobId();
+                                for (TaskInfo taskInfo : listTasksResponse.getTasks()) {
+                                    if (expectedDescription.equals(taskInfo.getDescription())) {
+                                        CancelTasksRequest cancelTasksRequest = new CancelTasksRequest();
+                                        cancelTasksRequest.setTaskId(taskInfo.getTaskId());
+                                        cancelTasksAction.execute(cancelTasksRequest, ActionListener.wrap(cancelTaskResponse -> {
+                                            observer.waitForState(request.getJobId(), request.getTimeout(), JobState.CLOSED, e -> {
+                                                if (e == null) {
+                                                    listener.onResponse(new CloseJobAction.Response(true));
+                                                } else {
+                                                    listener.onFailure(e);
+                                                }
+                                            });
+                                        }, listener::onFailure));
+                                        return;
+                                    }
+                                }
+                                listener.onFailure(new ResourceNotFoundException("task not found for job [" + request.getJobId() + "]"));
+                            }, listener::onFailure));
+                        }
+                    });
                 }
             });
         }
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/integration/BasicDistributedJobsIT.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/integration/BasicDistributedJobsIT.java
index d2cf6c3cfdc..7cc5d1d4a3f 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/integration/BasicDistributedJobsIT.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/integration/BasicDistributedJobsIT.java
@@ -165,8 +165,7 @@ public class BasicDistributedJobsIT extends BaseMlIntegTestCase {
             assertEquals(JobState.OPENED, task.getStatus());
         });
 
-        // stop the only running ml node
-        logger.info("!!!!");
+        logger.info("stop the only running ml node");
         internalCluster().stopRandomNode(settings -> settings.getAsBoolean(MachineLearning.ALLOCATION_ENABLED.getKey(), true));
         ensureStableCluster(2);
         assertBusy(() -> {
@@ -180,7 +179,7 @@ public class BasicDistributedJobsIT extends BaseMlIntegTestCase {
             assertEquals(JobState.OPENED, task.getStatus());
         });
 
-        // start ml node
+        logger.info("start ml node");
         internalCluster().startNode(Settings.builder().put(MachineLearning.ALLOCATION_ENABLED.getKey(), true));
         ensureStableCluster(3);
         assertBusy(() -> {
@@ -197,6 +196,7 @@ public class BasicDistributedJobsIT extends BaseMlIntegTestCase {
             assertEquals(expectedNodeAttr, node.getAttributes());
             assertEquals(JobState.OPENED, task.getStatus());
         });
+        cleanupWorkaround(3);
     }
 
 }