diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java
index 1bd36d35d49..43b5bd3ddd1 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.MetaData;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.ParseFieldMatcher;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.ParseFieldMatcherSupplier;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.component.LifecycleListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting.Property;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
@@ -191,11 +192,26 @@ public class PrelertPlugin extends Plugin implements ActionPlugin {
                 // norelease: we will no longer need to pass the client here after we switch to a client based data extractor
                 new HttpDataExtractorFactory(client),
                 System::currentTimeMillis);
+
+        JobLifeCycleService jobLifeCycleService =
+                new JobLifeCycleService(settings, client, clusterService, dataProcessor, threadPool.generic());
+        // we hop on the lifecycle service of ResourceWatcherService, because
+        // that one is stopped before discovery is.
+        // (when discovery is stopped it will send a leave request to elected master node, which will then be removed
+        // from the cluster state, which then triggers other events)
+        resourceWatcherService.addLifecycleListener(new LifecycleListener() {
+
+            @Override
+            public void beforeStop() {
+                jobLifeCycleService.stop();
+            }
+        });
+
         return Arrays.asList(
                 jobProvider,
                 jobManager,
                 new JobAllocator(settings, clusterService, threadPool),
-                new JobLifeCycleService(settings, client, clusterService, dataProcessor, threadPool.generic()),
+                jobLifeCycleService,
                 new JobDataDeleterFactory(client), //NORELEASE: this should use Delete-by-query
                 dataProcessor,
                 new PrelertInitializationService(settings, threadPool, clusterService, jobProvider),
diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleService.java b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleService.java
index 437f17f5191..ff785154d3b 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleService.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleService.java
@@ -24,11 +24,13 @@ import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 
 public class JobLifeCycleService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateListener {
 
-    volatile Set<String> localAssignedJobs = new HashSet<>();
     private final Client client;
     private final DataProcessor dataProcessor;
     private final Executor executor;
 
+    volatile boolean stopped = false;
+    volatile Set<String> localAssignedJobs = new HashSet<>();
+
     public JobLifeCycleService(Settings settings, Client client, ClusterService clusterService, DataProcessor dataProcessor,
                                Executor executor) {
         super(settings);
@@ -46,6 +48,11 @@ public class JobLifeCycleService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterSta
             return;
         }
 
+        if (stopped) {
+            logger.debug("no cluster state changes will be processed as the node has been stopped");
+            return;
+        }
+
         // Single volatile read:
         Set<String> localAssignedJobs = this.localAssignedJobs;
 
@@ -106,6 +113,20 @@ public class JobLifeCycleService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterSta
         localAssignedJobs = newSet;
     }
 
+    public void stop() {
+        stopped = true;
+        Set<String> jobsToStop = this.localAssignedJobs;
+        for (String jobId : jobsToStop) {
+            try {
+                dataProcessor.closeJob(jobId);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                // in case of failure log it and continue with closing next job.
+                logger.error("Failed to close job [" + jobId + "] while stopping node", e);
+            }
+
+        }
+    }
+
     private void updateJobStatus(String jobId, JobStatus status, String reason) {
         UpdateJobStatusAction.Request request = new UpdateJobStatusAction.Request(jobId, status);
         request.setReason(reason);
diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleServiceTests.java b/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleServiceTests.java
index a20e6722d67..0c9a9e8ea77 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleServiceTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/JobLifeCycleServiceTests.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import static org.mockito.Mockito.doThrow;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyNoMoreInteractions;
 
 public class JobLifeCycleServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
 
@@ -169,4 +170,30 @@ public class JobLifeCycleServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         expectedRequest.setReason("failed to close, error");
         verify(client).execute(eq(UpdateJobStatusAction.INSTANCE), eq(expectedRequest), any());
     }
+
+    public void testStop() {
+        jobLifeCycleService.localAssignedJobs.add("job1");
+        jobLifeCycleService.localAssignedJobs.add("job2");
+        assertFalse(jobLifeCycleService.stopped);
+
+        jobLifeCycleService.stop();
+        assertTrue(jobLifeCycleService.stopped);
+        verify(dataProcessor, times(1)).closeJob("job1");
+        verify(dataProcessor, times(1)).closeJob("job2");
+        verifyNoMoreInteractions(dataProcessor);
+    }
+
+    public void testStop_failure() {
+        jobLifeCycleService.localAssignedJobs.add("job1");
+        jobLifeCycleService.localAssignedJobs.add("job2");
+        assertFalse(jobLifeCycleService.stopped);
+
+        doThrow(new RuntimeException()).when(dataProcessor).closeJob("job1");
+        jobLifeCycleService.stop();
+        assertTrue(jobLifeCycleService.stopped);
+        verify(dataProcessor, times(1)).closeJob("job1");
+        verify(dataProcessor, times(1)).closeJob("job2");
+        verifyNoMoreInteractions(dataProcessor);
+    }
+
 }