diff --git a/src/common/inc/tglobal.h b/src/common/inc/tglobal.h
index 49ca1e31c5f4fc21beeed169b431f21e8985a642..cde5eab48783351d4bd8c00be9008d52b5bf6561 100644
--- a/src/common/inc/tglobal.h
+++ b/src/common/inc/tglobal.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ extern int8_t   tsArbOnline;
 extern int64_t  tsArbOnlineTimestamp;
 extern int32_t  tsDnodeId;
 extern int64_t  tsDnodeStartTime;
+extern int8_t   tsDnodeNopLoop;
 
 // common
 extern int      tsRpcTimer;
diff --git a/src/common/src/tglobal.c b/src/common/src/tglobal.c
index b4bc38d53e517da33a7e71fe6b6b189c3d64d613..8627a3153cdac2b06cd3cf15dddefad32c39c58d 100644
--- a/src/common/src/tglobal.c
+++ b/src/common/src/tglobal.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ int64_t  tsArbOnlineTimestamp = TSDB_ARB_DUMMY_TIME;
 char     tsEmail[TSDB_FQDN_LEN] = {0};
 int32_t  tsDnodeId = 0;
 int64_t  tsDnodeStartTime = 0;
+int8_t   tsDnodeNopLoop = 0;
 
 // common
 int32_t tsRpcTimer = 300;
@@ -622,6 +623,16 @@ static void doInitGlobalConfig(void) {
   cfg.unitType = TAOS_CFG_UTYPE_NONE;
   taosInitConfigOption(cfg);
 
+  cfg.option = "dnodeNopLoop";
+  cfg.ptr = &tsDnodeNopLoop;
+  cfg.valType = TAOS_CFG_VTYPE_INT8;
+  cfg.cfgType = TSDB_CFG_CTYPE_B_CONFIG;
+  cfg.minValue = 0;
+  cfg.maxValue = 1;
+  cfg.ptrLength = 0;
+  cfg.unitType = TAOS_CFG_UTYPE_NONE;
+  taosInitConfigOption(cfg);
+
   cfg.option = "balance";
   cfg.ptr = &tsEnableBalance;
   cfg.valType = TAOS_CFG_VTYPE_INT8;
diff --git a/src/dnode/src/dnodeSystem.c b/src/dnode/src/dnodeSystem.c
index e4d1d102e0319706c723f2659b843791654b96a7..d41a2c6a8ae442f09b20c1dc55d06d5d5273cd88 100644
--- a/src/dnode/src/dnodeSystem.c
+++ b/src/dnode/src/dnodeSystem.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "tconfig.h"
 #include "dnodeMain.h"
 
+bool          dnodeExit = false;
 static tsem_t exitSem;
 static void   siguser1Handler(int32_t signum, void *sigInfo, void *context);
 static void   siguser2Handler(int32_t signum, void *sigInfo, void *context);
@@ -182,6 +183,8 @@ static void sigintHandler(int32_t signum, void *sigInfo, void *context) {
   syslog(LOG_INFO, "Shut down signal is %d", signum);
   syslog(LOG_INFO, "Shutting down TDengine service...");
 
+  dnodeExit = true;
+
   // inform main thread to exit
   tsem_post(&exitSem);
 #ifdef WINDOWS
diff --git a/src/dnode/src/dnodeVnodes.c b/src/dnode/src/dnodeVnodes.c
index 93d218581cfb7d1738fa5ba3f3afd8c8f0d70dd7..981c150f1c8a523ae78749560545dd985af73eac 100644
--- a/src/dnode/src/dnodeVnodes.c
+++ b/src/dnode/src/dnodeVnodes.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ typedef struct {
   int32_t * vnodeList;
 } SOpenVnodeThread;
 
+extern bool     dnodeExit;
 extern void *   tsDnodeTmr;
 static void *   tsStatusTimer = NULL;
 static uint32_t tsRebootTime = 0;
@@ -222,6 +223,22 @@ static void dnodeProcessStatusRsp(SRpcMsg *pMsg) {
       if (clusterId[0] != '\0') {
         dnodeSetDropped();
         dError("exit zombie dropped dnode");
+
+        // warning: only for k8s!
+        while (tsDnodeNopLoop) {
+          if (dnodeExit) {
+            dInfo("Break loop");
+            return;
+          }
+
+          dInfo("Nop loop");
+#ifdef WINDOWS
+          Sleep(100);
+#else
+          usleep(100000);
+#endif
+        }
+
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
       }
     }