diff --git a/platforms/common/include/px4_platform_common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.hpp b/platforms/common/include/px4_platform_common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.hpp
index f2a66bb898..d5d58ca209 100644
--- a/platforms/common/include/px4_platform_common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.hpp
+++ b/platforms/common/include/px4_platform_common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.hpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public:
 
 	void Run();
 
-	void request_stop() { _should_exit.store(true); }
+	void request_stop() { _should_exit.store(true); SignalWorkerThread(); }
 
 	void print_status(bool last = false);
 
@@ -80,7 +80,14 @@ private:
 
 	bool should_exit() const { return _should_exit.load(); }
 
-	inline void SignalWorkerThread();
+	inline void SignalWorkerThread()
+	{
+		int sem_val;
+
+		if (px4_sem_getvalue(&_process_lock, &sem_val) == 0 && sem_val <= 0) {
+			px4_sem_post(&_process_lock);
+		}
+	}
 
 #ifdef __PX4_NUTTX
 	// In NuttX work can be enqueued from an ISR
diff --git a/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.cpp b/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.cpp
index c8aa15995b..d3f8f684f5 100644
--- a/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.cpp
+++ b/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueue.cpp
@@ -144,15 +144,6 @@ void WorkQueue::Add(WorkItem *item)
 	SignalWorkerThread();
 }
 
-void WorkQueue::SignalWorkerThread()
-{
-	int sem_val;
-
-	if (px4_sem_getvalue(&_process_lock, &sem_val) == 0 && sem_val <= 0) {
-		px4_sem_post(&_process_lock);
-	}
-}
-
 void WorkQueue::Remove(WorkItem *item)
 {
 	work_lock();
diff --git a/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueueManager.cpp b/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueueManager.cpp
index 8d22e32cb2..4bb808adda 100644
--- a/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueueManager.cpp
+++ b/platforms/common/px4_work_queue/WorkQueueManager.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,14 @@ static BlockingQueue<const wq_config_t *, 1> *_wq_manager_create_queue{nullptr};
 
 static px4::atomic_bool _wq_manager_should_exit{true};
 static px4::atomic_bool _wq_manager_running{false};
+static px4_task_t _wq_manager_task_id{-1};
+
+#ifdef __PX4_POSIX
+#include <pthread.h>
+static constexpr int WQ_MAX_THREADS = 16;
+static pthread_t _wq_threads[WQ_MAX_THREADS] {};
+static int _wq_thread_count = 0;
+#endif
 
 
 static WorkQueue *
@@ -326,6 +334,14 @@ WorkQueueManagerRun(int, char **)
 			if (ret_create == 0) {
 				PX4_DEBUG("starting: %s, priority: %d, stack: %zu bytes", wq->name, param.sched_priority, stacksize);
 
+#ifdef __PX4_POSIX
+
+				if (_wq_thread_count < WQ_MAX_THREADS) {
+					_wq_threads[_wq_thread_count++] = thread;
+				}
+
+#endif
+
 			} else {
 				PX4_ERR("failed to create thread for %s (%i): %s", wq->name, ret_create, strerror(ret_create));
 			}
@@ -375,16 +391,16 @@ WorkQueueManagerStart()
 
 		_wq_manager_should_exit.store(false);
 
-		int task_id = px4_task_spawn_cmd("wq:manager",
-						 SCHED_DEFAULT,
-						 SCHED_PRIORITY_MAX,
-						 PX4_STACK_ADJUSTED(1280),
-						 (px4_main_t)&WorkQueueManagerRun,
-						 nullptr);
+		_wq_manager_task_id = px4_task_spawn_cmd("wq:manager",
+				      SCHED_DEFAULT,
+				      SCHED_PRIORITY_MAX,
+				      PX4_STACK_ADJUSTED(1280),
+				      (px4_main_t)&WorkQueueManagerRun,
+				      nullptr);
 
-		if (task_id < 0) {
+		if (_wq_manager_task_id < 0) {
 			_wq_manager_should_exit.store(true);
-			PX4_ERR("task start failed (%i)", task_id);
+			PX4_ERR("task start failed (%i)", _wq_manager_task_id);
 			return -errno;
 		}
 
@@ -413,20 +429,12 @@ WorkQueueManagerStop()
 {
 	if (!_wq_manager_should_exit.load()) {
 
-		// error can't shutdown until all WorkItems are removed/stopped
-		if (_wq_manager_running.load() && (_wq_manager_wqs_list->size() > 0)) {
-			PX4_ERR("can't shutdown with active WQs");
-			WorkQueueManagerStatus();
-			return PX4_ERROR;
-		}
-
 		// first ask all WQs to stop
 		if (_wq_manager_wqs_list != nullptr) {
 			{
 				LockGuard lg{_wq_manager_wqs_list->mutex()};
 
 				// ask all work queues (threads) to stop
-				// NOTE: not currently safe without all WorkItems stopping first
 				for (WorkQueue *wq : *_wq_manager_wqs_list) {
 					wq->request_stop();
 				}
@@ -441,18 +449,31 @@ WorkQueueManagerStop()
 			_wq_manager_wqs_list = nullptr;
 		}
 
+		// signal wq:manager thread to exit
 		_wq_manager_should_exit.store(true);
 
 		if (_wq_manager_create_queue != nullptr) {
 			// push nullptr to wake the wq manager task
 			_wq_manager_create_queue->push(nullptr);
 
-			px4_usleep(10000);
+			// wait for wq:manager thread to finish
+			px4_task_join(_wq_manager_task_id);
+			_wq_manager_task_id = -1;
 
 			delete _wq_manager_create_queue;
 			_wq_manager_create_queue = nullptr;
 		}
 
+#ifdef __PX4_POSIX
+
+		// join all work queue threads (safe now that wq:manager has exited)
+		for (int i = 0; i < _wq_thread_count; i++) {
+			pthread_join(_wq_threads[i], nullptr);
+		}
+
+		_wq_thread_count = 0;
+#endif
+
 	} else {
 		PX4_WARN("not running");
 		return PX4_ERROR;