diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
index 24c1ab1c1cbf1..e857e6ac7fbfa 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
@@ -813,6 +813,28 @@ public void testMoveToInjectedStep() throws Exception {
         });
     }
 
+    public void testCanStopILMWithPolicyUsingNonexistentPolicy() throws Exception {
+        createIndexWithSettings(index, Settings.builder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_SHARDS, 1)
+            .put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS, 0)
+            .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_NAME_SETTING.getKey(), randomAlphaOfLengthBetween(5,15)));
+
+        Request stopILMRequest = new Request("POST", "_ilm/stop");
+        assertOK(client().performRequest(stopILMRequest));
+
+        Request statusRequest = new Request("GET", "_ilm/status");
+        assertBusy(() -> {
+            Response statusResponse = client().performRequest(statusRequest);
+            assertOK(statusResponse);
+            Map<String, Object> statusResponseMap = entityAsMap(statusResponse);
+            String status = (String) statusResponseMap.get("operation_mode");
+            assertEquals("STOPPED", status);
+        });
+
+        // Re-start ILM so that subsequent tests don't fail
+        Request startILMReqest = new Request("POST", "_ilm/start");
+        assertOK(client().performRequest(startILMReqest));
+    }
+
     private void createFullPolicy(TimeValue hotTime) throws IOException {
         Map<String, LifecycleAction> hotActions = new HashMap<>();
         hotActions.put(SetPriorityAction.NAME, new SetPriorityAction(100));
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java
index 378ca5dd49597..903e3811784c3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
  * A service which runs the {@link LifecyclePolicy}s associated with indexes.
  */
 public class IndexLifecycleService extends AbstractComponent
-        implements ClusterStateListener, ClusterStateApplier, SchedulerEngine.Listener, Closeable, LocalNodeMasterListener {
+    implements ClusterStateListener, ClusterStateApplier, SchedulerEngine.Listener, Closeable, LocalNodeMasterListener {
     private static final Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger(IndexLifecycleService.class);
     private static final Set<String> IGNORE_ACTIONS_MAINTENANCE_REQUESTED = Collections.singleton(ShrinkAction.NAME);
     private volatile boolean isMaster = false;
@@ -111,18 +111,26 @@ public void onMaster() {
                 IndexMetaData idxMeta = cursor.value;
                 String policyName = LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_NAME_SETTING.get(idxMeta.getSettings());
                 if (Strings.isNullOrEmpty(policyName) == false) {
-                    StepKey stepKey = IndexLifecycleRunner.getCurrentStepKey(LifecycleExecutionState.fromIndexMetadata(idxMeta));
-                    if (OperationMode.STOPPING == currentMode &&
-                        stepKey != null &&
-                        IGNORE_ACTIONS_MAINTENANCE_REQUESTED.contains(stepKey.getAction()) == false) {
-                        logger.info("skipping policy [{}] for index [{}]. stopping Index Lifecycle execution",
-                            policyName, idxMeta.getIndex().getName());
-                        continue;
+                    final LifecycleExecutionState lifecycleState = LifecycleExecutionState.fromIndexMetadata(idxMeta);
+                    StepKey stepKey = IndexLifecycleRunner.getCurrentStepKey(lifecycleState);
+
+                    if (OperationMode.STOPPING == currentMode) {
+                        if (stepKey != null && IGNORE_ACTIONS_MAINTENANCE_REQUESTED.contains(stepKey.getAction())) {
+                            logger.info("waiting to stop ILM because index [{}] with policy [{}] is currently in action [{}]",
+                                idxMeta.getIndex().getName(), policyName, stepKey.getAction());
+                            lifecycleRunner.maybeRunAsyncAction(clusterState, idxMeta, policyName, stepKey);
+                            // ILM is trying to stop, but this index is in a Shrink action (or other dangerous action) so we can't stop
+                            safeToStop = false;
+                        } else {
+                            logger.info("skipping policy execution for index [{}] with policy [{}] because ILM is stopping",
+                                idxMeta.getIndex().getName(), policyName);
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        lifecycleRunner.maybeRunAsyncAction(clusterState, idxMeta, policyName, stepKey);
                     }
-                    lifecycleRunner.maybeRunAsyncAction(clusterState, idxMeta, policyName, stepKey);
-                    safeToStop = false; // proven false!
                 }
             }
+
             if (safeToStop && OperationMode.STOPPING == currentMode) {
                 submitOperationModeUpdate(OperationMode.STOPPED);
             }
@@ -184,7 +192,7 @@ public void clusterChanged(ClusterChangedEvent event) {
     @Override
     public void applyClusterState(ClusterChangedEvent event) {
         if (event.localNodeMaster()) { // only act if we are master, otherwise
-                                       // keep idle until elected
+            // keep idle until elected
             if (event.state().metaData().custom(IndexLifecycleMetadata.TYPE) != null) {
                 policyRegistry.update(event.state());
             }
@@ -237,21 +245,34 @@ void triggerPolicies(ClusterState clusterState, boolean fromClusterStateChange)
             IndexMetaData idxMeta = cursor.value;
             String policyName = LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_NAME_SETTING.get(idxMeta.getSettings());
             if (Strings.isNullOrEmpty(policyName) == false) {
-                StepKey stepKey = IndexLifecycleRunner.getCurrentStepKey(LifecycleExecutionState.fromIndexMetadata(idxMeta));
-                if (OperationMode.STOPPING == currentMode && stepKey != null
-                        && IGNORE_ACTIONS_MAINTENANCE_REQUESTED.contains(stepKey.getAction()) == false) {
-                    logger.info("skipping policy [" + policyName + "] for index [" + idxMeta.getIndex().getName()
-                        + "]. stopping Index Lifecycle execution");
-                    continue;
-                }
-                if (fromClusterStateChange) {
-                    lifecycleRunner.runPolicyAfterStateChange(policyName, idxMeta);
+                final LifecycleExecutionState lifecycleState = LifecycleExecutionState.fromIndexMetadata(idxMeta);
+                StepKey stepKey = IndexLifecycleRunner.getCurrentStepKey(lifecycleState);
+
+                if (OperationMode.STOPPING == currentMode) {
+                    if (stepKey != null && IGNORE_ACTIONS_MAINTENANCE_REQUESTED.contains(stepKey.getAction())) {
+                        logger.info("waiting to stop ILM because index [{}] with policy [{}] is currently in action [{}]",
+                            idxMeta.getIndex().getName(), policyName, stepKey.getAction());
+                        if (fromClusterStateChange) {
+                            lifecycleRunner.runPolicyAfterStateChange(policyName, idxMeta);
+                        } else {
+                            lifecycleRunner.runPeriodicStep(policyName, idxMeta);
+                        }
+                        // ILM is trying to stop, but this index is in a Shrink action (or other dangerous action) so we can't stop
+                        safeToStop = false;
+                    } else {
+                        logger.info("skipping policy execution for index [{}] with policy [{}] because ILM is stopping",
+                            idxMeta.getIndex().getName(), policyName);
+                    }
                 } else {
-                    lifecycleRunner.runPeriodicStep(policyName, idxMeta);
+                    if (fromClusterStateChange) {
+                        lifecycleRunner.runPolicyAfterStateChange(policyName, idxMeta);
+                    } else {
+                        lifecycleRunner.runPeriodicStep(policyName, idxMeta);
+                    }
                 }
-                safeToStop = false; // proven false!
             }
         }
+
         if (safeToStop && OperationMode.STOPPING == currentMode) {
             submitOperationModeUpdate(OperationMode.STOPPED);
         }