diff --git a/changelog.d/20240715_170552_rra_DM_45138.md b/changelog.d/20240715_170552_rra_DM_45138.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd26495
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/20240715_170552_rra_DM_45138.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+### New features
+
+- Worker pods now wait for 30 seconds (UWS database workers) or 55 seconds (cutout workers) for jobs to finish on shutdown before cancelling them.
diff --git a/src/vocutouts/uws/app.py b/src/vocutouts/uws/app.py
index bce84c3..b1c23cb 100644
--- a/src/vocutouts/uws/app.py
+++ b/src/vocutouts/uws/app.py
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ async def shutdown(ctx: dict[Any, Any]) -> None:
             ],
             functions=[uws_job_started, uws_job_completed],
             redis_settings=self._config.arq_redis_settings,
+            job_completion_wait=UWS_DATABASE_TIMEOUT,
             job_timeout=UWS_DATABASE_TIMEOUT,
             max_jobs=10,
             queue_name=UWS_QUEUE_NAME,
diff --git a/src/vocutouts/uws/constants.py b/src/vocutouts/uws/constants.py
index 323c502..ce30cff 100644
--- a/src/vocutouts/uws/constants.py
+++ b/src/vocutouts/uws/constants.py
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@
 """How long to wait for a job to stop before giving up."""
 
 UWS_DATABASE_TIMEOUT = timedelta(seconds=30)
-"""Timeout on workers that update the UWS database."""
+"""Timeout on workers that update the UWS database.
+
+This should match the default Kubernetes grace period for a pod to shut down.
+"""
 
 UWS_EXPIRE_JOBS_SCHEDULE = Options(
     month=None,
@@ -35,4 +38,7 @@
 """Schedule for job expiration cron job, as `arq.cron.cron` parameters."""
 
 UWS_QUEUE_NAME = "uws:queue"
-"""Name of the arq queue for internal UWS messages."""
+"""Name of the arq queue for internal UWS messages.
+
+Must match ``_UWS_QUEUE_NAME`` in :mod:`vocutouts.uws.uwsworker`.
+"""
diff --git a/src/vocutouts/uws/uwsworker.py b/src/vocutouts/uws/uwsworker.py
index 2b0b493..3125c6e 100644
--- a/src/vocutouts/uws/uwsworker.py
+++ b/src/vocutouts/uws/uwsworker.py
@@ -25,9 +25,17 @@
 from safir.arq import ArqMode, ArqQueue, MockArqQueue, RedisArqQueue
 from structlog.stdlib import BoundLogger
 
-from .constants import UWS_QUEUE_NAME
-
 T = TypeVar("T", bound="BaseModel")
+"""Type for job parameters."""
+
+_COMPLETION_WAIT = timedelta(seconds=55)
+"""How long to wait for job completion before killing the job."""
+
+_UWS_QUEUE_NAME = "uws:queue"
+"""Name of the arq queue for internal UWS messages.
+
+Must match `~vocutouts.uws.constants.UWS_QUEUE_NAME`.
+"""
 
 __all__ = [
     "WorkerConfig",
@@ -40,6 +48,7 @@
     "WorkerTimeoutError",
     "WorkerTransientError",
     "WorkerUsageError",
+    "T",
     "build_worker",
 ]
 
@@ -99,6 +108,9 @@ class returned by other functions.
     redis_settings: RedisSettings
     """Redis configuration for arq."""
 
+    job_completion_wait: SecondsTimedelta
+    """How long to wait for jobs to complete before cancelling them."""
+
     job_timeout: SecondsTimedelta
     """Maximum timeout for all jobs."""
 
@@ -338,10 +350,10 @@ async def startup(ctx: dict[Any, Any]) -> None:
         if config.arq_mode == ArqMode.production:
             settings = config.arq_redis_settings
             arq: ArqQueue = await RedisArqQueue.initialize(
-                settings, default_queue_name=UWS_QUEUE_NAME
+                settings, default_queue_name=_UWS_QUEUE_NAME
             )
         else:
-            arq = MockArqQueue(default_queue_name=UWS_QUEUE_NAME)
+            arq = MockArqQueue(default_queue_name=_UWS_QUEUE_NAME)
 
         ctx["arq"] = arq
         ctx["logger"] = logger
@@ -399,6 +411,7 @@ async def run(
     return WorkerSettings(
         functions=[func(run, name=worker.__qualname__)],
         redis_settings=config.arq_redis_settings,
+        job_completion_wait=_COMPLETION_WAIT,
         job_timeout=config.timeout,
         max_jobs=1,
         allow_abort_jobs=True,
diff --git a/tests/uws/workers_test.py b/tests/uws/workers_test.py
index 5f10496..e8e18e1 100644
--- a/tests/uws/workers_test.py
+++ b/tests/uws/workers_test.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 from vocutouts.uws.app import UWSApplication
 from vocutouts.uws.config import UWSConfig
-from vocutouts.uws.constants import UWS_QUEUE_NAME
+from vocutouts.uws.constants import UWS_DATABASE_TIMEOUT, UWS_QUEUE_NAME
 from vocutouts.uws.dependencies import UWSFactory
 from vocutouts.uws.models import ErrorCode, UWSJobParameter, UWSJobResult
 from vocutouts.uws.storage import JobStore
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ async def test_build_worker(
     assert settings.functions[0].name == hello.__qualname__
     assert settings.redis_settings == uws_config.arq_redis_settings
     assert settings.allow_abort_jobs
+    assert settings.job_completion_wait
     assert settings.queue_name == default_queue_name
     assert settings.on_startup
     assert settings.on_shutdown
@@ -228,6 +229,7 @@ async def test_build_uws_worker(
     assert callable(expire_jobs)
     assert settings.redis_settings == uws_config.arq_redis_settings
     assert not settings.allow_abort_jobs
+    assert settings.job_completion_wait == UWS_DATABASE_TIMEOUT
     assert settings.queue_name == UWS_QUEUE_NAME
     assert settings.on_startup
     assert settings.on_shutdown