Fix A stop job is running Delay on Linux Shutdown

Before you begin

Match the environmentUse this guide only for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch Linux or a clearly compatible setup.

Protect recoveryBack up important data and save encryption or account recovery keys before changing system state.

Know when to stopMake one change at a time and stop if the result differs from what the guide describes.

Problem overview

When you try to shut down or restart your computer, the process hangs. The screen shows a message like “A stop job is running for…” and forces you to wait up to 90 seconds.

Common causes

A background service failed to respond to the standard termination signal.
Network filesystems (like NFS or Samba) are hanging because the network connection dropped before they unmounted.
A buggy application is refusing to close cleanly.

Solution 1: Reduce the default timeout

You can configure systemd to wait less time before forcefully killing stubborn services.

Open a terminal.
Edit the systemd configuration file:
```
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system.conf
```
Find the line that says #DefaultTimeoutStopSec=90s.
Remove the # character to uncomment it, and change 90s to a shorter time, like 10s:
```
DefaultTimeoutStopSec=10s
```
Save the file and exit the editor.
Reload the systemd daemon to apply changes:
```
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
```

Expert Tip

Do not set the timeout to 0 seconds. Services need at least a few seconds to flush their data to your disk.

Solution 2: Identify the stuck service

Reducing the timeout masks the problem. Finding and fixing the actual stuck service is a better long-term solution.

After experiencing a slow shutdown, start your computer and open a terminal.
View the system journal for the previous boot sequence:
```
journalctl -b -1
```
Press Shift + G to scroll to the end of the log.
Look for entries indicating a timeout or a failed stop job. Note the name of the service (e.g., NetworkManager.service or docker.service).
Once you identify the culprit, check its status or reinstall it to resolve the hang.

Solution 3: Check for hung network mounts

If your shutdown hangs on network services, the system might be dropping Wi-Fi before unmounting network drives.

Ensure your network drives in /etc/fstab include the _netdev mount option. This tells the system to unmount them before disabling the network.
```
192.168.1.100:/share  /mnt/share  nfs  defaults,_netdev  0 0
```
Unmount network drives manually before shutting down to see if it speeds up the process:
```
sudo umount -a -t cifs,nfs
```

Confirm the result

Repeat the exact action that originally triggered the problem.

Confirm the original error or symptom is gone and no new warning has appeared.

If the guide changed a driver, service, package, or system setting, restart once and test again.

If the result is worse or unexpected, stop. Reverse only the last change using its documented restore option; if none is documented, use your backup or qualified support.

Questions about this fix

Is it bad if my computer forces these services to stop?

Generally no, but forcefully stopping database services or file transfers can lead to data loss. It is safer to reduce the timeout rather than eliminate it.

Why is the default timeout so long?

Systemd gives services 90 seconds to save state and clean up resources safely before sending a kill signal.

Fix A stop job is running Delay on Linux Shutdown

Before you begin

Problem overview

Common causes

Solution 1: Reduce the default timeout

Solution 2: Identify the stuck service

Solution 3: Check for hung network mounts

Confirm the result

Questions about this fix

Weighted Consensus Protocol

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