diff --git a/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c b/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c
index eeca7171a7..781b7ce0db 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@
 
 static void cmd_reconfig_device_queue(portid_t id, uint8_t dev, uint8_t queue);
 
+static struct cmdline *testpmd_cl;
+
 /* *** Help command with introduction. *** */
 struct cmd_help_brief_result {
 	cmdline_fixed_string_t help;
@@ -18039,30 +18041,29 @@ cmdline_read_from_file(const char *filename)
 	printf("Read CLI commands from %s\n", filename);
 }
 
+void
+prompt_exit(void)
+{
+	cmdline_quit(testpmd_cl);
+}
+
 /* prompt function, called from main on MAIN lcore */
 void
 prompt(void)
 {
-	struct cmdline *cl;
-
 	/* initialize non-constant commands */
 	cmd_set_fwd_mode_init();
 	cmd_set_fwd_retry_mode_init();
 
-	cl = cmdline_stdin_new(main_ctx, "testpmd> ");
-	if (cl == NULL)
+	testpmd_cl = cmdline_stdin_new(main_ctx, "testpmd> ");
+	if (testpmd_cl == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr,
+			"Failed to create stdin based cmdline context\n");
 		return;
-
-	/* loop until signal or quit command */
-	while (f_quit == 0 && cl_quit == 0) {
-		int status = cmdline_poll(cl);
-
-		if (status < 0 || status == RDLINE_EXITED)
-			break;
 	}
 
-	cmdline_quit(cl);
-	cmdline_stdin_exit(cl);
+	cmdline_interact(testpmd_cl);
+	cmdline_stdin_exit(testpmd_cl);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index bade1feba4..fbfc090d68 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -4321,6 +4321,7 @@ static void
 signal_handler(int signum __rte_unused)
 {
 	f_quit = 1;
+	prompt_exit();
 }
 
 int
@@ -4331,8 +4332,18 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
 	uint16_t count;
 	int ret;
 
+#ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_WINDOWS
 	signal(SIGINT, signal_handler);
 	signal(SIGTERM, signal_handler);
+#else
+	/* Want read() not to be restarted on signal */
+	struct sigaction action = {
+		.sa_handler = signal_handler,
+	};
+
+	sigaction(SIGINT, &action, NULL);
+	sigaction(SIGTERM, &action, NULL);
+#endif
 
 	testpmd_logtype = rte_log_register("testpmd");
 	if (testpmd_logtype < 0)
diff --git a/lib/cmdline/cmdline.c b/lib/cmdline/cmdline.c
index 5600f012c2..d0601d69f4 100644
--- a/lib/cmdline/cmdline.c
+++ b/lib/cmdline/cmdline.c
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ cmdline_quit(struct cmdline *cl)
 {
 	if (!cl)
 		return;
+	cmdline_cancel(cl);
 	rdline_quit(&cl->rdl);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_unix.c b/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_unix.c
index 64a945a34f..9a4ec4e334 100644
--- a/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_unix.c
+++ b/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_unix.c
@@ -51,3 +51,9 @@ cmdline_vdprintf(int fd, const char *format, va_list op)
 {
 	return vdprintf(fd, format, op);
 }
+
+/* This function is not needed on Linux, instead use sigaction() */
+void
+cmdline_cancel(__rte_unused struct cmdline *cl)
+{
+}
diff --git a/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_windows.c b/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_windows.c
index 73ed9ba290..80863bfc8a 100644
--- a/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_windows.c
+++ b/lib/cmdline/cmdline_os_windows.c
@@ -203,3 +203,17 @@ cmdline_vdprintf(int fd, const char *format, va_list op)
 
 	return ret;
 }
+
+void
+cmdline_cancel(struct cmdline *cl)
+{
+	if (!cl)
+		return;
+
+	/* force the outstanding read on console to exit */
+	if (cl->oldterm.is_console_input) {
+		HANDLE handle = (HANDLE)_get_osfhandle(cl->s_in);
+
+		CancelIoEx(handle, NULL);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/cmdline/cmdline_private.h b/lib/cmdline/cmdline_private.h
index a3271c7693..86a46cdea6 100644
--- a/lib/cmdline/cmdline_private.h
+++ b/lib/cmdline/cmdline_private.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define RDLINE_HISTORY_MAX_LINE 64
 
 struct rdline {
-	enum rdline_status status;
+	volatile enum rdline_status status;
 	/* rdline bufs */
 	struct cirbuf left;
 	struct cirbuf right;
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ int cmdline_poll_char(struct cmdline *cl);
 /* Read one character from input. */
 ssize_t cmdline_read_char(struct cmdline *cl, char *c);
 
+/* Force current cmdline read to unblock. */
+void cmdline_cancel(struct cmdline *cl);
+
 /* vdprintf(3) */
 __rte_format_printf(2, 0)
 int cmdline_vdprintf(int fd, const char *format, va_list op);