diff --git a/src/control/control.c b/src/control/control.c
index bbe775f8a248..290f9245a5ac 100644
--- a/src/control/control.c
+++ b/src/control/control.c
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ void dt_control_init(dt_control_t *s)
   s->widget_definitions = g_ptr_array_new ();
   s->input_drivers = NULL;
   dt_atomic_set_int(&s->running, DT_CONTROL_STATE_DISABLED);
+  dt_atomic_set_int(&s->pending_jobs, 0);
   s->cups_started = FALSE;
 
   dt_action_define_fallback(DT_ACTION_TYPE_IOP, &dt_action_def_iop);
@@ -328,8 +329,9 @@ void dt_control_shutdown(dt_control_t *control)
   pthread_cond_broadcast(&control->cond);
   dt_pthread_mutex_unlock(&control->cond_mutex);
 
-  dt_print(DT_DEBUG_CONTROL, "[dt_control_shutdown] closing control threads%s",
-    cleanup ? " in cleanup mode" : "");
+  dt_print(DT_DEBUG_CONTROL, "[dt_control_shutdown] closing control threads%s, %d pending jobs",
+    cleanup ? "in cleanup mode" : "",
+    dt_control_jobs_pending(control));
 
   if(!cleanup)
     return;   // if not running there are no threads to join
diff --git a/src/control/control.h b/src/control/control.h
index 07e76c6d607a..64a83fab6fec 100644
--- a/src/control/control.h
+++ b/src/control/control.h
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ typedef struct dt_control_t
 
   // job management
   dt_atomic_int running;
+  dt_atomic_int pending_jobs;
   gboolean cups_started;
   gboolean export_scheduled;
   dt_pthread_mutex_t queue_mutex, cond_mutex;
diff --git a/src/control/jobs.c b/src/control/jobs.c
index c68647f75827..98bc09c11d3e 100644
--- a/src/control/jobs.c
+++ b/src/control/jobs.c
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ static void _control_job_execute(_dt_job_t *job)
 
   _control_job_set_state(job, DT_JOB_STATE_FINISHED);
   _control_job_print(job, "run_job-", "", DT_CTL_WORKER_RESERVED + _control_get_threadid());
+  dt_atomic_add_int(&darktable.control->pending_jobs, -1);
 }
 
 static gboolean _control_run_job(dt_control_t *control)
@@ -432,6 +433,7 @@ gboolean dt_control_add_job(dt_control_t *control,
       }
     }
 
+    dt_atomic_add_int(&darktable.control->pending_jobs, 1);
     // if the job is already in the queue -> move it to the top
     for(GList *iter = *queue; iter; iter = g_list_next(iter))
     {
@@ -446,6 +448,7 @@ gboolean dt_control_add_job(dt_control_t *control,
         job_for_disposal = job;
 
         job = other_job;
+        dt_atomic_add_int(&darktable.control->pending_jobs, -1);
         break; // there can't be any further copy in the list
       }
     }
@@ -462,6 +465,7 @@ gboolean dt_control_add_job(dt_control_t *control,
       dt_control_job_dispose(last->data);
       *queue = g_list_delete_link(*queue, last);
       length--;
+      dt_atomic_add_int(&darktable.control->pending_jobs, -1);
     }
 
     control->queue_length[queue_id] = length;
@@ -477,6 +481,7 @@ gboolean dt_control_add_job(dt_control_t *control,
       job->priority = DT_CONTROL_FG_PRIORITY;
     *queue = g_list_append(*queue, job);
     control->queue_length[queue_id]++;
+    dt_atomic_add_int(&darktable.control->pending_jobs, 1);
   }
   _control_job_set_state(job, DT_JOB_STATE_QUEUED);
   dt_pthread_mutex_unlock(&control->queue_mutex);
@@ -636,6 +641,11 @@ void dt_control_jobs_cleanup(dt_control_t *control)
   control->thread = NULL;
 }
 
+int dt_control_jobs_pending(dt_control_t *control)
+{
+  return control ? dt_atomic_get_int(&control->pending_jobs) : 0;
+}
+
 // clang-format off
 // modelines: These editor modelines have been set for all relevant files by tools/update_modelines.py
 // vim: shiftwidth=2 expandtab tabstop=2 cindent
diff --git a/src/control/jobs.h b/src/control/jobs.h
index 530afc002f12..7f36bc79ee7d 100644
--- a/src/control/jobs.h
+++ b/src/control/jobs.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ double dt_control_job_get_progress(dt_job_t *job);
 struct dt_control_t;
 void dt_control_jobs_init(struct dt_control_t *control);
 void dt_control_jobs_cleanup(struct dt_control_t *control);
+int dt_control_jobs_pending(struct dt_control_t *control);
 
 gboolean dt_control_add_job(struct dt_control_t *control, dt_job_queue_t queue_id, dt_job_t *job);
 gboolean dt_control_add_job_res(struct dt_control_t *s, dt_job_t *job, int32_t res);