diff --git a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp
index fce14c3755..bc3c12266a 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp
@@ -229,8 +229,16 @@ void AgencyFeature::start() {
   _agent->load();
 }
 
-void AgencyFeature::unprepare() {
+void AgencyFeature::beginShutdown() {
+  if (!isEnabled()) {
+    return;
+  }
+ 
+  // pass shutdown event to _agent so it can notify all its sub-threads 
+  _agent->beginShutdown();
+}
 
+void AgencyFeature::unprepare() {
   if (!isEnabled()) {
     return;
   }
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h
index cee475eba7..17a7b373e0 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h
+++ b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 /// @author Kaveh Vahedipour
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-#ifndef ARANGOD_AGENCY_APPLICATION_AGENCY_H
-#define ARANGOD_AGENCY_APPLICATION_AGENCY_H 1
+#ifndef ARANGOD_AGENCY_AGENCY_FEATURE_H
+#define ARANGOD_AGENCY_AGENCY_FEATURE_H 1
 
 #include "ApplicationFeatures/ApplicationFeature.h"
 
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class AgencyFeature : virtual public application_features::ApplicationFeature {
   void validateOptions(std::shared_ptr<options::ProgramOptions>) override final;
   void prepare() override final;
   void start() override final;
+  void beginShutdown() override final;
   void unprepare() override final;
 
  private: