diff --git a/sycl/source/detail/thread_pool.hpp b/sycl/source/detail/thread_pool.hpp
index 304045389b53..50240e0a98b0 100644
--- a/sycl/source/detail/thread_pool.hpp
+++ b/sycl/source/detail/thread_pool.hpp
@@ -29,17 +29,17 @@ class ThreadPool {
   std::queue<std::function<void()>> MJobQueue;
   std::mutex MJobQueueMutex;
   std::condition_variable MDoSmthOrStop;
-  std::atomic_bool MStop;
+  bool MStop = false;
   std::atomic_uint MJobsInPool;
 
   void worker() {
     GlobalHandler::instance().registerSchedulerUsage(/*ModifyCounter*/ false);
     std::unique_lock<std::mutex> Lock(MJobQueueMutex);
     while (true) {
-      MDoSmthOrStop.wait(
-          Lock, [this]() { return !MJobQueue.empty() || MStop.load(); });
+      MDoSmthOrStop.wait(Lock,
+                         [this]() { return !MJobQueue.empty() || MStop; });
 
-      if (MStop.load())
+      if (MStop)
         break;
 
       std::function<void()> Job = std::move(MJobQueue.front());
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class ThreadPool {
   void start() {
     MLaunchedThreads.reserve(MThreadCount);
 
-    MStop.store(false);
     MJobsInPool.store(0);
 
     for (size_t Idx = 0; Idx < MThreadCount; ++Idx)
@@ -83,7 +82,10 @@ class ThreadPool {
   }
 
   void finishAndWait() {
-    MStop.store(true);
+    {
+      std::lock_guard<std::mutex> Lock(MJobQueueMutex);
+      MStop = true;
+    }
 
     MDoSmthOrStop.notify_all();
 
diff --git a/sycl/test-e2e/Regression/unwaited_for_host_task.cpp b/sycl/test-e2e/Regression/unwaited_for_host_task.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6f6ae3090c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sycl/test-e2e/Regression/unwaited_for_host_task.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// RUN: %{build} -o %t.out
+// RUN: %{run} %t.out
+
+#include <sycl/detail/core.hpp>
+
+using namespace sycl;
+
+// This test checks that host tasks that haven't been waited for do not cause
+// issues during shutdown.
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+  queue q;
+
+  q.submit([&](handler &h) { h.host_task([=]() {}); });
+
+  return 0;
+}