diff --git a/ironic/conductor/base_manager.py b/ironic/conductor/base_manager.py
index 3ec763cbf7..c95a6e8eda 100644
--- a/ironic/conductor/base_manager.py
+++ b/ironic/conductor/base_manager.py
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ class BaseConductorManager(object):
         self.topic = topic
         self.sensors_notifier = rpc.get_sensors_notifier()
         self._started = False
+        self._shutdown = None
 
     def init_host(self, admin_context=None):
         """Initialize the conductor host.
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ class BaseConductorManager(object):
         if self._started:
             raise RuntimeError(_('Attempt to start an already running '
                                  'conductor manager'))
+        self._shutdown = False
 
         self.dbapi = dbapi.get_instance()
 
@@ -262,6 +264,7 @@ class BaseConductorManager(object):
         # conductor (e.g. when rpc server is unreachable).
         if not hasattr(self, 'conductor'):
             return
+        self._shutdown = True
         self._keepalive_evt.set()
         if deregister:
             try:
@@ -362,6 +365,8 @@ class BaseConductorManager(object):
         columns = ['uuid', 'driver'] + list(fields or ())
         node_list = self.dbapi.get_nodeinfo_list(columns=columns, **kwargs)
         for result in node_list:
+            if self._shutdown:
+                break
             if self._mapped_to_this_conductor(*result[:2]):
                 yield result
 
diff --git a/ironic/conductor/manager.py b/ironic/conductor/manager.py
index c2cea5fa74..8bf4a55f6a 100644
--- a/ironic/conductor/manager.py
+++ b/ironic/conductor/manager.py
@@ -2147,7 +2147,7 @@ class ConductorManager(base_manager.BaseConductorManager):
     @METRICS.timer('ConductorManager._sensors_nodes_task')
     def _sensors_nodes_task(self, context, nodes):
         """Sends sensors data for nodes from synchronized queue."""
-        while True:
+        while not self._shutdown:
             try:
                 node_uuid, driver, instance_uuid = nodes.get_nowait()
             except queue.Empty:
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_base_manager.py b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_base_manager.py
index 752790ee36..060da59d1b 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_base_manager.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_base_manager.py
@@ -272,6 +272,12 @@ class StartStopTestCase(mgr_utils.ServiceSetUpMixin, db_base.DbTestCase):
                                         missing_parameters_error):
                 self._start_service()
 
+    def test_conductor_shutdown_flag(self):
+        self._start_service()
+        self.assertFalse(self.service._shutdown)
+        self.service.del_host()
+        self.assertTrue(self.service._shutdown)
+
 
 class CheckInterfacesTestCase(mgr_utils.ServiceSetUpMixin, db_base.DbTestCase):
     def test__check_enabled_interfaces_success(self):
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py
index 47224a3f25..f8383f6067 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/conductor/test_manager.py
@@ -2848,6 +2848,19 @@ class MiscTestCase(mgr_utils.ServiceSetUpMixin, mgr_utils.CommonMixIn,
             'deploying', 'provision_updated_at',
             last_error=mock.ANY)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(dbapi.IMPL, 'get_nodeinfo_list')
+    def test_iter_nodes_shutdown(self, mock_nodeinfo_list):
+        self._start_service()
+        self.columns = ['uuid', 'driver', 'id']
+        nodes = [self._create_node(driver='fake')]
+        mock_nodeinfo_list.return_value = self._get_nodeinfo_list_response(
+            nodes)
+        self.service._shutdown = True
+
+        result = list(self.service.iter_nodes(fields=['id'],
+                                              filters=mock.sentinel.filters))
+        self.assertEqual([], result)
+
 
 @mgr_utils.mock_record_keepalive
 class ConsoleTestCase(mgr_utils.ServiceSetUpMixin, db_base.DbTestCase):
@@ -3511,6 +3524,16 @@ class UpdatePortTestCase(mgr_utils.ServiceSetUpMixin, db_base.DbTestCase):
                 self.assertEqual(5, validate_mock.call_count)
                 self.assertEqual(5, get_sensors_data_mock.call_count)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(task_manager, 'acquire')
+    def test_send_sensor_task_shutdown(self, acquire_mock):
+        nodes = queue.Queue()
+        nodes.put_nowait(('fake_uuid', 'fake', None))
+        self._start_service()
+        self.service._shutdown = True
+        CONF.set_override('send_sensor_data', True, group='conductor')
+        self.service._sensors_nodes_task(self.context, nodes)
+        acquire_mock.__enter__.assert_not_called()
+
     @mock.patch.object(task_manager, 'acquire', autospec=True)
     def test_send_sensor_task_no_management(self, acquire_mock):
         nodes = queue.Queue()
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/improve-conductor-shutdown-42687d8b9dac4054.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/improve-conductor-shutdown-42687d8b9dac4054.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b138d5353e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/improve-conductor-shutdown-42687d8b9dac4054.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Shutdown of conductor process should take less time, as we do not wait for
+    completion of all periodic tasks.