diff --git a/src/server/server.c b/src/server/server.c
index 2be90451f7..76bd2767cf 100644
--- a/src/server/server.c
+++ b/src/server/server.c
@@ -752,6 +752,11 @@ bool openocd_is_shutdown_pending(void)
 	return shutdown_openocd != CONTINUE_MAIN_LOOP;
 }
 
+bool openocd_shutdown_by_signal(void)
+{
+	return shutdown_openocd == SHUTDOWN_WITH_SIGNAL_CODE;
+}
+
 /* tell the server we want to shut down */
 COMMAND_HANDLER(handle_shutdown_command)
 {
diff --git a/src/server/server.h b/src/server/server.h
index c9d4698af8..bf38c73f1c 100644
--- a/src/server/server.h
+++ b/src/server/server.h
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ int connection_read(struct connection *connection, void *data, int len);
 
 bool openocd_is_shutdown_pending(void);
 
+bool openocd_shutdown_by_signal(void);
+
 /**
  * Defines an extended command handler function declaration to enable
  * access to (and manipulation of) the server port number.
diff --git a/src/target/image.c b/src/target/image.c
index ad2d856b54..08f77a81ca 100644
--- a/src/target/image.c
+++ b/src/target/image.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "image.h"
 #include "target.h"
 #include <helper/log.h>
+#include <server/server.h>
 
 /* convert ELF header field to host endianness */
 #define field16(elf, field) \
@@ -1287,6 +1288,8 @@ int image_calculate_checksum(const uint8_t *buffer, uint32_t nbytes, uint32_t *c
 			crc = (crc << 8) ^ crc32_table[((crc >> 24) ^ *buffer++) & 255];
 		}
 		keep_alive();
+		if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+			return ERROR_FAIL;
 	}
 
 	LOG_DEBUG("Calculating checksum done; checksum=0x%" PRIx32, crc);
diff --git a/src/target/riscv/batch.c b/src/target/riscv/batch.c
index b68d38ea14..1b8c98c740 100644
--- a/src/target/riscv/batch.c
+++ b/src/target/riscv/batch.c
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ int riscv_batch_run(struct riscv_batch *batch)
 	}
 
 	keep_alive();
+	if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	if (bscan_tunnel_ir_width != 0) {
 		/* need to right-shift "in" by one bit, because of clock skew between BSCAN TAP and DM TAP */
diff --git a/src/target/riscv/program.c b/src/target/riscv/program.c
index 1494845d9f..525c829529 100644
--- a/src/target/riscv/program.c
+++ b/src/target/riscv/program.c
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ int riscv_program_write(struct riscv_program *program)
 int riscv_program_exec(struct riscv_program *p, struct target *t)
 {
 	keep_alive();
+	if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	riscv_reg_t saved_registers[GDB_REGNO_XPR31 + 1];
 	for (size_t i = GDB_REGNO_ZERO + 1; i <= GDB_REGNO_XPR31; ++i) {
diff --git a/src/target/riscv/riscv-013.c b/src/target/riscv/riscv-013.c
index 8a837952fd..aedfbe3ea9 100644
--- a/src/target/riscv/riscv-013.c
+++ b/src/target/riscv/riscv-013.c
@@ -591,6 +591,8 @@ static int dmi_op_timeout(struct target *target, uint32_t *data_in,
 	}
 
 	keep_alive();
+	if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	time_t start = time(NULL);
 	/* This first loop performs the request.  Note that if for some reason this
@@ -3193,6 +3195,9 @@ static int read_memory_bus_v1(struct target *target, target_addr_t address,
 						return ERROR_FAIL;
 					}
 					keep_alive();
+					if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+						return ERROR_FAIL;
+
 					dmi_status_t status = dmi_scan(target, NULL, &sbvalue[next_read_j],
 								       DMI_OP_READ, sbdata[j], 0, false);
 					/* By reading from sbdata0, we have just initiated another system bus read.
diff --git a/src/target/riscv/riscv.c b/src/target/riscv/riscv.c
index b2ab3e3b43..7ef47b99a6 100644
--- a/src/target/riscv/riscv.c
+++ b/src/target/riscv/riscv.c
@@ -5140,6 +5140,8 @@ static int riscv_set_or_write_register(struct target *target,
 	assert(r->set_register);
 
 	keep_alive();
+	if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	if (regid == GDB_REGNO_PC) {
 		return riscv_set_or_write_register(target, GDB_REGNO_DPC, value, write_through);
@@ -5237,6 +5239,8 @@ int riscv_get_register(struct target *target, riscv_reg_t *value,
 	assert(r->get_register);
 
 	keep_alive();
+	if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	if (regid == GDB_REGNO_PC) {
 		return riscv_get_register(target, value, GDB_REGNO_DPC);
diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index 167b1ea5d3..02c20d72d9 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -1095,6 +1095,10 @@ int target_run_flash_async_algorithm(struct target *target,
 
 		/* Avoid GDB timeouts */
 		keep_alive();
+		if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal()) {
+			retval = ERROR_FAIL;
+			break;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
@@ -1244,6 +1248,10 @@ int target_run_read_async_algorithm(struct target *target,
 
 		/* Avoid GDB timeouts */
 		keep_alive();
+		if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal()) {
+			retval = ERROR_FAIL;
+			break;
+		}
 
 	}
 
@@ -1879,6 +1887,8 @@ static int target_call_timer_callbacks_check_time(int checktime)
 	callback_processing = true;
 
 	keep_alive();
+	if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	int64_t now = timeval_ms();
 
@@ -3250,8 +3260,11 @@ int target_wait_state(struct target *target, enum target_state state, unsigned i
 				nvp_value2name(nvp_target_state, state)->name);
 		}
 
-		if (cur-then > 500)
+		if (cur - then > 500) {
 			keep_alive();
+			if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal())
+				return ERROR_FAIL;
+		}
 
 		if ((cur-then) > ms) {
 			LOG_ERROR("timed out while waiting for target %s",
@@ -3534,6 +3547,10 @@ static int target_fill_mem(struct target *target,
 			break;
 		/* avoid GDB timeouts */
 		keep_alive();
+		if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal()) {
+			retval = ERROR_FAIL;
+			break;
+		}
 	}
 	free(target_buf);
 
@@ -3876,6 +3893,12 @@ static COMMAND_HELPER(handle_verify_image_command_internal, enum verify_mode ver
 							}
 						}
 						keep_alive();
+						if (openocd_shutdown_by_signal()) {
+							retval = ERROR_FAIL;
+							free(data);
+							free(buffer);
+							goto done;
+						}
 					}
 				}
 				free(data);