diff --git a/lib/context.c b/lib/context.c
index d638ff52..c85a4816 100644
--- a/lib/context.c
+++ b/lib/context.c
@@ -1721,6 +1721,10 @@ lws_vhost_destroy(struct lws_vhost *vh)
  *     destroys the context itself, setting what was info.pcontext to NULL.
  */
 
+/*
+ * destroy the actual context itself
+ */
+
 static void
 lws_context_destroy3(struct lws_context *context)
 {
@@ -1733,6 +1737,10 @@ lws_context_destroy3(struct lws_context *context)
 		*pcontext_finalize = NULL;
 }
 
+/*
+ * really start destroying things
+ */
+
 void
 lws_context_destroy2(struct lws_context *context)
 {
@@ -1802,6 +1810,10 @@ lws_context_destroy2(struct lws_context *context)
 	lws_context_destroy3(context);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Begin the context takedown
+ */
+
 LWS_VISIBLE void
 lws_context_destroy(struct lws_context *context)
 {
@@ -1909,6 +1921,22 @@ lws_context_destroy(struct lws_context *context)
 
 	lws_plat_context_early_destroy(context);
 
+	/*
+	 * We face two different needs depending if foreign loop or not.
+	 *
+	 * 1) If foreign loop, we really want to advance the destroy_context()
+	 *    past here, and block only for libuv-style async close completion.
+	 *
+	 * 2a) If poll, and we exited by ourselves and are calling a final
+	 *     destroy_context() outside of any service already, we want to
+	 *     advance all the way in one step.
+	 *
+	 * 2b) If poll, and we are reacting to a SIGINT, service thread(s) may
+	 *     be in poll wait or servicing.  We can't advance the
+	 *     destroy_context() to the point it's freeing things; we have to
+	 *     leave that for the final destroy_context() after the service
+	 *     thread(s) are finished calling for service.
+	 */
 
 	if (context->event_loop_ops->destroy_context1) {
 		context->event_loop_ops->destroy_context1(context);
@@ -1916,5 +1944,10 @@ lws_context_destroy(struct lws_context *context)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (!context->pt[0].event_loop_foreign)
+		for (n = 0; n < context->count_threads; n++)
+			if (context->pt[n].inside_service)
+				return;
+
 	lws_context_destroy2(context);
 }
diff --git a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
index a221201d..4ff58781 100644
--- a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
@@ -593,6 +593,7 @@ struct lws_context_per_thread {
 	unsigned char tid;
 
 	unsigned char lock_depth;
+	unsigned char inside_service:1;
 	unsigned char event_loop_foreign:1;
 	unsigned char event_loop_destroy_processing_done:1;
 };
diff --git a/lib/service.c b/lib/service.c
index 39dba41c..8cf8c934 100644
--- a/lib/service.c
+++ b/lib/service.c
@@ -939,24 +939,49 @@ lws_service_fd(struct lws_context *context, struct lws_pollfd *pollfd)
 LWS_VISIBLE int
 lws_service(struct lws_context *context, int timeout_ms)
 {
+	struct lws_context_per_thread *pt = &context->pt[0];
+	int n;
+
+	if (!context)
+		return 1;
+
+	pt->inside_service = 1;
+
 	if (context->event_loop_ops->run_pt) {
 		/* we are configured for an event loop */
 		context->event_loop_ops->run_pt(context, 0);
 
+		pt->inside_service = 0;
+
 		return 1;
 	}
-	return lws_plat_service(context, timeout_ms);
+	n = lws_plat_service(context, timeout_ms);
+
+	pt->inside_service = 0;
+
+	return n;
 }
 
 LWS_VISIBLE int
 lws_service_tsi(struct lws_context *context, int timeout_ms, int tsi)
 {
+	struct lws_context_per_thread *pt = &context->pt[tsi];
+	int n;
+
+	pt->inside_service = 1;
+
 	if (context->event_loop_ops->run_pt) {
 		/* we are configured for an event loop */
 		context->event_loop_ops->run_pt(context, tsi);
 
+		pt->inside_service = 0;
+
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	return _lws_plat_service_tsi(context, timeout_ms, tsi);
+	n = _lws_plat_service_tsi(context, timeout_ms, tsi);
+
+	pt->inside_service = 0;
+
+	return n;
 }