diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/spark/XGBoost.scala b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/spark/XGBoost.scala
index 99a7495b0..8e730667d 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/spark/XGBoost.scala
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/spark/XGBoost.scala
@@ -283,22 +283,26 @@ object XGBoost extends Serializable {
         "instance of TrackerConf.")
     }
     val tracker = startTracker(nWorkers, trackerConf)
-    val overridedConfMap = overrideParamMapAccordingtoTaskCPUs(params, trainingData.sparkContext)
-    val boosters = buildDistributedBoosters(trainingData, overridedConfMap,
-      tracker.getWorkerEnvs, nWorkers, round, obj, eval, useExternalMemory, missing)
-    val sparkJobThread = new Thread() {
-      override def run() {
-        // force the job
-        boosters.foreachPartition(() => _)
+    try {
+      val overridedConfMap = overrideParamMapAccordingtoTaskCPUs(params, trainingData.sparkContext)
+      val boosters = buildDistributedBoosters(trainingData, overridedConfMap,
+        tracker.getWorkerEnvs, nWorkers, round, obj, eval, useExternalMemory, missing)
+      val sparkJobThread = new Thread() {
+        override def run() {
+          // force the job
+          boosters.foreachPartition(() => _)
+        }
       }
+      sparkJobThread.setUncaughtExceptionHandler(tracker)
+      sparkJobThread.start()
+      val isClsTask = isClassificationTask(params)
+      val trackerReturnVal = tracker.waitFor(0L)
+      logger.info(s"Rabit returns with exit code $trackerReturnVal")
+      postTrackerReturnProcessing(trackerReturnVal, boosters, overridedConfMap, sparkJobThread,
+        isClsTask)
+    } finally {
+      tracker.stop()
     }
-    sparkJobThread.setUncaughtExceptionHandler(tracker)
-    sparkJobThread.start()
-    val isClsTask = isClassificationTask(params)
-    val trackerReturnVal = tracker.waitFor(0L)
-    logger.info(s"Rabit returns with exit code $trackerReturnVal")
-    postTrackerReturnProcessing(trackerReturnVal, boosters, overridedConfMap, sparkJobThread,
-      isClsTask)
   }
 
   private def postTrackerReturnProcessing(
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/IRabitTracker.java b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/IRabitTracker.java
index 2a2fcd423..984fb80e6 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/IRabitTracker.java
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/IRabitTracker.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
  * brokers connections between workers.
  */
 public interface IRabitTracker extends Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler {
-  public enum TrackerStatus {
+  enum TrackerStatus {
     SUCCESS(0), INTERRUPTED(1), TIMEOUT(2), FAILURE(3);
 
     private int statusCode;
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ public interface IRabitTracker extends Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler {
 
   Map<String, String> getWorkerEnvs();
   boolean start(long workerConnectionTimeout);
+  void stop();
   // taskExecutionTimeout has no effect in current version of XGBoost.
   int waitFor(long taskExecutionTimeout);
 }
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/RabitTracker.java b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/RabitTracker.java
index d2008cd7f..888d501db 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/RabitTracker.java
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/java/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/java/RabitTracker.java
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ public class RabitTracker implements IRabitTracker {
     }
   }
 
-  private void stop() {
+  public void stop() {
     if (trackerProcess.get() != null) {
       trackerProcess.get().destroy();
     }
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/rabit/RabitTracker.scala b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/rabit/RabitTracker.scala
index d6ca42e75..00cef158d 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/rabit/RabitTracker.scala
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/src/main/scala/ml/dmlc/xgboost4j/scala/rabit/RabitTracker.scala
@@ -127,6 +127,12 @@ private[scala] class RabitTracker(numWorkers: Int, port: Option[Int] = None,
     }
   }
 
+  def stop(): Unit = {
+    if (!system.isTerminated) {
+      system.shutdown()
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
     * Get a Map of necessary environment variables to initiate Rabit workers.
     *