diff --git a/include/maxscale/monitor.hh b/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
index 8e259cfad..4c47254b3 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ protected:
 
     static void main(void* pArg);
 
-    int          m_status;   /**< The current status of the monitor. */
     MXS_MONITOR* m_monitor;  /**< The generic monitor structure. */
     int32_t      m_shutdown; /**< Non-zero if the monitor should shut down. */
     std::string  m_script;   /**< Launchable script. */
@@ -48,6 +47,7 @@ protected:
     bool         m_checked;  /**< Whether server access has been checked. */
 
 private:
+    int32_t      m_status;   /**< The current status of the monitor. */
     THREAD       m_thread;   /**< The thread handle of the monitoring thread. */
 };
 
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.cc b/server/core/monitor.cc
index 5333f8982..8b99951c3 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.cc
+++ b/server/core/monitor.cc
@@ -2507,10 +2507,10 @@ namespace maxscale
 {
 
 MonitorInstance::MonitorInstance(MXS_MONITOR* pMonitor)
-    : m_status(0)
-    , m_monitor(pMonitor)
+    : m_monitor(pMonitor)
     , m_shutdown(0)
     , m_events(0)
+    , m_status(MXS_MONITOR_STOPPED)
     , m_thread(0)
 {
 }
@@ -2522,10 +2522,14 @@ MonitorInstance::~MonitorInstance()
 
 void MonitorInstance::stop()
 {
+    // This is always called in single-thread context.
     ss_dassert(m_thread);
+    ss_dassert(m_status == MXS_MONITOR_RUNNING);
 
+    atomic_store_int32(&m_status, MXS_MONITOR_STOPPING);
     atomic_store_int32(&m_shutdown, 1);
     thread_wait(m_thread);
+
     m_thread = 0;
     m_shutdown = 0;
 }
@@ -2581,7 +2585,11 @@ void MonitorInstance::configure(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* pParams)
 //static
 void MonitorInstance::main(void* pArg)
 {
+    MonitorInstance* pThis = static_cast<MonitorInstance*>(pArg);
+
+    atomic_store_int32(&pThis->m_status, MXS_MONITOR_RUNNING);
     static_cast<MonitorInstance*>(pArg)->main();
+    atomic_store_int32(&pThis->m_status, MXS_MONITOR_STOPPED);
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc
index 479b334f8..c6f8d5dd7 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc
@@ -463,16 +463,14 @@ void GaleraMonitor::main()
         MXS_ERROR("mysql_thread_init failed in monitor module. Exiting.");
         return;
     }
-    m_status = MXS_MONITOR_RUNNING;
+
     load_server_journal(m_monitor, NULL);
 
     while (1)
     {
         if (m_shutdown)
         {
-            m_status = MXS_MONITOR_STOPPING;
             mysql_thread_end();
-            m_status = MXS_MONITOR_STOPPED;
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc
index 490498700..caeb0b57b 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc
@@ -455,16 +455,13 @@ void MMMonitor::main()
         return;
     }
 
-    m_status = MXS_MONITOR_RUNNING;
     load_server_journal(mon, &m_master);
 
     while (1)
     {
         if (m_shutdown)
         {
-            m_status = MXS_MONITOR_STOPPING;
             mysql_thread_end();
-            m_status = MXS_MONITOR_STOPPED;
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc
index eeed2f4d8..c855756a8 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc
@@ -255,16 +255,13 @@ void NDBCMonitor::main()
         return;
     }
 
-    m_status = MXS_MONITOR_RUNNING;
     load_server_journal(m_monitor, NULL);
 
     while (1)
     {
         if (m_shutdown)
         {
-            m_status = MXS_MONITOR_STOPPING;
             mysql_thread_end();
-            m_status = MXS_MONITOR_STOPPED;
             return;
         }