diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-05-05-16-19-58.bpo-36479.FPztBY.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-05-05-16-19-58.bpo-36479.FPztBY.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..56f77de9c7e6e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-05-05-16-19-58.bpo-36479.FPztBY.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Exit threads when interpreter is finalizing rather than runtime.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Python/ceval.c b/Python/ceval.c
index e616a3f539898d..cc19b61d1be66b 100644
--- a/Python/ceval.c
+++ b/Python/ceval.c
@@ -207,8 +207,11 @@ _PyEval_FiniThreads(void)
 static inline void
 exit_thread_if_finalizing(PyThreadState *tstate)
 {
+    /* Get interpreter pointer */
+    PyInterpreterState *interp = tstate->interp;
+
     /* _Py_Finalizing is protected by the GIL */
-    if (_Py_IsFinalizing() && !_Py_CURRENTLY_FINALIZING(tstate)) {
+    if (interp->finalizing && !_Py_CURRENTLY_FINALIZING(tstate)) {
         drop_gil(tstate);
         PyThread_exit_thread();
     }
diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index bd4d1d92662a69..989e0ec0fffd98 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -1131,16 +1131,18 @@ Py_FinalizeEx(void)
         return status;
     }
 
+    /* Get current thread state and interpreter pointer */
+    PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
+    PyInterpreterState *interp = tstate->interp;
+
     // Wrap up existing "threading"-module-created, non-daemon threads.
     wait_for_thread_shutdown();
+    interp->finalizing = 1;
+
 
     // Make any remaining pending calls.
     _Py_FinishPendingCalls();
 
-    /* Get current thread state and interpreter pointer */
-    PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
-    PyInterpreterState *interp = tstate->interp;
-
     /* The interpreter is still entirely intact at this point, and the
      * exit funcs may be relying on that.  In particular, if some thread
      * or exit func is still waiting to do an import, the import machinery
@@ -1546,10 +1548,10 @@ Py_EndInterpreter(PyThreadState *tstate)
         Py_FatalError("Py_EndInterpreter: thread is not current");
     if (tstate->frame != NULL)
         Py_FatalError("Py_EndInterpreter: thread still has a frame");
-    interp->finalizing = 1;
 
     // Wrap up existing "threading"-module-created, non-daemon threads.
     wait_for_thread_shutdown();
+    interp->finalizing = 1;
 
     call_py_exitfuncs(interp);