# How to Safely Stop Logstash?


To stop a Logstash instance safely without causing issues, follow these instructions.

If you're on a systemd-based system, you can stop Logstash using the following command:

```command
systemctl stop logstash
```

Alternatively, if you started Logstash directly without systemd, like this:

```command
sudo -u logstash /usr/share/logstash/bin/logstash -f /etc/logstash/conf.d/logstash.conf
```

You can safely stop Logstash by sending it a `SIGTERM` signal:

```command
kill -TERM <logstash_pid>
```

Alternatively, if Logstash is running in the foreground of your terminal, stopping it is as simple as pressing `Ctrl` + `C`.

Logstash will cease all operations across input, filter, and output plugins after shutdown. Before shutting down the application, it ensures all events currently being processed are fully handled.

If Logstash does not shut down as expected and you need to force it to terminate, you can start Logstash with the `-pipeline.unsafe_shutdown` flag. However, this approach should be used with caution, as it could lead to potential data loss.

To further protect against data loss, especially in situations where you might have to force shutdown, implementing [persistent queues](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/current/persistent-queues.html) in your Logstash setup is advisable.