diff --git a/src/flb_chunk_trace.c b/src/flb_chunk_trace.c
index a28ed805424..2eebe4d92a4 100644
--- a/src/flb_chunk_trace.c
+++ b/src/flb_chunk_trace.c
@@ -118,8 +118,15 @@ static void trace_chunk_context_destroy(struct flb_chunk_trace_context *ctxt)
     }
 
     flb_sds_destroy(ctxt->trace_prefix);
-    pthread_cond_signal(&ctxt->wait);
+    flb_sds_destroy(ctxt->output_name);
+    flb_trace("stop the pipeline");
     flb_stop(ctxt->flb);
+    flb_trace("signaling pipeline thread to stop");
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&ctxt->lock);
+    pthread_cond_signal(&ctxt->wait);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctxt->lock);
+    flb_trace("joining pipeline thread...");
+    pthread_join(ctxt->thread, NULL);
     flb_destroy(ctxt->flb);
     flb_free(ctxt);
 }
@@ -144,12 +151,13 @@ static void *pipeline_thread(void *arg)
     struct mk_list *head = NULL;
     struct flb_kv *prop = NULL;
 
+    flb_trace("[pipeline_thead]: waiting for start lock");
     pthread_mutex_lock(&ctx->lock);
+    flb_trace("[pipeline_thead]: waited for start lock");
 
     ctx->flb = flb_create();
     if (ctx->flb == NULL) {
         flb_errno();
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->lock);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -196,10 +204,16 @@ static void *pipeline_thread(void *arg)
     ctx->output = (void *)output;
     ctx->input = (void *)input;
 
+    flb_trace("[pipeline_thead]: start pipeline in thread");
     flb_start(ctx->flb);
     pthread_cond_signal(&ctx->wait);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->lock);
+    flb_trace("[pipeline_thead]: wait for exit of pipeline thread");
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&ctx->lock);
     pthread_cond_wait(&ctx->wait, &ctx->lock);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->lock);
 
+    flb_trace("[pipeline_thead]: exit trace pipeline thread.");
     return NULL;
 error_output:
     flb_output_instance_destroy(output);
@@ -210,6 +224,7 @@ static void *pipeline_thread(void *arg)
     flb_input_instance_destroy(input);
 error_flb:
     flb_destroy(ctx->flb);
+    flb_trace("[pipeline_thead]: error: exit trace pipeline thread.");
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -261,8 +276,14 @@ struct flb_chunk_trace_context *flb_chunk_trace_context_new(void *trace_input,
 
     pthread_mutex_init(&ctx->lock, NULL);
     pthread_cond_init(&ctx->wait, NULL);
+
+    flb_trace("wait for pipeline to start");
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&ctx->lock);
+    flb_trace("waiting for pipeline to start");
     pthread_create(&ctx->thread, NULL, pipeline_thread, ctx);
     pthread_cond_wait(&ctx->wait, &ctx->lock);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->lock);
+    flb_trace("waited for pipeline to start");
 
     ctx->trace_prefix = flb_sds_create(trace_prefix);
 
@@ -281,7 +302,6 @@ struct flb_chunk_trace *flb_chunk_trace_new(struct flb_input_chunk *chunk)
     struct flb_chunk_trace *trace = NULL;
     struct flb_input_instance *f_ins = (struct flb_input_instance *)chunk->in;
 
-    flb_error("new chunk trace");
     pthread_mutex_lock(&f_ins->chunk_trace_lock);
 
     if (flb_chunk_trace_to_be_destroyed(f_ins->chunk_trace_ctxt) == FLB_TRUE) {
@@ -316,7 +336,6 @@ struct flb_chunk_trace *flb_chunk_trace_new(struct flb_input_chunk *chunk)
 
 void flb_chunk_trace_destroy(struct flb_chunk_trace *trace)
 {
-    flb_error("destroy input chunk trace");
     pthread_mutex_lock(&trace->ic->in->chunk_trace_lock);
     flb_chunk_trace_sub(trace->ctxt);