diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManager.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManager.java
index 8246cad..e1a36cd 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManager.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManager.java
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void addNode(String nodeId, NodeControllerState ncState) throws HyracksException {
+    public synchronized void addNode(String nodeId, NodeControllerState ncState) throws HyracksException {
         LOGGER.warn("addNode(" + nodeId + ") called");
         if (nodeId == null || ncState == null) {
             throw HyracksException.create(ErrorCode.INVALID_INPUT_PARAMETER);
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
 
     @Override
     @Idempotent
-    public void removeNode(String nodeId) throws HyracksException {
+    public synchronized void removeNode(String nodeId) throws HyracksException {
         NodeControllerState ncState = nodeRegistry.remove(nodeId);
         if (ncState == null) {
             LOGGER.warn("request to remove unknown node {}; ignoring", nodeId);
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Pair<Collection<String>, Collection<JobId>> removeDeadNodes() throws HyracksException {
+    public synchronized Pair<Collection<String>, Collection<JobId>> removeDeadNodes() throws HyracksException {
         Set<String> deadNodes = new HashSet<>();
         Set<JobId> affectedJobIds = new HashSet<>();
         Iterator<Map.Entry<String, NodeControllerState>> nodeIterator = nodeRegistry.entrySet().iterator();
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@
         return Pair.of(deadNodes, affectedJobIds);
     }
 
-    public void failNode(String nodeId) throws HyracksException {
+    public synchronized void failNode(String nodeId) throws HyracksException {
         NodeControllerState state = nodeRegistry.get(nodeId);
         Set<JobId> affectedJobIds = state.getActiveJobIds();
         // Removes the node from node map.
@@ -230,13 +230,15 @@
     }
 
     private void ensureNodeFailure(String nodeId, NodeControllerState state) {
-        try {
-            LOGGER.info("Requesting node {} to shutdown to ensure failure", nodeId);
-            state.getNodeController().shutdown(false);
-            LOGGER.info("Request to shutdown failed node {} succeeded. false positive heartbeat miss indication",
-                    nodeId);
-        } catch (Exception ignore) {
-            LOGGER.debug(() -> "Ignoring failure on ensuring node " + nodeId + " has failed", ignore);
-        }
+        ccs.getExecutor().submit(() -> {
+            try {
+                LOGGER.info("Requesting node {} to shutdown to ensure failure", nodeId);
+                state.getNodeController().shutdown(false);
+                LOGGER.warn("Request to shutdown failed node {} succeeded. false positive heartbeat miss indication",
+                        nodeId);
+            } catch (Exception ignore) {
+                LOGGER.debug(() -> "Ignoring failure on ensuring node " + nodeId + " has failed", ignore);
+            }
+        });
     }
 }
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/test/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManagerTest.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/test/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManagerTest.java
index 931e436..9959e34 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/test/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManagerTest.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-cc/src/test/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/cc/cluster/NodeManagerTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.comm.NetworkAddress;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.ErrorCode;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.HyracksException;
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@
         Mockito.when(ccs.getClusterIPC()).thenReturn(ipcSystem);
         Mockito.when(ipcSystem.getHandle(Mockito.any())).thenReturn(ipcHandle);
         Mockito.when(ipcSystem.getHandle(Mockito.any(), Mockito.anyInt())).thenReturn(ipcHandle);
+        Mockito.when(ccs.getExecutor()).thenReturn(Executors.newCachedThreadPool());
         return ccs;
     }