diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/lifecycle/LifeCycleComponentManager.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/lifecycle/LifeCycleComponentManager.java
index 4674f9a..76fa322 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/lifecycle/LifeCycleComponentManager.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/lifecycle/LifeCycleComponentManager.java
@@ -51,11 +51,10 @@
 
     @Override
     public void uncaughtException(Thread t, Throwable e) {
-        LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Uncaught Exception from thread " + t.getName(), e);
         try {
-            stopAll(true);
-        } catch (IOException e1) {
-            LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Exception in stopping instance", e1);
+            LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Uncaught Exception from thread " + t.getName() + ". Calling shutdown hook", e);
+        } finally {
+            Runtime.getRuntime().exit(99);// NOSONAR: It is really required
         }
     }
 
@@ -73,13 +72,14 @@
 
     @Override
     public synchronized void stopAll(boolean dumpState) throws IOException {
-        if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
-            LOGGER.info("Attempting to stop " + this);
-        }
         if (stopped) {
             LOGGER.info("Lifecycle management was already stopped");
             return;
         }
+        stopped = true;
+        if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
+            LOGGER.info("Attempting to stop " + this);
+        }
         if (stopInitiated) {
             LOGGER.info("Stop already in progress");
             return;
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NCShutdownHook.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NCShutdownHook.java
index a8b9461..4d0c159 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NCShutdownHook.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NCShutdownHook.java
@@ -23,21 +23,51 @@
 
 /**
  * Shutdown hook that invokes {@link NodeControllerService#stop() stop} method.
+ * This shutdown hook must have a failsafe mechanism to halt the process in case the shutdown
+ * operation is hanging for any reason
  */
 public class NCShutdownHook extends Thread {
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(NCShutdownHook.class.getName());
+    private static final long SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TIME = 10 * 60 * 1000L;
+    private final Thread watchDog;
     private final NodeControllerService nodeControllerService;
+    private volatile Thread shutdownHookThread;
+
     public NCShutdownHook(NodeControllerService nodeControllerService) {
+        super("ShutdownHook-" + nodeControllerService.getId());
         this.nodeControllerService = nodeControllerService;
+        watchDog = new Thread(watch(), "ShutdownHookWatchDog-" + nodeControllerService.getId());
+    }
+
+    private Runnable watch() {
+        return () -> {
+            try {
+                shutdownHookThread.join(SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TIME); // 10 min
+                if (shutdownHookThread.isAlive()) {
+                    try {
+                        LOGGER.info("Watchdog is angry. Killing shutdown hook");
+                    } finally {
+                        Runtime.getRuntime().halt(66); // NOSONAR last resort
+                    }
+                }
+            } catch (Throwable th) { // NOSONAR must catch them all
+                Runtime.getRuntime().halt(77); // NOSONAR last resort
+            }
+        };
     }
 
     @Override
     public void run() {
-        LOGGER.info("Shutdown hook in progress");
         try {
+            try {
+                LOGGER.info("Shutdown hook called");
+            } catch (Throwable th) {//NOSONAR
+            }
+            shutdownHookThread = Thread.currentThread();
+            watchDog.start();
             nodeControllerService.stop();
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "Exception in executing shutdown hook", e);
+        } catch (Throwable th) { // NOSONAR... This is fine since this is shutdwon hook
+            LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "Exception in executing shutdown hook", th);
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NodeControllerService.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NodeControllerService.java
index b1f39f7..6b97b31 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NodeControllerService.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/NodeControllerService.java
@@ -170,22 +170,27 @@
     }
 
     public NodeControllerService(NCConfig config, INCApplication application) throws IOException, CmdLineException {
-        this.ncConfig = config;
-        this.configManager = ncConfig.getConfigManager();
+        ncConfig = config;
+        configManager = ncConfig.getConfigManager();
         if (application == null) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("INCApplication cannot be null");
         }
         configManager.processConfig();
         this.application = application;
         id = ncConfig.getNodeId();
-
-        ioManager =
-                new IOManager(IODeviceHandle.getDevices(ncConfig.getIODevices()), application.getFileDeviceResolver());
         if (id == null) {
             throw new HyracksException("id not set");
         }
-
         lccm = new LifeCycleComponentManager();
+        if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
+            LOGGER.info("Setting uncaught exception handler " + getLifeCycleComponentManager());
+        }
+        // Set shutdown hook before so it doesn't have the same uncaught exception handler
+        Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new NCShutdownHook(this));
+        Thread.currentThread().setUncaughtExceptionHandler(getLifeCycleComponentManager());
+        ioManager =
+                new IOManager(IODeviceHandle.getDevices(ncConfig.getIODevices()), application.getFileDeviceResolver());
+
         workQueue = new WorkQueue(id, Thread.NORM_PRIORITY); // Reserves MAX_PRIORITY of the heartbeat thread.
         jobletMap = new Hashtable<>();
         preDistributedJobActivityClusterGraphMap = new Hashtable<>();
@@ -263,11 +268,6 @@
     @Override
     public void start() throws Exception {
         LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, "Starting NodeControllerService");
-        if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
-            LOGGER.info("Setting uncaught exception handler " + getLifeCycleComponentManager());
-        }
-        Thread.currentThread().setUncaughtExceptionHandler(getLifeCycleComponentManager());
-        Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new NCShutdownHook(this));
         ipc = new IPCSystem(new InetSocketAddress(ncConfig.getClusterListenAddress(), ncConfig.getClusterListenPort()),
                 new NodeControllerIPCI(this), new CCNCFunctions.SerializerDeserializer());
         ipc.start();
@@ -276,10 +276,8 @@
                 ncConfig.getNetThreadCount(), ncConfig.getNetBufferCount(), ncConfig.getDataPublicAddress(),
                 ncConfig.getDataPublicPort(), FullFrameChannelInterfaceFactory.INSTANCE);
         netManager.start();
-
         startApplication();
         init();
-
         datasetNetworkManager.start();
         if (messagingNetManager != null) {
             messagingNetManager.start();
@@ -394,6 +392,8 @@
             heartbeatTask.cancel();
             LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, "Stopped NodeControllerService");
             shuttedDown = true;
+        } else {
+            LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Double shutdown calls!!", new Exception("Double shutdown calls"));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-data/hyracks-data-std/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/data/std/util/ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-data/hyracks-data-std/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/data/std/util/ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream.java
index 260312b..85ba115 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-data/hyracks-data-std/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/data/std/util/ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-data/hyracks-data-std/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/data/std/util/ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream.java
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 
 public class ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream extends ByteArrayOutputStream {
 
+    private static final int MAX_SIZE = 1024 * 1024 * 64;
+    private static final double BUFFER_INCREMENT_FACTOR = 1.5;
+
     public ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream() {
         super();
     }
@@ -94,7 +97,10 @@
     private void grow(int minCapacity) {
         // overflow-conscious code
         int oldCapacity = buf.length;
-        int newCapacity = oldCapacity << 1;
+        if (oldCapacity == MAX_SIZE) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Buffer is too large...");
+        }
+        int newCapacity = Math.min((int) (oldCapacity * BUFFER_INCREMENT_FACTOR), MAX_SIZE);
         if (newCapacity - minCapacity < 0) {
             newCapacity = minCapacity;
         }