diff --git a/homeassistant/components/recorder/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/recorder/__init__.py
index 98199bab430..733d8f248a8 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/recorder/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/recorder/__init__.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from homeassistant.components import persistent_notification
 from homeassistant.const import (
     ATTR_ENTITY_ID,
     CONF_EXCLUDE,
+    EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_FINAL_WRITE,
     EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_STARTED,
     EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_STOP,
     EVENT_STATE_CHANGED,
@@ -338,10 +339,11 @@ class Recorder(threading.Thread):
             "The recorder queue reached the maximum size of %s; Events are no longer being recorded",
             MAX_QUEUE_BACKLOG,
         )
-        self._stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener()
+        self._async_stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener()
 
-    def _stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener(self):
-        """Stop watching the queue."""
+    @callback
+    def _async_stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener(self):
+        """Stop watching the queue and listening for events."""
         if self._queue_watcher:
             self._queue_watcher()
             self._queue_watcher = None
@@ -370,11 +372,31 @@ class Recorder(threading.Thread):
     def async_register(self, shutdown_task, hass_started):
         """Post connection initialize."""
 
+        def _empty_queue(event):
+            """Empty the queue if its still present at final write."""
+
+            # If the queue is full of events to be processed because
+            # the database is so broken that every event results in a retry
+            # we will never be able to get though the events to shutdown in time.
+            #
+            # We drain all the events in the queue and then insert
+            # an empty one to ensure the next thing the recorder sees
+            # is a request to shutdown.
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    self.queue.get_nowait()
+                except queue.Empty:
+                    break
+            self.queue.put(None)
+
+        self.hass.bus.async_listen_once(EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_FINAL_WRITE, _empty_queue)
+
         def shutdown(event):
             """Shut down the Recorder."""
             if not hass_started.done():
                 hass_started.set_result(shutdown_task)
             self.queue.put(None)
+            self.hass.add_job(self._async_stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener)
             self.join()
 
         self.hass.bus.async_listen_once(EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_STOP, shutdown)
@@ -399,7 +421,7 @@ class Recorder(threading.Thread):
             "The recorder could not start, check [the logs](/config/logs)",
             "Recorder",
         )
-        self._stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener()
+        self._async_stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener()
 
     @callback
     def async_connection_success(self):
@@ -836,6 +858,6 @@ class Recorder(threading.Thread):
 
     def _shutdown(self):
         """Save end time for current run."""
-        self._stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener()
+        self.hass.add_job(self._async_stop_queue_watcher_and_event_listener)
         self._end_session()
         self._close_connection()
diff --git a/tests/components/recorder/test_init.py b/tests/components/recorder/test_init.py
index 67032e9f077..d3464088394 100644
--- a/tests/components/recorder/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/components/recorder/test_init.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from homeassistant.components.recorder.const import DATA_INSTANCE
 from homeassistant.components.recorder.models import Events, RecorderRuns, States
 from homeassistant.components.recorder.util import session_scope
 from homeassistant.const import (
+    EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_FINAL_WRITE,
     EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_STARTED,
     EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_STOP,
     MATCH_ALL,
@@ -265,6 +266,36 @@ def test_saving_state_with_sqlalchemy_exception(hass, hass_recorder, caplog):
     assert "SQLAlchemyError error processing event" not in caplog.text
 
 
+async def test_force_shutdown_with_queue_of_writes_that_generate_exceptions(
+    hass, async_setup_recorder_instance, caplog
+):
+    """Test forcing shutdown."""
+    instance = await async_setup_recorder_instance(hass)
+
+    entity_id = "test.recorder"
+    attributes = {"test_attr": 5, "test_attr_10": "nice"}
+
+    await async_wait_recording_done(hass, instance)
+
+    with patch.object(instance, "db_retry_wait", 0.2), patch.object(
+        instance.event_session,
+        "flush",
+        side_effect=OperationalError(
+            "insert the state", "fake params", "forced to fail"
+        ),
+    ):
+        for _ in range(100):
+            hass.states.async_set(entity_id, "on", attributes)
+            hass.states.async_set(entity_id, "off", attributes)
+
+        hass.bus.async_fire(EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_STOP)
+        hass.bus.async_fire(EVENT_HOMEASSISTANT_FINAL_WRITE)
+        await hass.async_block_till_done()
+
+    assert "Error executing query" in caplog.text
+    assert "Error saving events" not in caplog.text
+
+
 def test_saving_event(hass, hass_recorder):
     """Test saving and restoring an event."""
     hass = hass_recorder()