diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs
index 1734704cf6..eb4ba41d7b 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs
@@ -1199,15 +1199,17 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                                      avatar.ControllingClient.SendShutdownConnectionNotice();
                                  });
 
+            // Stop updating the scene objects and agents.
+            m_shuttingDown = true;
+
             // Wait here, or the kick messages won't actually get to the agents before the scene terminates.
+            // We also need to wait to avoid a race condition with the scene update loop which might not yet
+            // have checked ShuttingDown.
             Thread.Sleep(500);
 
             // Stop all client threads.
             ForEachScenePresence(delegate(ScenePresence avatar) { avatar.ControllingClient.Close(); });
 
-            // Stop updating the scene objects and agents.
-            m_shuttingDown = true;
-
             m_log.Debug("[SCENE]: Persisting changed objects");
             EventManager.TriggerSceneShuttingDown(this);