diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 02df0d8a5b25c3..f85a608da82203 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -3824,21 +3824,21 @@ static void StartNodeInstance(void* arg) {
 
     bool more;
     do {
-      more = uv_run(env->event_loop(), UV_RUN_ONCE);
+      more = uv_run(env->event_loop(), UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
       if (more == false) {
         EmitBeforeExit(env);
 
-        // Emit `beforeExit` if the loop became alive either after emitting
-        // event, or after running some callbacks.
-        more = uv_loop_alive(env->event_loop());
-        if (uv_run(env->event_loop(), UV_RUN_NOWAIT) != 0)
-          more = true;
+        more = env->event_loop()->active_handles ||
+            (env->event_loop()->active_reqs[0] !=
+             env->event_loop()->active_reqs[1]);
       }
     } while (more == true);
 
     int exit_code = EmitExit(env);
     if (instance_data->is_main())
       instance_data->set_exit_code(exit_code);
+    // TODO(trevnorris): This will fail for certain beforeExit cases.
+    //assert(!uv_loop_alive(env->event_loop()));
     RunAtExit(env);
 
     env->Dispose();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-beforeexit-event-hang.js b/test/parallel/test-beforeexit-event-hang.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c0555e40910fc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-beforeexit-event-hang.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+var assert = require('assert');
+var common = require('../common');
+var i = 0;
+
+process.on('beforeExit', function() {
+  assert.ok(++i <= 1);
+  setTimeout(function() { }, 100).unref();
+});
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-beforeexit-event.js b/test/parallel/test-beforeexit-event.js
index 8bfdbe108eccb1..8aa7e13a19e6be 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-beforeexit-event.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-beforeexit-event.js
@@ -37,6 +37,6 @@ function tryListen() {
 }
 
 process.on('exit', function() {
-  assert.equal(4, deaths);
+  assert.equal(3, deaths);
   assert.equal(3, revivals);
 });