diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/Worker.java b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/Worker.java
index 1f6a8d151511c..3dc8c198f5ca1 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/Worker.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/Worker.java
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ private WorkerTask buildWorkerTask(ClusterConfigState configState,
             // Note we pass the configState as it performs dynamic transformations under the covers
             return new WorkerSourceTask(id, (SourceTask) task, statusListener, initialState, keyConverter, valueConverter,
                     headerConverter, transformationChain, producer, admin, topicCreationGroups,
-                    offsetReader, offsetWriter, config, configState, metrics, loader, time, retryWithToleranceOperator, herder.statusBackingStore());
+                    offsetReader, offsetWriter, config, configState, metrics, loader, time, retryWithToleranceOperator, herder.statusBackingStore(), executor);
         } else if (task instanceof SinkTask) {
             TransformationChain<SinkRecord> transformationChain = new TransformationChain<>(connConfig.<SinkRecord>transformations(), retryWithToleranceOperator);
             log.info("Initializing: {}", transformationChain);
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTask.java b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTask.java
index 342fa73d8724a..48660f3b33233 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTask.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTask.java
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ class WorkerSourceTask extends WorkerTask {
     private final TopicAdmin admin;
     private final CloseableOffsetStorageReader offsetReader;
     private final OffsetStorageWriter offsetWriter;
+    private final Executor closeExecutor;
     private final SourceTaskMetricsGroup sourceTaskMetricsGroup;
     private final AtomicReference<Exception> producerSendException;
     private final boolean isTopicTrackingEnabled;
@@ -123,7 +125,8 @@ public WorkerSourceTask(ConnectorTaskId id,
                             ClassLoader loader,
                             Time time,
                             RetryWithToleranceOperator retryWithToleranceOperator,
-                            StatusBackingStore statusBackingStore) {
+                            StatusBackingStore statusBackingStore,
+                            Executor closeExecutor) {
 
         super(id, statusListener, initialState, loader, connectMetrics,
                 retryWithToleranceOperator, time, statusBackingStore);
@@ -139,6 +142,7 @@ public WorkerSourceTask(ConnectorTaskId id,
         this.admin = admin;
         this.offsetReader = offsetReader;
         this.offsetWriter = offsetWriter;
+        this.closeExecutor = closeExecutor;
 
         this.toSend = null;
         this.lastSendFailed = false;
@@ -171,13 +175,9 @@ protected void close() {
                 log.warn("Could not stop task", t);
             }
         }
-        if (producer != null) {
-            try {
-                producer.close(Duration.ofSeconds(30));
-            } catch (Throwable t) {
-                log.warn("Could not close producer", t);
-            }
-        }
+
+        closeProducer(Duration.ofSeconds(30));
+
         if (admin != null) {
             try {
                 admin.close(Duration.ofSeconds(30));
@@ -202,6 +202,14 @@ public void removeMetrics() {
     public void cancel() {
         super.cancel();
         offsetReader.close();
+        // We proactively close the producer here as the main work thread for the task may
+        // be blocked indefinitely in a call to Producer::send if automatic topic creation is
+        // not enabled on either the connector or the Kafka cluster. Closing the producer should
+        // unblock it in that case and allow shutdown to proceed normally.
+        // With a duration of 0, the producer's own shutdown logic should be fairly quick,
+        // but closing user-pluggable classes like interceptors may lag indefinitely. So, we
+        // call close on a separate thread in order to avoid blocking the herder's tick thread.
+        closeExecutor.execute(() -> closeProducer(Duration.ZERO));
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -259,6 +267,16 @@ public void execute() {
         }
     }
 
+    private void closeProducer(Duration duration) {
+        if (producer != null) {
+            try {
+                producer.close(duration);
+            } catch (Throwable t) {
+                log.warn("Could not close producer for {}", id, t);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     private void maybeThrowProducerSendException() {
         if (producerSendException.get() != null) {
             throw new ConnectException(
@@ -488,7 +506,9 @@ public boolean commitOffsets() {
             while (!outstandingMessages.isEmpty()) {
                 try {
                     long timeoutMs = timeout - time.milliseconds();
-                    if (timeoutMs <= 0) {
+                    // If the task has been cancelled, no more records will be sent from the producer; in that case, if any outstanding messages remain,
+                    // we can stop flushing immediately
+                    if (isCancelled() || timeoutMs <= 0) {
                         log.error("{} Failed to flush, timed out while waiting for producer to flush outstanding {} messages", this, outstandingMessages.size());
                         finishFailedFlush();
                         recordCommitFailure(time.milliseconds() - started, null);
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTask.java b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTask.java
index 5cd992052ba01..a717af2343220 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTask.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTask.java
@@ -156,6 +156,10 @@ protected boolean isStopping() {
         return stopping;
     }
 
+    protected boolean isCancelled() {
+        return cancelled;
+    }
+
     private void doClose() {
         try {
             close();
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectWorkerIntegrationTest.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectWorkerIntegrationTest.java
index bd981832e1174..5cd794e7c83b1 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectWorkerIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectWorkerIntegrationTest.java
@@ -65,13 +65,14 @@ public class ConnectWorkerIntegrationTest {
     private static final long OFFSET_COMMIT_INTERVAL_MS = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(30);
     private static final int NUM_WORKERS = 3;
     private static final int NUM_TASKS = 4;
+    private static final int MESSAGES_PER_POLL = 10;
     private static final String CONNECTOR_NAME = "simple-source";
     private static final String TOPIC_NAME = "test-topic";
 
     private EmbeddedConnectCluster.Builder connectBuilder;
     private EmbeddedConnectCluster connect;
-    Map<String, String> workerProps = new HashMap<>();
-    Properties brokerProps = new Properties();
+    private Map<String, String> workerProps;
+    private Properties brokerProps;
 
     @Rule
     public TestRule watcher = ConnectIntegrationTestUtils.newTestWatcher(log);
@@ -79,10 +80,12 @@ public class ConnectWorkerIntegrationTest {
     @Before
     public void setup() {
         // setup Connect worker properties
+        workerProps = new HashMap<>();
         workerProps.put(OFFSET_COMMIT_INTERVAL_MS_CONFIG, String.valueOf(OFFSET_COMMIT_INTERVAL_MS));
         workerProps.put(CONNECTOR_CLIENT_POLICY_CLASS_CONFIG, "All");
 
         // setup Kafka broker properties
+        brokerProps = new Properties();
         brokerProps.put("auto.create.topics.enable", String.valueOf(false));
 
         // build a Connect cluster backed by Kafka and Zk
@@ -288,14 +291,48 @@ public void testTaskStatuses() throws Exception {
                 decreasedNumTasks, "Connector task statuses did not update in time.");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testSourceTaskNotBlockedOnShutdownWithNonExistentTopic() throws Exception {
+        // When automatic topic creation is disabled on the broker
+        brokerProps.put("auto.create.topics.enable", "false");
+        connect = connectBuilder
+            .brokerProps(brokerProps)
+            .numWorkers(1)
+            .numBrokers(1)
+            .build();
+        connect.start();
+
+        connect.assertions().assertAtLeastNumWorkersAreUp(1, "Initial group of workers did not start in time.");
+
+        // and when the connector is not configured to create topics
+        Map<String, String> props = defaultSourceConnectorProps("nonexistenttopic");
+        props.remove(DEFAULT_TOPIC_CREATION_PREFIX + REPLICATION_FACTOR_CONFIG);
+        props.remove(DEFAULT_TOPIC_CREATION_PREFIX + PARTITIONS_CONFIG);
+        props.put("throughput", "-1");
+
+        ConnectorHandle connector = RuntimeHandles.get().connectorHandle(CONNECTOR_NAME);
+        connector.expectedRecords(NUM_TASKS * MESSAGES_PER_POLL);
+        connect.configureConnector(CONNECTOR_NAME, props);
+        connect.assertions().assertConnectorAndExactlyNumTasksAreRunning(CONNECTOR_NAME,
+            NUM_TASKS, "Connector tasks did not start in time");
+        connector.awaitRecords(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toMillis(1));
+
+        // Then if we delete the connector, it and each of its tasks should be stopped by the framework
+        // even though the producer is blocked because there is no topic
+        StartAndStopLatch stopCounter = connector.expectedStops(1);
+        connect.deleteConnector(CONNECTOR_NAME);
+
+        assertTrue("Connector and all tasks were not stopped in time", stopCounter.await(1, TimeUnit.MINUTES));
+    }
+
     private Map<String, String> defaultSourceConnectorProps(String topic) {
         // setup up props for the source connector
         Map<String, String> props = new HashMap<>();
         props.put(CONNECTOR_CLASS_CONFIG, MonitorableSourceConnector.class.getSimpleName());
         props.put(TASKS_MAX_CONFIG, String.valueOf(NUM_TASKS));
         props.put(TOPIC_CONFIG, topic);
-        props.put("throughput", String.valueOf(10));
-        props.put("messages.per.poll", String.valueOf(10));
+        props.put("throughput", "10");
+        props.put("messages.per.poll", String.valueOf(MESSAGES_PER_POLL));
         props.put(KEY_CONVERTER_CLASS_CONFIG, StringConverter.class.getName());
         props.put(VALUE_CONVERTER_CLASS_CONFIG, StringConverter.class.getName());
         props.put(DEFAULT_TOPIC_CREATION_PREFIX + REPLICATION_FACTOR_CONFIG, String.valueOf(1));
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectorHandle.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectorHandle.java
index 06bc37352e455..ffc9e7a7a4fb0 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectorHandle.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/ConnectorHandle.java
@@ -292,8 +292,8 @@ public StartAndStopLatch expectedStarts(int expectedStarts, boolean includeTasks
      * {@link StartAndStopLatch#await(long, TimeUnit)} to wait up to a specified duration for the
      * connector and all tasks to be started at least the specified number of times.
      *
-     * <p>This method does not track the number of times the connector and tasks are stopped, and
-     * only tracks the number of times the connector and tasks are <em>started</em>.
+     * <p>This method does not track the number of times the connector and tasks are started, and
+     * only tracks the number of times the connector and tasks are <em>stopped</em>.
      *
      * @param expectedStops the minimum number of starts that are expected once this method is
      *                      called
@@ -315,8 +315,8 @@ public StartAndStopLatch expectedStops(int expectedStops) {
      * {@link StartAndStopLatch#await(long, TimeUnit)} to wait up to a specified duration for the
      * connector and all tasks to be started at least the specified number of times.
      *
-     * <p>This method does not track the number of times the connector and tasks are stopped, and
-     * only tracks the number of times the connector and tasks are <em>started</em>.
+     * <p>This method does not track the number of times the connector and tasks are started, and
+     * only tracks the number of times the connector and tasks are <em>stopped</em>.
      *
      * @param expectedStops the minimum number of starts that are expected once this method is
      *                      called
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/MonitorableSourceConnector.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/MonitorableSourceConnector.java
index c11b9bd79d0fb..aaada374cb2b6 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/MonitorableSourceConnector.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/integration/MonitorableSourceConnector.java
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ public List<SourceRecord> poll() {
                     throttler.throttle();
                 }
                 taskHandle.record(batchSize);
+                log.info("Returning batch of {} records", batchSize);
                 return LongStream.range(0, batchSize)
                         .mapToObj(i -> new SourceRecord(
                                 Collections.singletonMap("task.id", taskId),
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskTest.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskTest.java
index 70bbfc6590cd1..daa9eddac9ca9 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskTest.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskTest.java
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 
 import static java.util.Collections.emptyMap;
 import static java.util.Collections.singletonList;
@@ -563,7 +564,7 @@ private void createSourceTask(TargetState initialState, RetryWithToleranceOperat
                 producer, admin, null,
                 offsetReader, offsetWriter, workerConfig,
                 ClusterConfigState.EMPTY, metrics, pluginLoader, time, retryWithToleranceOperator,
-                statusBackingStore);
+                statusBackingStore, (Executor) Runnable::run);
     }
 
     private ConsumerRecords<byte[], byte[]> records(ConsumerRecord<byte[], byte[]> record) {
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java
index 692f4d24b18b1..5cdfab96d22ee 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/ErrorHandlingTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 
 import static java.util.Collections.emptyMap;
 import static java.util.Collections.singletonList;
@@ -581,7 +582,7 @@ private void createSourceTask(TargetState initialState, RetryWithToleranceOperat
                 producer, admin, TopicCreationGroup.configuredGroups(sourceConfig),
                 offsetReader, offsetWriter, workerConfig,
                 ClusterConfigState.EMPTY, metrics, pluginLoader, time, retryWithToleranceOperator,
-                statusBackingStore);
+                statusBackingStore, (Executor) Runnable::run);
     }
 
     private ConsumerRecords<byte[], byte[]> records(ConsumerRecord<byte[], byte[]> record) {
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskTest.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskTest.java
index 8c0988735369a..0f9e6562fb99f 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskTest.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskTest.java
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ private void createWorkerTask(TargetState initialState, Converter keyConverter,
         workerTask = new WorkerSourceTask(taskId, sourceTask, statusListener, initialState, keyConverter, valueConverter, headerConverter,
                 transformationChain, producer, admin, null,
                 offsetReader, offsetWriter, config, clusterConfigState, metrics, plugins.delegatingLoader(), Time.SYSTEM,
-                RetryWithToleranceOperatorTest.NOOP_OPERATOR, statusBackingStore);
+                RetryWithToleranceOperatorTest.NOOP_OPERATOR, statusBackingStore, Runnable::run);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -710,6 +710,9 @@ public void testCancel() {
         offsetReader.close();
         PowerMock.expectLastCall();
 
+        producer.close(Duration.ZERO);
+        PowerMock.expectLastCall();
+
         PowerMock.replayAll();
 
         workerTask.cancel();
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java
index c8fdfa72bfe98..d26faa40707dd 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerSourceTaskWithTopicCreationTest.java
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ private void createWorkerTask(TargetState initialState, Converter keyConverter,
         workerTask = new WorkerSourceTask(taskId, sourceTask, statusListener, initialState, keyConverter, valueConverter, headerConverter,
                 transformationChain, producer, admin, TopicCreationGroup.configuredGroups(sourceConfig),
                 offsetReader, offsetWriter, config, clusterConfigState, metrics, plugins.delegatingLoader(), Time.SYSTEM,
-                RetryWithToleranceOperatorTest.NOOP_OPERATOR, statusBackingStore);
+                RetryWithToleranceOperatorTest.NOOP_OPERATOR, statusBackingStore, Runnable::run);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -754,6 +754,9 @@ public void testCancel() {
         offsetReader.close();
         PowerMock.expectLastCall();
 
+        producer.close(Duration.ZERO);
+        PowerMock.expectLastCall();
+
         PowerMock.replayAll();
 
         workerTask.cancel();
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTest.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTest.java
index 1ac262589bdd3..b5c9122756a3b 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTest.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerTest.java
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
@@ -1481,7 +1482,8 @@ private void expectNewWorkerTask() throws Exception {
                 EasyMock.eq(pluginLoader),
                 anyObject(Time.class),
                 anyObject(RetryWithToleranceOperator.class),
-                anyObject(StatusBackingStore.class))
+                anyObject(StatusBackingStore.class),
+                anyObject(Executor.class))
                 .andReturn(workerTask);
     }
     /* Name here needs to be unique as we are testing the aliasing mechanism */
diff --git a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerWithTopicCreationTest.java b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerWithTopicCreationTest.java
index 912dfacdd9912..a6745ec99749b 100644
--- a/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerWithTopicCreationTest.java
+++ b/connect/runtime/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/runtime/WorkerWithTopicCreationTest.java
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
@@ -1389,7 +1390,8 @@ private void expectNewWorkerTask() throws Exception {
                 EasyMock.eq(pluginLoader),
                 anyObject(Time.class),
                 anyObject(RetryWithToleranceOperator.class),
-                anyObject(StatusBackingStore.class))
+                anyObject(StatusBackingStore.class),
+                anyObject(Executor.class))
                 .andReturn(workerTask);
     }