diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/plugin.ts b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/plugin.ts
index b58b0665c10c0..4c506b73f60f1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/plugin.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,11 @@ export class TaskManagerPlugin
         startServicesPromise.then(({ elasticsearch }) => elasticsearch.client),
     });
 
+    router.post({ path: '/api/task_manager/_stop', validate: false }, async (context, req, res) => {
+      this.taskPollingLifecycle!.stop();
+      return res.ok({ body: `Aye, aye, captain` });
+    });
+
     core.status.derivedStatus$.subscribe((status) =>
       this.logger.debug(`status core.status.derivedStatus now set to ${status.level}`)
     );
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling_lifecycle.ts b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling_lifecycle.ts
index a452c8a3f82fb..659e34bb2e8ce 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling_lifecycle.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/polling_lifecycle.ts
@@ -216,6 +216,10 @@ export class TaskPollingLifecycle {
     });
   }
 
+  public stop() {
+    this.taskClaiming.excludedTaskTypes = ['*'];
+  }
+
   public get events(): Observable<TaskLifecycleEvent> {
     return this.events$;
   }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/queries/task_claiming.ts b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/queries/task_claiming.ts
index 1b4f0fdb73683..e9e05d4a0a901 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/queries/task_claiming.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/task_manager/server/queries/task_claiming.ts
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ export class TaskClaiming {
   private logger: Logger;
   private readonly taskClaimingBatchesByType: TaskClaimingBatches;
   private readonly taskMaxAttempts: Record<string, number>;
-  private readonly excludedTaskTypes: string[];
+  public excludedTaskTypes: string[];
   private readonly unusedTypes: string[];
 
   /**