diff --git a/src/vt/messaging/active.cc b/src/vt/messaging/active.cc
index ead645d317..b5c7de42dc 100644
--- a/src/vt/messaging/active.cc
+++ b/src/vt/messaging/active.cc
@@ -151,8 +151,6 @@ void ActiveMessenger::initialize() {
 }
 
 void ActiveMessenger::startup() {
-  pushEpoch(term::any_epoch_sentinel);
-
   auto const this_node = theContext()->getNode();
   bare_handler_dummy_elm_id_for_lb_data_ =
     elm::ElmIDBits::createBareHandler(this_node);
diff --git a/src/vt/termination/termination.cc b/src/vt/termination/termination.cc
index 979e1856aa..bcd1dd6912 100644
--- a/src/vt/termination/termination.cc
+++ b/src/vt/termination/termination.cc
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ TerminationDetector::TerminationDetector()
     any_epoch_state_(any_epoch_sentinel, false, true, getNumChildren()),
     hang_(no_epoch, true, false, getNumChildren()),
     this_node_(theContext()->getNode())
-{ }
+{
+  pushEpoch(term::any_epoch_sentinel);
+}
 
 /*static*/ void TerminationDetector::makeRootedHandler(TermMsg* msg) {
   theTerm()->makeRootedHan(msg->new_epoch, false);
diff --git a/src/vt/termination/termination.h b/src/vt/termination/termination.h
index 7d1765357d..88a70588b9 100644
--- a/src/vt/termination/termination.h
+++ b/src/vt/termination/termination.h
@@ -121,7 +121,20 @@ struct TerminationDetector :
    */
   TerminationDetector();
 
-  virtual ~TerminationDetector() {}
+  virtual ~TerminationDetector() {
+    //Pop all extraneous epochs off the stack greater than 1
+      auto stack_size = epoch_stack_.size();
+      while (stack_size > 1) {
+        stack_size = (epoch_stack_.pop(), epoch_stack_.size());
+       }
+    // Pop off the last epoch: term::any_epoch_sentinel
+    auto const ret_epoch = popEpoch(term::any_epoch_sentinel);
+    vtAssertInfo(
+      ret_epoch == term::any_epoch_sentinel, "Last pop must be any epoch",
+      ret_epoch, term::any_epoch_sentinel, epoch_stack_.size()
+    );
+    vtAssertExpr(epoch_stack_.size() == 0);
+  }
 
   std::string name() override { return "TerminationDetector"; }