diff --git a/.changelog/3023.bugfix.md b/.changelog/3023.bugfix.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b77ebc6c6b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/3023.bugfix.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+runtime/dispatcher: Break recv loop on abort request
diff --git a/go/runtime/host/tests/tester.go b/go/runtime/host/tests/tester.go
index bdd564913af..9d8bce6472b 100644
--- a/go/runtime/host/tests/tester.go
+++ b/go/runtime/host/tests/tester.go
@@ -19,9 +19,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/oasisprotocol/oasis-core/go/runtime/host/protocol"
 )
 
-// This needs to be large as some runtimes can take a long time to initialize due to remote
-// attestation taking a long time.
-const recvTimeout = 120 * time.Second
+const (
+	// This needs to be large as some runtimes can take a long time to initialize due to remote
+	// attestation taking a long time.
+	recvTimeout = 120 * time.Second
+
+	// Runtime is already started at this point so we can have a smaller timeout than above.
+	recvAbortTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+)
 
 // mockMessageHandler is a mock message handler which only implements a small subset of methods.
 type mockMessageHandler struct{}
@@ -192,7 +197,21 @@ func testRestart(t *testing.T, cfg host.Config, p host.Provisioner) {
 	select {
 	case ev := <-evCh:
 		require.Nil(ev.Stopped, "unexpected stop event")
-	case <-time.After(recvTimeout):
+	case <-time.After(recvAbortTimeout):
 	}
 
+	// Trigger another non-force abort (runtime should not be restarted).
+	// NOTE: the above Abort request makes it to the dispatcher before the first
+	// iteration of the dispatch loop, therefore the request is handled before
+	// the dispatcher is stuck in the recv loop. Here it is ensured that the
+	// runtime dispatcher is already running and waiting on requests.
+	err = r.Abort(context.Background(), false)
+	require.NoError(err, "Abort(force=false)")
+
+	// There should be no stop event.
+	select {
+	case ev := <-evCh:
+		require.Nil(ev.Stopped, "unexpected stop event")
+	case <-time.After(recvAbortTimeout):
+	}
 }
diff --git a/runtime/src/dispatcher.rs b/runtime/src/dispatcher.rs
index 34cde839bcc..1391034b218 100644
--- a/runtime/src/dispatcher.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/dispatcher.rs
@@ -155,8 +155,11 @@ impl Dispatcher {
 
     /// Signals to dispatcher that it should abort and waits for the abort to
     /// complete.
-    pub fn abort_and_wait(&self) -> Result<()> {
+    pub fn abort_and_wait(&self, ctx: Context, id: u64, req: Body) -> Result<()> {
         self.abort_batch.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        // Queue the request to break the dispatch loop in case nothing is
+        // being processed at the moment.
+        self.queue_request(ctx, id, req)?;
         // Wait for abort.
         self.abort_rx.recv().map_err(|error| anyhow!("{}", error))
     }
@@ -286,6 +289,11 @@ impl Dispatcher {
                         signed_policy_raw,
                     );
                 }
+                Ok((_ctx, _id, Body::RuntimeAbortRequest {})) => {
+                    // We handle the RuntimeAbortRequest here so that we break
+                    // the recv loop and re-check abort flag.
+                    info!(self.logger, "Received abort request");
+                }
                 Ok(_) => {
                     error!(self.logger, "Unsupported request type");
                     break 'dispatch;
diff --git a/runtime/src/protocol.rs b/runtime/src/protocol.rs
index f4a0e206bf5..485c7d39a9b 100644
--- a/runtime/src/protocol.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/protocol.rs
@@ -268,10 +268,10 @@ impl Protocol {
                 info!(self.logger, "Received worker shutdown request");
                 Err(ProtocolError::MethodNotSupported.into())
             }
-            Body::RuntimeAbortRequest {} => {
+            req @ Body::RuntimeAbortRequest {} => {
                 info!(self.logger, "Received worker abort request");
                 self.can_handle_runtime_requests()?;
-                self.dispatcher.abort_and_wait()?;
+                self.dispatcher.abort_and_wait(ctx, id, req)?;
                 info!(self.logger, "Handled worker abort request");
                 Ok(Some(Body::RuntimeAbortResponse {}))
             }