diff --git a/ms_agent/utils/thread_util.py b/ms_agent/utils/thread_util.py
index 380dd99b3..ed2922901 100644
--- a/ms_agent/utils/thread_util.py
+++ b/ms_agent/utils/thread_util.py
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ def weakref_cb(_, q=self._work_queue):
             thread_name = '%s_%d' % (self._thread_name_prefix
                                      or self, num_threads)
             # Import internal helpers from stdlib to keep behavior consistent.
-            from concurrent.futures.thread import (  # type: ignore
-                _threads_queues, _worker)
+            from concurrent.futures.thread import _worker  # type: ignore
 
             t = threading.Thread(
                 name=thread_name,
@@ -114,4 +113,7 @@ def weakref_cb(_, q=self._work_queue):
             t.daemon = True
             t.start()
             self._threads.add(t)
-            _threads_queues[t] = self._work_queue
+            # Do not register daemon workers in _threads_queues: CPython
+            # joins every registered worker at interpreter exit, even after
+            # shutdown(wait=False). Explicit shutdown(wait=True) still joins
+            # these workers through self._threads.
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_thread_util.py b/tests/utils/test_thread_util.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29d6a8735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/utils/test_thread_util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# Copyright (c) ModelScope Contributors. All rights reserved.
+"""Daemon workers must not turn non-waiting shutdown into an exit-time join."""
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import textwrap
+import threading
+
+import pytest
+from ms_agent.utils.thread_util import DaemonThreadPoolExecutor
+
+
+def test_nonwaiting_shutdown_does_not_block_process_exit():
+    script = textwrap.dedent('''
+        import threading
+        from ms_agent.utils.thread_util import DaemonThreadPoolExecutor
+
+        started = threading.Event()
+        blocked = threading.Event()
+
+        def work():
+            started.set()
+            blocked.wait()
+
+        executor = DaemonThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1)
+        executor.submit(work)
+        assert started.wait(5)
+        executor.shutdown(wait=False, cancel_futures=True)
+        print('shutdown returned', flush=True)
+    ''')
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, '-c', script], capture_output=True, text=True,
+        timeout=15)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert 'shutdown returned' in result.stdout
+
+
+def test_results_and_exceptions_are_preserved():
+    with DaemonThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1) as executor:
+        assert executor.submit(lambda: 42).result(timeout=5) == 42
+        future = executor.submit(lambda: 1 / 0)
+        with pytest.raises(ZeroDivisionError):
+            future.result(timeout=5)
+
+
+def test_waiting_shutdown_joins_workers():
+    executor = DaemonThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1)
+    future = executor.submit(lambda: threading.current_thread())
+    worker = future.result(timeout=5)
+    assert worker.daemon
+    executor.shutdown(wait=True)
+    assert not worker.is_alive()
+
+
+def test_nonwaiting_shutdown_cancels_queued_work():
+    started = threading.Event()
+    release = threading.Event()
+
+    def work():
+        started.set()
+        release.wait(5)
+
+    executor = DaemonThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1)
+    running = executor.submit(work)
+    try:
+        assert started.wait(5)
+        queued = executor.submit(lambda: 'should not run')
+        executor.shutdown(wait=False, cancel_futures=True)
+        assert queued.cancelled()
+    finally:
+        release.set()
+        running.result(timeout=5)
+        executor.shutdown(wait=True)