diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index 553be35e53..8bb43aa189 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -1914,6 +1914,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 	)
 	defer interrupt.Store(true) // terminate the prefetch at the end
 
+	// Check for termination before starting block processing
+	if bc.insertStopped() {
+		return nil, errInsertionInterrupted
+	}
+
 	if bc.cacheConfig.TrieCleanNoPrefetch {
 		statedb, err = state.New(parentRoot, bc.statedb)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -1981,6 +1986,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 		}()
 	}
 
+	// Check for termination before starting transaction processing
+	if bc.insertStopped() {
+		return nil, errInsertionInterrupted
+	}
+
 	// Process block using the parent state as reference point
 	pstart := time.Now()
 	res, err := bc.processor.Process(block, statedb, bc.vmConfig)
@@ -1990,6 +2000,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 	}
 	ptime := time.Since(pstart)
 
+	// Check for termination before validation
+	if bc.insertStopped() {
+		return nil, errInsertionInterrupted
+	}
+
 	vstart := time.Now()
 	if err := bc.validator.ValidateState(block, statedb, res, false); err != nil {
 		bc.reportBlock(block, res, err)
@@ -2046,6 +2061,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 	blockValidationTimer.Update(vtime - (triehash + trieUpdate))                      // The time spent on block validation
 	blockCrossValidationTimer.Update(xvtime)                                          // The time spent on stateless cross validation
 
+	// Check for termination before writing to database
+	if bc.insertStopped() {
+		return nil, errInsertionInterrupted
+	}
+
 	// Write the block to the chain and get the status.
 	var (
 		wstart = time.Now()