diff --git a/lib/internal/worker.js b/lib/internal/worker.js
index 38f3ba66f214e6..9729c3f42808ee 100644
--- a/lib/internal/worker.js
+++ b/lib/internal/worker.js
@@ -251,6 +251,10 @@ class Worker extends EventEmitter {
     debug(`[${threadId}] hears end event for Worker ${this.threadId}`);
     drainMessagePort(this[kPublicPort]);
     drainMessagePort(this[kPort]);
+    this.removeAllListeners('message');
+    this.removeAllListeners('messageerrors');
+    this[kPublicPort].unref();
+    this[kPort].unref();
     this[kDispose]();
     if (customErr) {
       debug(`[${threadId}] failing with custom error ${customErr} \
diff --git a/src/node_messaging.cc b/src/node_messaging.cc
index 78fb46ab6f2803..2699bd2792e544 100644
--- a/src/node_messaging.cc
+++ b/src/node_messaging.cc
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ MessagePort::MessagePort(Environment* env,
   auto onmessage = [](uv_async_t* handle) {
     // Called when data has been put into the queue.
     MessagePort* channel = ContainerOf(&MessagePort::async_, handle);
-    channel->OnMessage();
+    channel->OnMessage(MessageProcessingMode::kNormalOperation);
   };
 
   CHECK_EQ(uv_async_init(env->event_loop(),
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ MessagePort* MessagePort::New(
 }
 
 MaybeLocal<Value> MessagePort::ReceiveMessage(Local<Context> context,
-                                              bool only_if_receiving) {
+                                              MessageProcessingMode mode) {
   std::shared_ptr<Message> received;
   {
     // Get the head of the message queue.
@@ -672,7 +672,9 @@ MaybeLocal<Value> MessagePort::ReceiveMessage(Local<Context> context,
 
     Debug(this, "MessagePort has message");
 
-    bool wants_message = receiving_messages_ || !only_if_receiving;
+    bool wants_message =
+        receiving_messages_ ||
+        mode == MessageProcessingMode::kForceReadMessages;
     // We have nothing to do if:
     // - There are no pending messages
     // - We are not intending to receive messages, and the message we would
@@ -697,16 +699,18 @@ MaybeLocal<Value> MessagePort::ReceiveMessage(Local<Context> context,
   return received->Deserialize(env(), context);
 }
 
-void MessagePort::OnMessage() {
+void MessagePort::OnMessage(MessageProcessingMode mode) {
   Debug(this, "Running MessagePort::OnMessage()");
   HandleScope handle_scope(env()->isolate());
   Local<Context> context = object(env()->isolate())->CreationContext();
 
   size_t processing_limit;
-  {
+  if (mode == MessageProcessingMode::kNormalOperation) {
     Mutex::ScopedLock(data_->mutex_);
     processing_limit = std::max(data_->incoming_messages_.size(),
                                 static_cast<size_t>(1000));
+  } else {
+    processing_limit = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max();
   }
 
   // data_ can only ever be modified by the owner thread, so no need to lock.
@@ -738,7 +742,7 @@ void MessagePort::OnMessage() {
       // Catch any exceptions from parsing the message itself (not from
       // emitting it) as 'messageeror' events.
       TryCatchScope try_catch(env());
-      if (!ReceiveMessage(context, true).ToLocal(&payload)) {
+      if (!ReceiveMessage(context, mode).ToLocal(&payload)) {
         if (try_catch.HasCaught() && !try_catch.HasTerminated())
           message_error = try_catch.Exception();
         goto reschedule;
@@ -999,7 +1003,7 @@ void MessagePort::CheckType(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
 void MessagePort::Drain(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   MessagePort* port;
   ASSIGN_OR_RETURN_UNWRAP(&port, args[0].As<Object>());
-  port->OnMessage();
+  port->OnMessage(MessageProcessingMode::kForceReadMessages);
 }
 
 void MessagePort::ReceiveMessage(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
@@ -1018,7 +1022,8 @@ void MessagePort::ReceiveMessage(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   }
 
   MaybeLocal<Value> payload =
-      port->ReceiveMessage(port->object()->CreationContext(), false);
+      port->ReceiveMessage(port->object()->CreationContext(),
+                           MessageProcessingMode::kForceReadMessages);
   if (!payload.IsEmpty())
     args.GetReturnValue().Set(payload.ToLocalChecked());
 }
diff --git a/src/node_messaging.h b/src/node_messaging.h
index ad06565977215c..2e63b22e4ceced 100644
--- a/src/node_messaging.h
+++ b/src/node_messaging.h
@@ -285,11 +285,16 @@ class MessagePort : public HandleWrap {
   SET_SELF_SIZE(MessagePort)
 
  private:
+  enum class MessageProcessingMode {
+    kNormalOperation,
+    kForceReadMessages
+  };
+
   void OnClose() override;
-  void OnMessage();
+  void OnMessage(MessageProcessingMode mode);
   void TriggerAsync();
   v8::MaybeLocal<v8::Value> ReceiveMessage(v8::Local<v8::Context> context,
-                                           bool only_if_receiving);
+                                           MessageProcessingMode mode);
 
   std::unique_ptr<MessagePortData> data_ = nullptr;
   bool receiving_messages_ = false;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-worker-terminate-ref-public-port.js b/test/parallel/test-worker-terminate-ref-public-port.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..4a2de785a36220
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-worker-terminate-ref-public-port.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+const { Worker } = require('worker_threads');
+
+// The actual test here is that the Worker does not keep the main thread
+// running after it has been .terminate()’ed.
+
+const w = new Worker(`
+const p = require('worker_threads').parentPort;
+while(true) p.postMessage({})`, { eval: true });
+w.once('message', () => w.terminate());
+w.once('exit', common.mustCall());