diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 59784ad6a..90f9e39c7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Changelog
 
 - [#965](https://github.com/cosmos/iavl/pull/965) Use expected interface for expected IAVL `Logger`.
+- [#970](https://github.com/cosmos/iavl/pull/970) Close the pruning process when the nodeDB is closed.
 
 ## v1.2.0 May 13, 2024
 
diff --git a/nodedb.go b/nodedb.go
index 3cf403c04..7810acbf2 100644
--- a/nodedb.go
+++ b/nodedb.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package iavl
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -71,9 +72,12 @@ var (
 var errInvalidFastStorageVersion = fmt.Errorf("fast storage version must be in the format <storage version>%s<latest fast cache version>", fastStorageVersionDelimiter)
 
 type nodeDB struct {
+	ctx    context.Context
+	cancel context.CancelFunc
 	logger Logger
 
 	mtx                 sync.Mutex       // Read/write lock.
+	done                chan struct{}    // Channel to signal that the pruning process is done.
 	db                  dbm.DB           // Persistent node storage.
 	batch               dbm.Batch        // Batched writing buffer.
 	opts                Options          // Options to customize for pruning/writing
@@ -96,7 +100,10 @@ func newNodeDB(db dbm.DB, cacheSize int, opts Options, lg Logger) *nodeDB {
 		storeVersion = []byte(defaultStorageVersionValue)
 	}
 
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	ndb := &nodeDB{
+		ctx:                 ctx,
+		cancel:              cancel,
 		logger:              lg,
 		db:                  db,
 		batch:               NewBatchWithFlusher(db, opts.FlushThreshold),
@@ -113,6 +120,7 @@ func newNodeDB(db dbm.DB, cacheSize int, opts Options, lg Logger) *nodeDB {
 	}
 
 	if opts.AsyncPruning {
+		ndb.done = make(chan struct{})
 		go ndb.startPruning()
 	}
 
@@ -578,26 +586,32 @@ func (ndb *nodeDB) DeleteVersionsFrom(fromVersion int64) error {
 // startPruning starts the pruning process.
 func (ndb *nodeDB) startPruning() {
 	for {
-		ndb.mtx.Lock()
-		toVersion := ndb.pruneVersion
-		ndb.mtx.Unlock()
+		select {
+		case <-ndb.ctx.Done():
+			ndb.done <- struct{}{}
+			return
+		default:
+			ndb.mtx.Lock()
+			toVersion := ndb.pruneVersion
+			ndb.mtx.Unlock()
 
-		if toVersion == 0 {
-			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
-			continue
-		}
+			if toVersion == 0 {
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
+			}
 
-		if err := ndb.deleteVersionsTo(toVersion); err != nil {
-			ndb.logger.Error("Error while pruning", "err", err)
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
-			continue
-		}
+			if err := ndb.deleteVersionsTo(toVersion); err != nil {
+				ndb.logger.Error("Error while pruning", "err", err)
+				time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+				continue
+			}
 
-		ndb.mtx.Lock()
-		if ndb.pruneVersion <= toVersion {
-			ndb.pruneVersion = 0
+			ndb.mtx.Lock()
+			if ndb.pruneVersion <= toVersion {
+				ndb.pruneVersion = 0
+			}
+			ndb.mtx.Unlock()
 		}
-		ndb.mtx.Unlock()
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1095,6 +1109,11 @@ func (ndb *nodeDB) Close() error {
 	ndb.mtx.Lock()
 	defer ndb.mtx.Unlock()
 
+	ndb.cancel()
+	if ndb.opts.AsyncPruning {
+		<-ndb.done // wait for the pruning process to finish
+	}
+
 	if ndb.batch != nil {
 		if err := ndb.batch.Close(); err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/nodedb_test.go b/nodedb_test.go
index be8314241..3e88c354f 100644
--- a/nodedb_test.go
+++ b/nodedb_test.go
@@ -436,3 +436,12 @@ func TestDeleteVersionsFromNoDeadlock(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Error(t, err, "")
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), fmt.Sprintf("unable to delete version %v with 2 active readers", targetVersion+2))
 }
+
+func TestCloseNodeDB(t *testing.T) {
+	db := dbm.NewMemDB()
+	defer db.Close()
+	opts := DefaultOptions()
+	opts.AsyncPruning = true
+	ndb := newNodeDB(db, 0, opts, NewNopLogger())
+	require.NoError(t, ndb.Close())
+}