diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 30f0d9b1a6e2b..3bdfa4f3b3d80 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](http://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Fixed `on_train_batch_start` hook to end epoch early ([#3700](https://github.com/PyTorchLightning/pytorch-lightning/pull/3700))
+
 - Fixed `num_sanity_val_steps` is clipped to `limit_val_batches` ([#2917](https://github.com/PyTorchLightning/pytorch-lightning/pull/2917))
 
 - Fixed RMSLE metric ([#3188](https://github.com/PyTorchLightning/pytorch-lightning/pull/3188))
diff --git a/docs/source/early_stopping.rst b/docs/source/early_stopping.rst
index 3ee903b7a3179..4d5d5e692bb87 100644
--- a/docs/source/early_stopping.rst
+++ b/docs/source/early_stopping.rst
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Early stopping
 
 Stopping an epoch early
 -----------------------
-You can stop an epoch early by overriding :meth:`~pytorch_lightning.core.lightning.LightningModule.on_batch_start` to return ``-1`` when some condition is met.
+You can stop an epoch early by overriding :meth:`~pytorch_lightning.core.hooks.ModelHooks.on_train_batch_start` to return ``-1`` when some condition is met.
 
 If you do this repeatedly, for every epoch you had originally requested, then this will stop your entire run.
 
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/training_loop.py b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/training_loop.py
index 428e081a5cab1..e4443b0efd174 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/training_loop.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/training_loop.py
@@ -517,6 +517,10 @@ def run_training_epoch(self):
             # ------------------------------------
             batch_output = self.run_training_batch(batch, batch_idx, dataloader_idx)
 
+            # when returning -1 from train_step, we end epoch early
+            if batch_output.signal == -1:
+                break
+
             # only track outputs when user implements training_epoch_end
             # otherwise we will build up unnecessary memory
             epoch_end_outputs = self.process_train_step_outputs(
@@ -529,9 +533,6 @@ def run_training_epoch(self):
             # TODO: add outputs to batches
             self.on_train_batch_end(epoch_output, epoch_end_outputs, batch, batch_idx, dataloader_idx)
 
-            # when returning -1 from train_step, we end epoch early
-            self.trainer.should_stop = batch_output.signal == -1
-
             # -----------------------------------------
             # VALIDATE IF NEEDED + CHECKPOINT CALLBACK
             # -----------------------------------------
diff --git a/tests/models/test_hooks.py b/tests/models/test_hooks.py
index 0edd1b9350c60..3681484a8bcc8 100644
--- a/tests/models/test_hooks.py
+++ b/tests/models/test_hooks.py
@@ -108,3 +108,24 @@ def transfer_batch_to_device(self, data, device):
     expected = torch.device('cuda', 0)
     assert model.hook_called
     assert batch_gpu.samples.device == batch_gpu.targets.device == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'max_epochs,batch_idx_',
+    [(2, 5), (3, 8), (4, 12)]
+)
+def test_on_train_batch_start_hook(max_epochs, batch_idx_):
+    class CurrentModel(EvalModelTemplate):
+        def on_train_batch_start(self, batch, batch_idx, dataloader_idx):
+            if batch_idx == batch_idx_:
+                return -1
+
+    model = CurrentModel()
+    trainer = Trainer(max_epochs=max_epochs)
+    trainer.fit(model)
+    if batch_idx_ > len(model.val_dataloader()) - 1:
+        assert trainer.batch_idx == len(model.val_dataloader()) - 1
+        assert trainer.global_step == len(model.val_dataloader()) * max_epochs
+    else:
+        assert trainer.batch_idx == batch_idx_
+        assert trainer.global_step == (batch_idx_ + 1) * max_epochs