diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
index b1ba8c1522acf..989712f68056b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
@@ -580,8 +580,7 @@ public Counters executionTimes() {
      */
     private void clearExecutions() {
         final CurrentExecutions currentExecutionsBeforeSetting = currentExecutions.getAndSet(new CurrentExecutions());
-        // clear old executions in background, no need to wait
-        genericExecutor.execute(() -> currentExecutionsBeforeSetting.sealAndAwaitEmpty(maxStopTimeout));
+        currentExecutionsBeforeSetting.sealAndAwaitEmpty(maxStopTimeout);
     }
 
     // the watch execution task takes another runnable as parameter