diff --git a/src/detect-engine-loader.c b/src/detect-engine-loader.c
index 1f5363c6f8..9073c1e9c2 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-loader.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine-loader.c
@@ -469,6 +469,12 @@ int DetectLoadersSync(void)
                 done = true;
             }
             SCMutexUnlock(&loader->m);
+            if (!done) {
+                /* nudge thread in case it's sleeping */
+                SCCtrlMutexLock(loader->tv->ctrl_mutex);
+                pthread_cond_broadcast(loader->tv->ctrl_cond);
+                SCCtrlMutexUnlock(loader->tv->ctrl_mutex);
+            }
         }
         SCMutexLock(&loader->m);
         if (loader->result != 0) {
@@ -524,7 +530,9 @@ static void TmThreadWakeupDetectLoaderThreads(void)
         while (tv != NULL) {
             if (strncmp(tv->name,"DL#",3) == 0) {
                 BUG_ON(tv->ctrl_cond == NULL);
+                SCCtrlMutexLock(tv->ctrl_mutex);
                 pthread_cond_broadcast(tv->ctrl_cond);
+                SCCtrlMutexUnlock(tv->ctrl_mutex);
             }
             tv = tv->next;
         }
@@ -568,6 +576,11 @@ static TmEcode DetectLoaderThreadInit(ThreadVars *t, const void *initdata, void
     /* pass thread data back to caller */
     *data = ftd;
 
+    DetectLoaderControl *loader = &loaders[ftd->instance];
+    SCMutexLock(&loader->m);
+    loader->tv = t;
+    SCMutexUnlock(&loader->m);
+
     return TM_ECODE_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/detect-engine-loader.h b/src/detect-engine-loader.h
index 7ffb8c8648..8a6f7b8f17 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-loader.h
+++ b/src/detect-engine-loader.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ typedef struct DetectLoaderTask_ {
 typedef struct DetectLoaderControl_ {
     int id;
     int result;     /* 0 for ok, error otherwise */
+    ThreadVars *tv; /* loader threads threadvars - for waking them up */
     SCMutex m;
     TAILQ_HEAD(, DetectLoaderTask_) task_list;
 } DetectLoaderControl;