diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
index b1d9d696e..e8794f68a 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
@@ -267,6 +267,10 @@ func daemonFunc(req cmds.Request, res cmds.Response) {
 		gateway.ServeOption(),
 		corehttp.VersionOption(),
 	}
+
+	// our global interrupt handler can now try to stop the daemon
+	close(req.Context().InitDone)
+
 	if rootRedirect != nil {
 		opts = append(opts, rootRedirect)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/main.go b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
index 8dc1f9d0b..2bca9dd45 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
@@ -132,6 +132,14 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
+	// our global interrupt handler may try to stop the daemon
+	// before the daemon is ready to be stopped; this dirty
+	// workaround is for the daemon only; other commands are always
+	// ready to be stopped
+	if invoc.cmd != daemonCmd {
+		close(invoc.req.Context().InitDone)
+	}
+
 	// ok, finally, run the command invocation.
 	output, err := invoc.Run(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -479,6 +487,14 @@ func (i *cmdInvocation) setupInterruptHandler() {
 		for count := 0; ; count++ {
 			<-sig
 
+			// if we're still initializing, cannot use `ctx.GetNode()`
+			select {
+			default: // initialization not done
+				fmt.Println("Received interrupt signal, shutting down...")
+				os.Exit(-1)
+			case <-ctx.InitDone:
+			}
+
 			// TODO cancel the command context instead
 
 			n, err := ctx.GetNode()
diff --git a/commands/request.go b/commands/request.go
index c9748198b..e7f9d4e33 100644
--- a/commands/request.go
+++ b/commands/request.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ type Context struct {
 
 	node          *core.IpfsNode
 	ConstructNode func() (*core.IpfsNode, error)
+	InitDone      chan bool
 }
 
 // GetConfig returns the config of the current Command exection
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ func NewRequest(path []string, opts OptMap, args []string, file files.File, cmd
 		optDefs = make(map[string]Option)
 	}
 
-	ctx := Context{Context: context.TODO()}
+	ctx := Context{Context: context.TODO(), InitDone: make(chan bool)}
 	values := make(map[string]interface{})
 	req := &request{path, opts, args, file, cmd, ctx, optDefs, values, os.Stdin}
 	err := req.ConvertOptions()