diff --git a/src/detect-engine.c b/src/detect-engine.c
index 50298309ea..11a06d969c 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine.c
@@ -421,6 +421,13 @@ static void *DetectEngineLiveRuleSwap(void *arg)
         SCLogError(SC_ERR_NO_RULES_LOADED, "Loading signatures failed.");
         if (de_ctx->failure_fatal)
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+        DetectEngineCtxFree(de_ctx);
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_LIVE_RULE_SWAP,  "Failure encountered while "
+                   "loading new ruleset with live swap.");
+        SCLogInfo("===== Live rule swap DONE =====");
+        TmThreadsSetFlag(tv_local, THV_CLOSED);
+        pthread_exit(NULL);
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     SCThresholdConfInitContext(de_ctx, NULL);
diff --git a/src/util-error.c b/src/util-error.c
index 96b33c0b1a..db91a3b2fb 100644
--- a/src/util-error.c
+++ b/src/util-error.c
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ const char * SCErrorToString(SCError err)
         CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_DEFRAG_INIT);
         CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_NO_REPUTATION);
         CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED);
+        CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_LIVE_RULE_SWAP);
         default:
             return "UNKNOWN_ERROR";
     }
diff --git a/src/util-error.h b/src/util-error.h
index 2f823246ae..932871094b 100644
--- a/src/util-error.h
+++ b/src/util-error.h
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ typedef enum {
     SC_ERR_IPFW_SETSOCKOPT,
     SC_ERR_NO_GEOIP_SUPPORT,
     SC_ERR_GEOIP_ERROR,
+    SC_ERR_LIVE_RULE_SWAP,
 } SCError;
 
 const char *SCErrorToString(SCError);