diff --git a/system_test/utils/kafka_system_test_utils.py b/system_test/utils/kafka_system_test_utils.py
index fb4a9c0..074a120 100644
--- a/system_test/utils/kafka_system_test_utils.py
+++ b/system_test/utils/kafka_system_test_utils.py
@@ -933,6 +933,9 @@ def start_producer_in_thread(testcaseEnv, entityConfigList, producerConfig, kafk
     jmxPort           = system_test_utils.get_data_by_lookup_keyval(entityConfigList, "entity_id", entityId, "jmx_port")
     kafkaRunClassBin  = kafkaHome + "/bin/kafka-run-class.sh"
 
+    # first keep track of its pid
+    testcaseEnv.producerHostParentPidDict[entityId] = os.getpid()
+
     # get optional testcase arguments
     numTopicsForAutoGenString = -1
     try:
@@ -1481,9 +1484,11 @@ def stop_all_remote_running_processes(systemTestEnv, testcaseEnv):
 
     entityConfigs = systemTestEnv.clusterEntityConfigDictList
 
-    for hostname, producerPPid in testcaseEnv.producerHostParentPidDict.items():
-        producerEntityId = system_test_utils.get_data_by_lookup_keyval(entityConfigs, "hostname", hostname, "entity_id")
-        stop_remote_entity(systemTestEnv, producerEntityId, producerPPid)
+    # for producers we do not need to stop remote processes since they will terminate themselves;
+    # we only need to stop the local shell script that periodically starts the remote producer thread.
+    for entityId, producerPPid in testcaseEnv.producerHostParentPidDict.items():
+        os.popen("kill -9 "+str(producerPPid))
+    testcaseEnv.producerHostParentPidDict.clear()
 
     for hostname, consumerPPid in testcaseEnv.consumerHostParentPidDict.items():
         consumerEntityId = system_test_utils.get_data_by_lookup_keyval(entityConfigs, "hostname", hostname, "entity_id")