diff --git a/src/common/dao/replication_job.go b/src/common/dao/replication_job.go
index 7c6d2d805..b97319cf0 100644
--- a/src/common/dao/replication_job.go
+++ b/src/common/dao/replication_job.go
@@ -334,7 +334,8 @@ func FilterRepJobs(policyID int64, repository string, status []string, startTime
 // GetRepJobToStop get jobs that are possibly being handled by workers of a certain policy.
 func GetRepJobToStop(policyID int64) ([]*models.RepJob, error) {
 	var res []*models.RepJob
-	_, err := repJobPolicyIDQs(policyID).Filter("status__in", models.JobPending, models.JobRunning).All(&res)
+	_, err := repJobPolicyIDQs(policyID).Filter("status__in",
+		models.JobPending, models.JobRunning, models.JobRetrying).All(&res)
 	genTagListForJob(res...)
 	return res, err
 }
diff --git a/src/jobservice/api/replication.go b/src/jobservice/api/replication.go
index f9d579560..84f96a675 100644
--- a/src/jobservice/api/replication.go
+++ b/src/jobservice/api/replication.go
@@ -137,8 +137,31 @@ func (rj *ReplicationJob) HandleAction() {
 		rj.RenderError(http.StatusInternalServerError, "Faild to get jobs to stop")
 		return
 	}
+
+	runningJobs := []*models.RepJob{}
+	pendingAndRetryingJobs := []*models.RepJob{}
+	for _, job := range jobs {
+		if job.Status == models.JobRunning {
+			runningJobs = append(runningJobs, job)
+			continue
+		}
+		pendingAndRetryingJobs = append(pendingAndRetryingJobs, job)
+	}
+
+	// stop pending and retrying jobs by updating job status in database
+	// when the jobs are dispatched, the status will be checked first
+	for _, job := range pendingAndRetryingJobs {
+		id := job.ID
+		if err := dao.UpdateRepJobStatus(id, models.JobStopped); err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("failed to update the status of job %d: %v", id, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		log.Debugf("the status of job %d is updated to %s", id, models.JobStopped)
+	}
+
+	// stop running jobs in statemachine
 	var repJobs []job.Job
-	for _, j := range jobs {
+	for _, j := range runningJobs {
 		//transform the data record to job struct that can be handled by state machine.
 		repJob := job.NewRepJob(j.ID)
 		repJobs = append(repJobs, repJob)
diff --git a/src/jobservice/job/jobs.go b/src/jobservice/job/jobs.go
index 1752f9164..67d7523fe 100644
--- a/src/jobservice/job/jobs.go
+++ b/src/jobservice/job/jobs.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type Job interface {
 	Type() Type
 	LogPath() string
 	UpdateStatus(status string) error
+	GetStatus() (string, error)
 	Init() error
 	//Parm() interface{}
 }
@@ -152,6 +153,18 @@ func (rj *RepJob) Init() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// GetStatus returns the status of the job
+func (rj *RepJob) GetStatus() (string, error) {
+	job, err := dao.GetRepJob(rj.id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if job == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("replication job %v not found", rj.id)
+	}
+	return job.Status, nil
+}
+
 // NewRepJob returns a pointer to RepJob which implements the Job interface.
 // Given API only gets the id, it will call this func to get a instance that can be manuevered by state machine.
 func NewRepJob(id int64) *RepJob {
@@ -217,6 +230,18 @@ func (sj *ScanJob) Init() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// GetStatus returns the status of the job
+func (sj *ScanJob) GetStatus() (string, error) {
+	job, err := dao.GetScanJob(sj.id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if job == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("scan job %d not found", sj.id)
+	}
+	return job.Status, nil
+}
+
 //NewScanJob creates a instance of ScanJob by id.
 func NewScanJob(id int64) *ScanJob {
 	return &ScanJob{id: id}
diff --git a/src/jobservice/job/scheduler.go b/src/jobservice/job/scheduler.go
index 38068f302..4d38435c4 100644
--- a/src/jobservice/job/scheduler.go
+++ b/src/jobservice/job/scheduler.go
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 package job
 
 import (
-	"github.com/vmware/harbor/src/common/utils/log"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/vmware/harbor/src/common/utils/log"
 )
 
 var jobQueue = make(chan Job)
diff --git a/src/jobservice/job/workerpool.go b/src/jobservice/job/workerpool.go
index 910c55f4d..e0ac8226b 100644
--- a/src/jobservice/job/workerpool.go
+++ b/src/jobservice/job/workerpool.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package job
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/vmware/harbor/src/common/models"
@@ -155,9 +156,29 @@ func Dispatch() {
 		select {
 		case job := <-jobQueue:
 			go func(job Job) {
-				log.Debugf("Trying to dispatch job: %v", job)
+				jobID := job.ID()
+				jobType := strings.ToLower(job.Type().String())
+				log.Debugf("trying to dispatch %s job %d ...", jobType, jobID)
 				worker := <-WorkerPools[job.Type()].workerChan
+
+				status, err := job.GetStatus()
+				if err != nil {
+					// put the work back to the worker pool
+					worker.queue <- worker
+					log.Errorf("failed to get status of %s job %d: %v", jobType, jobID, err)
+					return
+				}
+
+				// check the status of job before dispatching
+				if status == models.JobStopped {
+					// put the work back to the worker pool
+					worker.queue <- worker
+					log.Debugf("%s job %d is stopped, skip dispatching", jobType, jobID)
+					return
+				}
+
 				worker.Jobs <- job
+				log.Debugf("%s job %d dispatched successfully", jobType, jobID)
 			}(job)
 		}
 	}