diff --git a/mlx/backend/metal/fence.cpp b/mlx/backend/metal/fence.cpp
index f5502231a..3482fe9a8 100644
--- a/mlx/backend/metal/fence.cpp
+++ b/mlx/backend/metal/fence.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,39 @@
 // Copyright © 2024 Apple Inc.
-#include "mlx/fence.h"
+#include <csignal>
+
 #include "mlx/backend/metal/device.h"
 #include "mlx/backend/metal/metal_impl.h"
+#include "mlx/fence.h"
 #include "mlx/scheduler.h"
 #include "mlx/utils.h"
 
 namespace mlx::core {
 
+void signal_handler(int signum);
+
+MTL::Buffer* signal_buffer() {
+  auto init = []() {
+    signal(SIGTERM, signal_handler);
+    auto dtor = [](void* buf) {
+      allocator::free(static_cast<MTL::Buffer*>(buf));
+    };
+    auto buf = std::shared_ptr<void>(
+        allocator::malloc_or_wait(sizeof(uint32_t)).ptr(), dtor);
+    static_cast<uint32_t*>(
+        static_cast<MTL::Buffer*>(buf.get())->contents())[0] = 0;
+    return buf;
+  };
+  static std::shared_ptr<void> buf = init();
+  return static_cast<MTL::Buffer*>(buf.get());
+}
+
+void signal_handler(int signum) {
+  auto buf = signal_buffer();
+  static_cast<std::atomic_uint*>(buf->contents())[0] = 1;
+  signal(signum, SIG_DFL);
+  raise(signum);
+}
+
 struct FenceImpl {
   FenceImpl() {
     auto d = metal::device(Device::gpu).mtl_device();
@@ -94,6 +121,7 @@ void Fence::wait(Stream stream, const array& x) {
   auto buf = static_cast<MTL::Buffer*>(f.fence);
   compute_encoder.set_buffer(buf, 0);
   compute_encoder.set_bytes(f.count, 1);
+  compute_encoder.set_buffer(signal_buffer(), 2);
   compute_encoder.dispatch_threads(kernel_dims, kernel_dims);
 
   d.get_command_buffer(idx)->addCompletedHandler(
diff --git a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/fence.metal b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/fence.metal
index f736b33b0..0cf73686f 100644
--- a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/fence.metal
+++ b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/fence.metal
@@ -39,13 +39,14 @@ constexpr constant metal::thread_scope thread_scope_system =
 // single thread kernel to spin wait for timestamp value
 [[kernel]] void fence_wait(
     volatile coherent(system) device uint* timestamp [[buffer(0)]],
-    constant uint& value [[buffer(1)]]) {
+    constant uint& value [[buffer(1)]],
+    volatile coherent(system) device uint* sig_handler [[buffer(2)]]) {
   while (1) {
     metal::atomic_thread_fence(
         metal::mem_flags::mem_device,
         metal::memory_order_seq_cst,
         metal::thread_scope_system);
-    if (timestamp[0] >= value) {
+    if (timestamp[0] >= value || sig_handler[0] > 0) {
       break;
     }
   }