diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index eac6943d7..473c4be29 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 - Update libraries for nFlow Explorer. Includes fix for morgan library security issue.
   - https://github.com/NitorCreations/nflow/network/alert/nflow-explorer/package-lock.json/morgan/open
 - Fix travis build to actually run unit tests for nflow-explorer module.
+- Add possibility for an executor to temporarily stop polling for new workflow instances by invoking pause() on WorkflowLifecycle, and continue polling with resume().
 
 ## 5.4.1 (2019-03-18)
 
diff --git a/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcher.java b/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcher.java
index 0fde69214..e0680828f 100644
--- a/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcher.java
+++ b/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcher.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public class WorkflowDispatcher implements Runnable {
 
   private volatile boolean shutdownRequested;
   private volatile boolean running = false;
+  private volatile boolean paused = false;
   private final CountDownLatch shutdownDone = new CountDownLatch(1);
 
   private final WorkflowInstanceExecutor executor;
@@ -70,27 +71,31 @@ public void run() {
       }
       running = true;
       while (!shutdownRequested) {
-        try {
-          executor.waitUntilQueueSizeLowerThanThreshold(executorDao.getMaxWaitUntil());
-
-          if (!shutdownRequested) {
-            if (executorDao.tick()) {
-              workflowInstances.recoverWorkflowInstancesFromDeadNodes();
-            }
-            int potentiallyStuckProcessors = stateProcessorFactory.getPotentiallyStuckProcessors();
-            if (potentiallyStuckProcessors > 0) {
-              periodicLogger.warn("{} of {} state processor threads are potentially stuck (processing longer than {} seconds)",
-                  potentiallyStuckProcessors, executor.getThreadCount(), stuckThreadThresholdSeconds);
+        if (paused) {
+          sleep(false);
+        } else {
+          try {
+            executor.waitUntilQueueSizeLowerThanThreshold(executorDao.getMaxWaitUntil());
+
+            if (!shutdownRequested) {
+              if (executorDao.tick()) {
+                workflowInstances.recoverWorkflowInstancesFromDeadNodes();
+              }
+              int potentiallyStuckProcessors = stateProcessorFactory.getPotentiallyStuckProcessors();
+              if (potentiallyStuckProcessors > 0) {
+                periodicLogger.warn("{} of {} state processor threads are potentially stuck (processing longer than {} seconds)",
+                    potentiallyStuckProcessors, executor.getThreadCount(), stuckThreadThresholdSeconds);
+              }
+              dispatch(getNextInstanceIds());
             }
-            dispatch(getNextInstanceIds());
+          } catch (PollingRaceConditionException pex) {
+            logger.info(pex.getMessage());
+            sleep(true);
+          } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") InterruptedException dropThrough) {
+          } catch (Exception e) {
+            logger.error("Exception in executing dispatcher - retrying after sleep period (" + e.getMessage() + ")", e);
+            sleep(false);
           }
-        } catch (PollingRaceConditionException pex) {
-          logger.info(pex.getMessage());
-          sleep(true);
-        } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") InterruptedException dropThrough) {
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-          logger.error("Exception in executing dispatcher - retrying after sleep period (" + e.getMessage() + ")", e);
-          sleep(false);
         }
       }
 
@@ -121,6 +126,18 @@ public void shutdown() {
     }
   }
 
+  public void pause() {
+    paused = true;
+  }
+
+  public void resume() {
+    paused = false;
+  }
+
+  public boolean isPaused() {
+    return paused;
+  }
+
   public boolean isRunning() {
     return running;
   }
diff --git a/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycle.java b/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycle.java
index 0bf105a9c..739a4a247 100644
--- a/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycle.java
+++ b/nflow-engine/src/main/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycle.java
@@ -57,6 +57,18 @@ public void start() {
     dispatcherThread.start();
   }
 
+  public void pause() {
+    dispatcher.pause();
+  }
+
+  public void resume() {
+    dispatcher.resume();
+  }
+
+  public boolean isPaused() {
+    return dispatcher.isPaused();
+  }
+
   @Override
   public boolean isRunning() {
     return dispatcherThread.isAlive();
diff --git a/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcherTest.java b/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcherTest.java
index c037df2d7..9d5d2ccfe 100644
--- a/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcherTest.java
+++ b/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowDispatcherTest.java
@@ -325,6 +325,15 @@ public void finish() {
     runOnce(new DispatcherLogsWarning());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void pauseAndResumeWorks() {
+    assertEquals(dispatcher.isPaused(), false);
+    dispatcher.pause();
+    assertEquals(dispatcher.isPaused(), true);
+    dispatcher.resume();
+    assertEquals(dispatcher.isPaused(), false);
+  }
+
   void assertPoolIsShutdown(boolean isTrue) {
     assertEquals(isTrue, executor.executor.isShutdown());
   }
diff --git a/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycleTest.java b/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycleTest.java
index fde908edd..cd1c4ddd3 100644
--- a/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycleTest.java
+++ b/nflow-engine/src/test/java/io/nflow/engine/internal/executor/WorkflowLifecycleTest.java
@@ -73,6 +73,16 @@ public void stopWithCallbackStopsDispatcherThreadAndRunsCallback() {
     verify(callback).run();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void pauseAndResumeWorks() {
+    lifecycle.pause();
+    verify(dispatcher).pause();
+    lifecycle.resume();
+    verify(dispatcher).resume();
+    lifecycle.isPaused();
+    verify(dispatcher).isPaused();
+  }
+
 //  @Test
 //  public void isRunningReturnsDispatcherThreadStatus() {
 //    when(dispatcherThread.isAlive()).thenReturn(true); // native method mocking would require PowerMock