diff --git a/packages/cli/bin/nuxt-cli.js b/packages/cli/bin/nuxt-cli.js
index 63fe65902b..cc6f24825f 100755
--- a/packages/cli/bin/nuxt-cli.js
+++ b/packages/cli/bin/nuxt-cli.js
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 require('../dist/cli.js').run()
   .catch((error) => {
     require('consola').fatal(error)
-    process.exit(2)
+    require('exit')(2)
   })
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 39b2ce46fa..53f004d43b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     "consola": "^2.4.0",
     "esm": "^3.2.1",
     "execa": "^1.0.0",
+    "exit": "^0.1.2",
     "minimist": "^1.2.0",
     "opener": "1.5.1",
     "pretty-bytes": "^5.1.0",
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/command.js b/packages/cli/src/command.js
index e93d7a3957..ec28dea766 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/command.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/command.js
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 
 import minimist from 'minimist'
 import { name, version } from '../package.json'
-import { loadNuxtConfig } from './utils'
-import { indent, foldLines, startSpaces, optionSpaces, colorize } from './utils/formatting'
+import { loadNuxtConfig, forceExit } from './utils'
+import { indent, foldLines, colorize } from './utils/formatting'
+import { startSpaces, optionSpaces, forceExitTimeout } from './utils/constants'
 import * as imports from './imports'
 
 export default class NuxtCommand {
@@ -12,6 +13,9 @@ export default class NuxtCommand {
     }
     this.cmd = cmd
 
+    // If the cmd is a server then dont forcibly exit when the cmd has finished
+    this.isServer = cmd.isServer !== undefined ? cmd.isServer : Boolean(this.cmd.options.hostname)
+
     this._argv = Array.from(argv)
     this._parsedArgv = null // Lazy evaluate
   }
@@ -42,7 +46,14 @@ export default class NuxtCommand {
       return Promise.resolve()
     }
 
-    return Promise.resolve(this.cmd.run(this))
+    const runResolve = Promise.resolve(this.cmd.run(this))
+
+    // TODO: For v3 set timeout to 0 when force-exit === true
+    if (!this.isServer || this.argv['force-exit']) {
+      runResolve.then(() => forceExit(this.cmd.name, forceExitTimeout))
+    }
+
+    return runResolve
   }
 
   showVersion() {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/list.js b/packages/cli/src/list.js
index 7bd9aa2524..7255f192bc 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/list.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/list.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import chalk from 'chalk'
-import { indent, foldLines, startSpaces, optionSpaces, colorize } from './utils/formatting'
+import { indent, foldLines, colorize } from './utils/formatting'
+import { startSpaces, optionSpaces } from './utils/constants'
 import getCommand from './commands'
 
 export default async function listCommands() {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/options/common.js b/packages/cli/src/options/common.js
index 3b4014f5de..f5f6fa25d3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/options/common.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/options/common.js
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ export default {
       }
     }
   },
+  // TODO: Change this to default: false in Nuxt v3 (see related todo's)
+  'force-exit': {
+    type: 'boolean',
+    default: true,
+    description: 'Do not force Nuxt.js to exit after the command has finished (this option has no effect on commands which start a server)'
+  },
   version: {
     alias: 'v',
     type: 'boolean',
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/setup.js b/packages/cli/src/setup.js
index 15a2f67537..fdcd8145c8 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/setup.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/setup.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import consola from 'consola'
-import chalk from 'chalk'
-import boxen from 'boxen'
+import exit from 'exit'
+import { fatalBox } from './utils/formatting'
 
 let _setup = false
 
@@ -26,17 +26,9 @@ export default function setup({ dev }) {
   consola.addReporter({
     log(logObj) {
       if (logObj.type === 'fatal') {
-        process.stderr.write(boxen([
-          chalk.red('✖ Nuxt Fatal Error'),
-          '',
-          chalk.white(String(logObj.args[0]))
-        ].join('\n'), {
-          borderColor: 'red',
-          borderStyle: 'round',
-          padding: 1,
-          margin: 1
-        }) + '\n')
-        process.exit(1)
+        const errorMessage = String(logObj.args[0])
+        process.stderr.write(fatalBox(errorMessage))
+        exit(1)
       }
     }
   })
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/constants.js b/packages/cli/src/utils/constants.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4bd9089e8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/constants.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+export const forceExitTimeout = 5
+
+export const startSpaces = 2
+export const optionSpaces = 2
+
+// 80% of terminal column width
+// this is a fn because console width can have changed since startup
+export const maxCharsPerLine = () => (process.stdout.columns || 100) * 80 / 100
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/formatting.js b/packages/cli/src/utils/formatting.js
index 78b1c82cdc..b22f5bcba1 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/formatting.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/formatting.js
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 import wrapAnsi from 'wrap-ansi'
 import chalk from 'chalk'
-
-export const startSpaces = 2
-export const optionSpaces = 2
-
-// 80% of terminal column width
-export const maxCharsPerLine = (process.stdout.columns || 100) * 80 / 100
+import boxen from 'boxen'
+import { maxCharsPerLine } from './constants'
 
 export function indent(count, chr = ' ') {
   return chr.repeat(count)
@@ -25,8 +21,8 @@ export function indentLines(string, spaces, firstLineSpaces) {
   return s
 }
 
-export function foldLines(string, spaces, firstLineSpaces, maxCharsPerLine) {
-  return indentLines(wrapAnsi(string, maxCharsPerLine, { trim: false }), spaces, firstLineSpaces)
+export function foldLines(string, spaces, firstLineSpaces, charsPerLine = maxCharsPerLine()) {
+  return indentLines(wrapAnsi(string, charsPerLine, { trim: false }), spaces, firstLineSpaces)
 }
 
 export function colorize(text) {
@@ -36,3 +32,38 @@ export function colorize(text) {
     .replace(/ (-[-\w,]+)/g, m => chalk.bold(m))
     .replace(/`(.+)`/g, (_, m) => chalk.bold.cyan(m))
 }
+
+export function box(message, title, options) {
+  return boxen([
+    title || chalk.white('Nuxt Message'),
+    '',
+    chalk.white(foldLines(message, 0, 0, maxCharsPerLine()))
+  ].join('\n'), Object.assign({
+    borderColor: 'white',
+    borderStyle: 'round',
+    padding: 1,
+    margin: 1
+  }, options)) + '\n'
+}
+
+export function successBox(message, title) {
+  return box(message, title || chalk.green('✔ Nuxt Success'), {
+    borderColor: 'green'
+  })
+}
+
+export function warningBox(message, title) {
+  return box(message, title || chalk.yellow('⚠ Nuxt Warning'), {
+    borderColor: 'yellow'
+  })
+}
+
+export function errorBox(message, title) {
+  return box(message, title || chalk.red('✖ Nuxt Error'), {
+    borderColor: 'red'
+  })
+}
+
+export function fatalBox(message, title) {
+  return errorBox(message, title || chalk.red('✖ Nuxt Fatal Error'))
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/index.js b/packages/cli/src/utils/index.js
index 55dd734e92..a0ea81357e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/index.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/index.js
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ import path from 'path'
 import { existsSync } from 'fs'
 import consola from 'consola'
 import esm from 'esm'
+import exit from 'exit'
 import defaultsDeep from 'lodash/defaultsDeep'
 import { defaultNuxtConfigFile, getDefaultNuxtConfig } from '@nuxt/config'
-import boxen from 'boxen'
 import chalk from 'chalk'
 import prettyBytes from 'pretty-bytes'
 import env from 'std-env'
+import { successBox, warningBox } from './formatting'
 
 export const requireModule = process.env.NUXT_TS ? require : esm(module, {
   cache: false,
@@ -87,37 +88,30 @@ export function showBanner(nuxt) {
     return
   }
 
-  const lines = []
+  const titleLines = []
+  const messageLines = []
 
   // Name and version
-  lines.push(`${chalk.green.bold('Nuxt.js')} ${nuxt.constructor.version}`)
+  titleLines.push(`${chalk.green.bold('Nuxt.js')} ${nuxt.constructor.version}`)
 
   // Running mode
-  lines.push(`Running in ${nuxt.options.dev ? chalk.bold.blue('development') : chalk.bold.green('production')} mode (${chalk.bold(nuxt.options.mode)})`)
+  titleLines.push(`Running in ${nuxt.options.dev ? chalk.bold.blue('development') : chalk.bold.green('production')} mode (${chalk.bold(nuxt.options.mode)})`)
 
   // https://nodejs.org/api/process.html#process_process_memoryusage
   const { heapUsed, rss } = process.memoryUsage()
-  lines.push(`Memory usage: ${chalk.bold(prettyBytes(heapUsed))} (RSS: ${prettyBytes(rss)})`)
+  titleLines.push(`Memory usage: ${chalk.bold(prettyBytes(heapUsed))} (RSS: ${prettyBytes(rss)})`)
 
   // Listeners
-  lines.push('')
   for (const listener of nuxt.server.listeners) {
-    lines.push(chalk.bold('Listening on: ') + chalk.underline.blue(listener.url))
+    messageLines.push(chalk.bold('Listening on: ') + chalk.underline.blue(listener.url))
   }
 
   // Add custom badge messages
   if (nuxt.options.cli.badgeMessages.length) {
-    lines.push('', ...nuxt.options.cli.badgeMessages)
+    messageLines.push('', ...nuxt.options.cli.badgeMessages)
   }
 
-  const box = boxen(lines.join('\n'), {
-    borderColor: 'green',
-    borderStyle: 'round',
-    padding: 1,
-    margin: 1
-  })
-
-  process.stdout.write(box + '\n')
+  process.stdout.write(successBox(messageLines.join('\n'), titleLines.join('\n')))
 }
 
 export function formatPath(filePath) {
@@ -144,3 +138,23 @@ export function normalizeArg(arg, defaultValue) {
   }
   return arg
 }
+
+export function forceExit(cmdName, timeout) {
+  if (timeout) {
+    const exitTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      const msg = `The command 'nuxt ${cmdName}' finished but did not exit after ${timeout}s
+This is most likely not caused by a bug in Nuxt.js\
+Make sure to cleanup all timers and listeners you or your plugins/modules start.
+Nuxt.js will now force exit
+
+${chalk.bold('DeprecationWarning: Starting with Nuxt version 3 this will be a fatal error')}`
+
+      // TODO: Change this to a fatal error in v3
+      process.stderr.write(warningBox(msg))
+      exit(0)
+    }, timeout * 1000)
+    exitTimeout.unref()
+  } else {
+    exit(0)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/__snapshots__/command.test.js.snap b/packages/cli/test/unit/__snapshots__/command.test.js.snap
index f6d1dd00cf..90e827e411 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/unit/__snapshots__/command.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/__snapshots__/command.test.js.snap
@@ -1,22 +1,38 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
 exports[`cli/command builds help text 1`] = `
-"  Usage: nuxt this is how you do it [options]
+"  Usage: nuxt this is how you do it 
+  [options]
 
-  a very long description that should not wrap to the next line because is not longer than the terminal width
+  a very long description that should wrap 
+  to the next line because is not longer 
+  than the terminal width
 
   Options:
 
     --spa, -s          Launch in SPA mode
-    --universal, -u    Launch in Universal mode (default)
-    --config-file, -c  Path to Nuxt.js config file (default: nuxt.config.js)
-    --modern, -m       Build/Start app for modern browsers, e.g. server, client and false
-    --version, -v      Display the Nuxt version
+    --universal, -u    Launch in Universal 
+                       mode (default)
+    --config-file, -c  Path to Nuxt.js 
+                       config file (default: nuxt.config.js)
+    --modern, -m       Build/Start app for 
+                       modern browsers, e.g. server, client and 
+                       false
+    --no-force-exit    Do not force Nuxt.js 
+                       to exit after the command has finished 
+                       (this option has no effect on commands 
+                       which start a server)
+    --version, -v      Display the Nuxt 
+                       version
     --help, -h         Display this message
-    --port, -p         Port number on which to start the application
-    --hostname, -H     Hostname on which to start the application
+    --port, -p         Port number on which 
+                       to start the application
+    --hostname, -H     Hostname on which to 
+                       start the application
     --unix-socket, -n  Path to a UNIX socket
-    --foo              very long option that is not longer than the terminal width and should not wrap to the next line
+    --foo              very long option that 
+                       is longer than the terminal width and 
+                       should wrap to the next line
 
 "
 `;
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/build.test.js b/packages/cli/test/unit/build.test.js
index c0ee730752..5c546524ea 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/unit/build.test.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/build.test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import * as utils from '../../src/utils/'
 import { mockGetNuxt, mockGetBuilder, mockGetGenerator, NuxtCommand } from '../utils'
 
 describe('build', () => {
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ describe('build', () => {
   beforeAll(async () => {
     build = await import('../../src/commands/build').then(m => m.default)
     jest.spyOn(process, 'exit').mockImplementation(code => code)
+    jest.spyOn(utils, 'forceExit').mockImplementation(() => {})
   })
 
   afterEach(() => jest.resetAllMocks())
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/cli.test.js b/packages/cli/test/unit/cli.test.js
index 3690aeec91..5a7dfa7372 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/unit/cli.test.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/cli.test.js
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
 import { run } from '../../src'
 import getCommand from '../../src/commands'
+import * as utils from '../../src/utils/'
 
 jest.mock('../../src/commands')
 
 describe('cli', () => {
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    // TODO: Below spyOn can be removed in v3 when force-exit is default false
+    jest.spyOn(utils, 'forceExit').mockImplementation(() => {})
+  })
+
   afterEach(() => jest.resetAllMocks())
 
   test('calls expected method', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/command.test.js b/packages/cli/test/unit/command.test.js
index cba54c97f3..5aa7e821e5 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/unit/command.test.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/command.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import Command from '../../src/command'
 import { common, server } from '../../src/options'
+import * as utils from '../../src/utils/'
+import * as constants from '../../src/utils/constants'
 import { consola } from '../utils'
 
 jest.mock('@nuxt/core')
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ describe('cli/command', () => {
     const minimistOptions = cmd._getMinimistOptions()
 
     expect(minimistOptions.string.length).toBe(5)
-    expect(minimistOptions.boolean.length).toBe(4)
+    expect(minimistOptions.boolean.length).toBe(5)
     expect(minimistOptions.alias.c).toBe('config-file')
     expect(minimistOptions.default.c).toBe(common['config-file'].default)
   })
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ describe('cli/command', () => {
   })
 
   test('prints version automatically', async () => {
+    jest.spyOn(utils, 'forceExit').mockImplementation(() => {})
+
     const cmd = new Command({}, ['--version'])
     cmd.showVersion = jest.fn()
     await cmd.run()
@@ -46,6 +50,8 @@ describe('cli/command', () => {
   })
 
   test('prints help automatically', async () => {
+    jest.spyOn(utils, 'forceExit').mockImplementation(() => {})
+
     const cmd = new Command({ options: allOptions }, ['-h'])
     cmd.showHelp = jest.fn()
     await cmd.run()
@@ -88,16 +94,18 @@ describe('cli/command', () => {
   })
 
   test('builds help text', () => {
+    jest.spyOn(constants, 'maxCharsPerLine').mockReturnValue(40)
+
     const cmd = new Command({
-      description: 'a very long description that should not wrap to the next line because is not longer ' +
+      description: 'a very long description that should wrap to the next line because is not longer ' +
         'than the terminal width',
       usage: 'this is how you do it',
       options: {
         ...allOptions,
         foo: {
           type: 'boolean',
-          description: 'very long option that is not longer than the terminal width and ' +
-        'should not wrap to the next line'
+          description: 'very long option that is longer than the terminal width and ' +
+        'should wrap to the next line'
         }
       }
     })
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/dev.test.js b/packages/cli/test/unit/dev.test.js
index da52ebc2bd..db5ad0d37e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/unit/dev.test.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/dev.test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import * as utils from '../../src/utils/'
 import { consola, mockNuxt, mockBuilder, mockGetNuxtConfig, NuxtCommand } from '../utils'
 
 describe('dev', () => {
@@ -5,6 +6,8 @@ describe('dev', () => {
 
   beforeAll(async () => {
     dev = await import('../../src/commands/dev').then(m => m.default)
+    // TODO: Below spyOn can be removed in v3 when force-exit is default false
+    jest.spyOn(utils, 'forceExit').mockImplementation(() => {})
   })
 
   afterEach(() => jest.clearAllMocks())
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/generate.test.js b/packages/cli/test/unit/generate.test.js
index b41373871e..1e2f5a40e2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/unit/generate.test.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/generate.test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import * as utils from '../../src/utils/'
 import { mockGetNuxt, mockGetGenerator, NuxtCommand } from '../utils'
 
 describe('generate', () => {
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ describe('generate', () => {
   beforeAll(async () => {
     generate = await import('../../src/commands/generate').then(m => m.default)
     jest.spyOn(process, 'exit').mockImplementation(code => code)
+    jest.spyOn(utils, 'forceExit').mockImplementation(() => {})
   })
 
   afterEach(() => jest.resetAllMocks())
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/start.test.js b/packages/cli/test/unit/start.test.js
index 507125b77f..e1b3bf13bf 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/unit/start.test.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/start.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import fs from 'fs-extra'
+import * as utils from '../../src/utils/'
 import { consola, mockGetNuxtStart, mockGetNuxtConfig, NuxtCommand } from '../utils'
 
 describe('start', () => {
@@ -6,6 +7,8 @@ describe('start', () => {
 
   beforeAll(async () => {
     start = await import('../../src/commands/start').then(m => m.default)
+    // TODO: Below spyOn can be removed in v3 when force-exit is default false
+    jest.spyOn(utils, 'forceExit').mockImplementation(() => {})
   })
 
   afterEach(() => {