diff --git a/openstack/common/service.py b/openstack/common/service.py
index 3d9f660..5a84429 100644
--- a/openstack/common/service.py
+++ b/openstack/common/service.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import os
 import random
 import signal
 import sys
-import threading
 import time
 
 try:
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@ except ImportError:
     UnsupportedOperation = None
 
 import eventlet
+from eventlet import event
 from oslo.config import cfg
 
 from openstack.common import eventlet_backdoor
@@ -419,10 +419,11 @@ class Service(object):
         self.tg = threadgroup.ThreadGroup(threads)
 
         # signal that the service is done shutting itself down:
-        self._done = threading.Event()
+        self._done = event.Event()
 
     def reset(self):
-        self._done = threading.Event()
+        # NOTE(Fengqian): docs for Event.reset() recommend against using it
+        self._done = event.Event()
 
     def start(self):
         pass
@@ -431,7 +432,8 @@ class Service(object):
         self.tg.stop()
         self.tg.wait()
         # Signal that service cleanup is done:
-        self._done.set()
+        if not self._done.ready():
+            self._done.send()
 
     def wait(self):
         self._done.wait()
@@ -442,7 +444,7 @@ class Services(object):
     def __init__(self):
         self.services = []
         self.tg = threadgroup.ThreadGroup()
-        self.done = threading.Event()
+        self.done = event.Event()
 
     def add(self, service):
         self.services.append(service)
@@ -456,7 +458,8 @@ class Services(object):
 
         # Each service has performed cleanup, now signal that the run_service
         # wrapper threads can now die:
-        self.done.set()
+        if not self.done.ready():
+            self.done.send()
 
         # reap threads:
         self.tg.stop()
@@ -466,7 +469,7 @@ class Services(object):
 
     def restart(self):
         self.stop()
-        self.done = threading.Event()
+        self.done = event.Event()
         for restart_service in self.services:
             restart_service.reset()
             self.tg.add_thread(self.run_service, restart_service, self.done)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_service.py b/tests/unit/test_service.py
index dfb3460..c54351d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_service.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_service.py
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ import multiprocessing
 import os
 import signal
 import socket
-import threading
 import time
 import traceback
 
 import eventlet
+from eventlet import event
 import mock
 import mox
 
@@ -274,11 +274,11 @@ class ServiceRestartTest(ServiceTestBase):
 class _Service(service.Service):
     def __init__(self):
         super(_Service, self).__init__()
-        self.init = threading.Event()
+        self.init = event.Event()
         self.cleaned_up = False
 
     def start(self):
-        self.init.set()
+        self.init.send()
 
     def stop(self):
         self.cleaned_up = True
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ class LauncherTest(test.BaseTestCase):
 
         launcher.stop()
         self.assertTrue(svc.cleaned_up)
-        self.assertTrue(svc._done.is_set())
+        self.assertTrue(svc._done.ready())
 
         # make sure stop can be called more than once.  (i.e. play nice with
         # unit test fixtures in nova bug #1199315)