diff --git a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py
index 77c54737..75c28855 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/worker_based/executor.py
@@ -26,10 +26,46 @@ from taskflow.engines.worker_based import proxy
 from taskflow import exceptions as exc
 from taskflow.utils import async_utils
 from taskflow.utils import misc
+from taskflow.utils import reflection
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def _is_alive(thread):
+    if not thread:
+        return False
+    return thread.is_alive()
+
+
+class PeriodicWorker(object):
+    """Calls a set of functions when activated periodically.
+
+    NOTE(harlowja): the provided timeout object determines the periodicity.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, timeout, functors):
+        self._timeout = timeout
+        self._functors = []
+        for f in functors:
+            self._functors.append((f, reflection.get_callable_name(f)))
+
+    def start(self):
+        while not self._timeout.is_stopped():
+            for (f, f_name) in self._functors:
+                LOG.debug("Calling periodic function '%s'", f_name)
+                try:
+                    f()
+                except Exception:
+                    LOG.warn("Failed to call periodic function '%s'", f_name,
+                             exc_info=True)
+            self._timeout.wait()
+
+    def stop(self):
+        self._timeout.interrupt()
+
+    def reset(self):
+        self._timeout.reset()
+
+
 class WorkerTaskExecutor(executor.TaskExecutorBase):
     """Executes tasks on remote workers."""
 
@@ -41,8 +77,9 @@ class WorkerTaskExecutor(executor.TaskExecutorBase):
         self._proxy = proxy.Proxy(uuid, exchange, self._on_message,
                                   self._on_wait, **kwargs)
         self._proxy_thread = None
-        self._notify_thread = None
-        self._notify_timeout = misc.Timeout(pr.NOTIFY_PERIOD)
+        self._periodic = PeriodicWorker(misc.Timeout(pr.NOTIFY_PERIOD),
+                                        [self._notify_topics])
+        self._periodic_thread = None
 
     def _make_thread(self, target):
         thread = threading.Thread(target=target)
@@ -134,7 +171,7 @@ class WorkerTaskExecutor(executor.TaskExecutorBase):
 
     def _submit_task(self, task, task_uuid, action, arguments,
                      progress_callback, timeout=pr.REQUEST_TIMEOUT, **kwargs):
-        """Submit task request to workers."""
+        """Submit task request to a worker."""
         request = pr.Request(task, task_uuid, action, arguments,
                              progress_callback, timeout, **kwargs)
 
@@ -168,11 +205,8 @@ class WorkerTaskExecutor(executor.TaskExecutorBase):
                 request.set_result(failure)
 
     def _notify_topics(self):
-        """Cyclically publish notify message to each topic."""
-        LOG.debug("Notify thread started.")
-        while not self._notify_timeout.is_stopped():
-            self._proxy.publish(pr.Notify(), self._topics, reply_to=self._uuid)
-            self._notify_timeout.wait()
+        """Cyclically called to publish notify message to each topic."""
+        self._proxy.publish(pr.Notify(), self._topics, reply_to=self._uuid)
 
     def execute_task(self, task, task_uuid, arguments,
                      progress_callback=None):
@@ -191,23 +225,24 @@ class WorkerTaskExecutor(executor.TaskExecutorBase):
 
     def start(self):
         """Start proxy thread (and associated topic notification thread)."""
-        if self._proxy_thread is None:
+        if not _is_alive(self._proxy_thread):
             self._proxy_thread = self._make_thread(self._proxy.start)
             self._proxy_thread.start()
             self._proxy.wait()
-            self._notify_timeout.reset()
-            self._notify_thread = self._make_thread(self._notify_topics)
-            self._notify_thread.start()
+        if not _is_alive(self._periodic_thread):
+            self._periodic.reset()
+            self._periodic_thread = self._make_thread(self._periodic.start)
+            self._periodic_thread.start()
 
     def stop(self):
         """Stop proxy thread (and associated topic notification thread), so
         those threads will be gracefully terminated.
         """
+        if self._periodic_thread is not None:
+            self._periodic.stop()
+            self._periodic_thread.join()
+            self._periodic_thread = None
         if self._proxy_thread is not None:
-            if self._proxy_thread.is_alive():
-                self._notify_timeout.interrupt()
-                self._notify_thread.join()
-                self._proxy.stop()
-                self._proxy_thread.join()
-            self._notify_thread = None
+            self._proxy.stop()
+            self._proxy_thread.join()
             self._proxy_thread = None