diff --git a/integration/hooks/e2e/enable-shutdown-hook.spec.ts b/integration/hooks/e2e/enable-shutdown-hook.spec.ts
index 6cd93d9a1..9e35bb1d0 100644
--- a/integration/hooks/e2e/enable-shutdown-hook.spec.ts
+++ b/integration/hooks/e2e/enable-shutdown-hook.spec.ts
@@ -51,4 +51,21 @@ describe('enableShutdownHooks', () => {
     expect(result.stdout.toString().trim()).to.be.eq('');
     done();
   }).timeout(10000);
+
+  it('should call the correct hooks with useProcessExit option', done => {
+    const result = spawnSync('ts-node', [
+      join(__dirname, '../src/enable-shutdown-hooks-main.ts'),
+      'SIGHUP',
+      'SIGHUP',
+      'graceful',
+    ]);
+    const calls = result.stdout
+      .toString()
+      .split('\n')
+      .map((call: string) => call.trim());
+    expect(calls[0]).to.equal('beforeApplicationShutdown SIGHUP');
+    expect(calls[1]).to.equal('onApplicationShutdown SIGHUP');
+    expect(result.status).to.equal(0);
+    done();
+  }).timeout(10000);
 });
diff --git a/integration/hooks/src/enable-shutdown-hooks-main.ts b/integration/hooks/src/enable-shutdown-hooks-main.ts
index 565b2d59f..8c98caff6 100644
--- a/integration/hooks/src/enable-shutdown-hooks-main.ts
+++ b/integration/hooks/src/enable-shutdown-hooks-main.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
 import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
 const SIGNAL = process.argv[2];
 const SIGNAL_TO_LISTEN = process.argv[3];
+const USE_GRACEFUL_EXIT = process.argv[4] === 'graceful';
 
 @Injectable()
 class TestInjectable
@@ -29,10 +30,12 @@ class AppModule {}
 async function bootstrap() {
   const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule, { logger: false });
 
+  const shutdownOptions = USE_GRACEFUL_EXIT ? { useProcessExit: true } : {};
+
   if (SIGNAL_TO_LISTEN && SIGNAL_TO_LISTEN !== 'NONE') {
-    app.enableShutdownHooks([SIGNAL_TO_LISTEN]);
+    app.enableShutdownHooks([SIGNAL_TO_LISTEN], shutdownOptions);
   } else if (SIGNAL_TO_LISTEN !== 'NONE') {
-    app.enableShutdownHooks();
+    app.enableShutdownHooks([], shutdownOptions);
   }
 
   await app.listen(1800);
diff --git a/packages/common/interfaces/index.ts b/packages/common/interfaces/index.ts
index 206cdac8b..94ceff93c 100644
--- a/packages/common/interfaces/index.ts
+++ b/packages/common/interfaces/index.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export * from './nest-application-options.interface';
 export * from './nest-application.interface';
 export * from './nest-microservice.interface';
 export * from './scope-options.interface';
+export * from './shutdown-hooks-options.interface';
 export * from './type.interface';
 export * from './version-options.interface';
 export * from './websockets/web-socket-adapter.interface';
diff --git a/packages/common/interfaces/nest-application-context.interface.ts b/packages/common/interfaces/nest-application-context.interface.ts
index 3a8fe4396..3c2d5c4a3 100644
--- a/packages/common/interfaces/nest-application-context.interface.ts
+++ b/packages/common/interfaces/nest-application-context.interface.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { ShutdownSignal } from '../enums/shutdown-signal.enum';
 import { LoggerService, LogLevel } from '../services/logger.service';
 import { DynamicModule } from './modules';
 import { NestApplicationContextOptions } from './nest-application-context-options.interface';
+import { ShutdownHooksOptions } from './shutdown-hooks-options.interface';
 import { Type } from './type.interface';
 
 export type SelectOptions = Pick<NestApplicationContextOptions, 'abortOnError'>;
@@ -143,9 +144,15 @@ export interface INestApplicationContext {
    * `onApplicationShutdown` function of a provider if the
    * process receives a shutdown signal.
    *
+   * @param {ShutdownSignal[] | string[]} [signals] The system signals to listen to
+   * @param {ShutdownHooksOptions} [options] Options for configuring shutdown hooks behavior
+   *
    * @returns {this} The Nest application context instance
    */
-  enableShutdownHooks(signals?: ShutdownSignal[] | string[]): this;
+  enableShutdownHooks(
+    signals?: ShutdownSignal[] | string[],
+    options?: ShutdownHooksOptions,
+  ): this;
 
   /**
    * Initializes the Nest application.
diff --git a/packages/common/interfaces/shutdown-hooks-options.interface.ts b/packages/common/interfaces/shutdown-hooks-options.interface.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3508c9467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/common/interfaces/shutdown-hooks-options.interface.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/**
+ * Options for configuring shutdown hooks behavior.
+ *
+ * @publicApi
+ */
+export interface ShutdownHooksOptions {
+  /**
+   * If true, uses `process.exit()` instead of `process.kill(process.pid, signal)`
+   * after shutdown hooks complete. This ensures the 'exit' event is properly
+   * triggered, which is required for async loggers (like Pino with transports)
+   * to flush their buffers before the process terminates.
+   *
+   * Note: Using `process.exit()` will:
+   * - Change the exit code (e.g., SIGTERM: 143 → 0)
+   * - May not trigger other signal handlers from third-party libraries
+   * - May affect orchestrator (Kubernetes, Docker) behavior
+   *
+   * @default false
+   */
+  useProcessExit?: boolean;
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/nest-application-context.ts b/packages/core/nest-application-context.ts
index 8d9eb92e0..209283655 100644
--- a/packages/core/nest-application-context.ts
+++ b/packages/core/nest-application-context.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   DynamicModule,
   GetOrResolveOptions,
   SelectOptions,
+  ShutdownHooksOptions,
   Type,
 } from '@nestjs/common/interfaces';
 import { NestApplicationContextOptions } from '@nestjs/common/interfaces/nest-application-context-options.interface';
@@ -316,10 +317,14 @@ export class NestApplicationContext<
    * process receives a shutdown signal.
    *
    * @param {ShutdownSignal[]} [signals=[]] The system signals it should listen to
+   * @param {ShutdownHooksOptions} [options={}] Options for configuring shutdown hooks behavior
    *
    * @returns {this} The Nest application context instance
    */
-  public enableShutdownHooks(signals: (ShutdownSignal | string)[] = []): this {
+  public enableShutdownHooks(
+    signals: (ShutdownSignal | string)[] = [],
+    options: ShutdownHooksOptions = {},
+  ): this {
     if (isEmpty(signals)) {
       signals = Object.keys(ShutdownSignal).map(
         (key: string) => ShutdownSignal[key],
@@ -336,7 +341,7 @@ export class NestApplicationContext<
       .filter(signal => !this.activeShutdownSignals.includes(signal))
       .toArray();
 
-    this.listenToShutdownSignals(signals);
+    this.listenToShutdownSignals(signals, options);
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -351,8 +356,12 @@ export class NestApplicationContext<
    * process events
    *
    * @param {string[]} signals The system signals it should listen to
+   * @param {ShutdownHooksOptions} options Options for configuring shutdown hooks behavior
    */
-  protected listenToShutdownSignals(signals: string[]) {
+  protected listenToShutdownSignals(
+    signals: string[],
+    options: ShutdownHooksOptions = {},
+  ) {
     let receivedSignal = false;
     const cleanup = async (signal: string) => {
       try {
@@ -368,7 +377,15 @@ export class NestApplicationContext<
         await this.dispose();
         await this.callShutdownHook(signal);
         signals.forEach(sig => process.removeListener(sig, cleanup));
-        process.kill(process.pid, signal);
+
+        if (options.useProcessExit) {
+          // Use process.exit() to ensure the 'exit' event is properly triggered.
+          // This is required for async loggers (like Pino with transports)
+          // to flush their buffers before the process terminates.
+          process.exit(0);
+        } else {
+          process.kill(process.pid, signal);
+        }
       } catch (err) {
         Logger.error(
           MESSAGES.ERROR_DURING_SHUTDOWN,
diff --git a/packages/core/test/nest-application-context.spec.ts b/packages/core/test/nest-application-context.spec.ts
index 13ce6e660..7188f1e07 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/nest-application-context.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/nest-application-context.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { InjectionToken, Provider, Scope, Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { Injectable, InjectionToken, Provider, Scope } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import * as sinon from 'sinon';
 import { setTimeout } from 'timers/promises';
@@ -154,6 +154,56 @@ describe('NestApplicationContext', () => {
 
       clock.restore();
     });
+
+    it('should use process.exit when useProcessExit option is enabled', async () => {
+      const signal = 'SIGTERM';
+      const applicationContext = await testHelper(A, Scope.DEFAULT);
+
+      const processExitStub = sinon.stub(process, 'exit');
+      const processKillStub = sinon.stub(process, 'kill');
+
+      applicationContext.enableShutdownHooks([signal], {
+        useProcessExit: true,
+      });
+
+      const hookStub = sinon
+        .stub(applicationContext as any, 'callShutdownHook')
+        .callsFake(async () => undefined);
+
+      const shutdownCleanupRef = applicationContext['shutdownCleanupRef']!;
+      await shutdownCleanupRef(signal);
+
+      hookStub.restore();
+      processExitStub.restore();
+      processKillStub.restore();
+
+      expect(processExitStub.calledOnceWith(0)).to.be.true;
+      expect(processKillStub.called).to.be.false;
+    });
+
+    it('should use process.kill when useProcessExit option is not enabled', async () => {
+      const signal = 'SIGTERM';
+      const applicationContext = await testHelper(A, Scope.DEFAULT);
+
+      const processExitStub = sinon.stub(process, 'exit');
+      const processKillStub = sinon.stub(process, 'kill');
+
+      applicationContext.enableShutdownHooks([signal]);
+
+      const hookStub = sinon
+        .stub(applicationContext as any, 'callShutdownHook')
+        .callsFake(async () => undefined);
+
+      const shutdownCleanupRef = applicationContext['shutdownCleanupRef']!;
+      await shutdownCleanupRef(signal);
+
+      hookStub.restore();
+      processExitStub.restore();
+      processKillStub.restore();
+
+      expect(processKillStub.calledOnceWith(process.pid, signal)).to.be.true;
+      expect(processExitStub.called).to.be.false;
+    });
   });
 
   describe('get', () => {