diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Abstractions/src/BackgroundService.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Abstractions/src/BackgroundService.cs
index 49e5e64a968af0..f2d1cea2fb25ad 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Abstractions/src/BackgroundService.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Abstractions/src/BackgroundService.cs
@@ -42,16 +42,10 @@ public virtual Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
             // Create linked token to allow cancelling executing task from provided token
             _stoppingCts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(cancellationToken);
 
-            // Store the task we're executing
-            _executeTask = ExecuteAsync(_stoppingCts.Token);
+            // Execute all of ExecuteAsync asynchronously, and store the task we're executing so that we can wait for it later.
+            _executeTask = Task.Run(() => ExecuteAsync(_stoppingCts.Token), _stoppingCts.Token);
 
-            // If the task is completed then return it, this will bubble cancellation and failure to the caller
-            if (_executeTask.IsCompleted)
-            {
-                return _executeTask;
-            }
-
-            // Otherwise it's running
+            // Always return a completed task.  Any result from ExecuteAsync will be handled by the Host.
             return Task.CompletedTask;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/BackgroundServiceTests.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/BackgroundServiceTests.cs
index 42caec902b37f7..14766a617cbbc6 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/BackgroundServiceTests.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/BackgroundServiceTests.cs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Tests
     public class BackgroundServiceTests
     {
         [Fact]
-        public void StartReturnsCompletedTaskIfLongRunningTaskIsIncomplete()
+        public void StartReturnsCompletedTask()
         {
             var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
             var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
@@ -26,28 +26,14 @@ public void StartReturnsCompletedTaskIfLongRunningTaskIsIncomplete()
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void StartReturnsCompletedTaskIfCancelled()
+        public async Task StartCancelledThrowsTaskCanceledException()
         {
-            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
-            tcs.TrySetCanceled();
-            var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
-
-            var task = service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
-
-            Assert.True(task.IsCompleted);
-            Assert.Same(task, service.ExecuteTask);
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public async Task StartReturnsLongRunningTaskIfFailed()
-        {
-            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
-            tcs.TrySetException(new Exception("fail!"));
-            var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
+            var ct = new CancellationToken(true);
+            var service = new WaitForCancelledTokenService();
 
-            var exception = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<Exception>(() => service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None));
+            await service.StartAsync(ct);
 
-            Assert.Equal("fail!", exception.Message);
+            await Assert.ThrowsAnyAsync<OperationCanceledException>(() => service.ExecuteTask);
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -91,6 +77,7 @@ public async Task StopAsyncThrowsIfCancellationCallbackThrows()
             var service = new ThrowOnCancellationService();
 
             await service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+            await service.WaitForExecuteTask;
 
             var cts = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
             await Assert.ThrowsAsync<AggregateException>(() => service.StopAsync(cts.Token));
@@ -116,6 +103,7 @@ public async Task StartAsyncThenCancelShouldCancelExecutingTask()
             var service = new WaitForCancelledTokenService();
 
             await service.StartAsync(tokenSource.Token);
+            await service.WaitForExecuteTask;
 
             tokenSource.Cancel();
 
@@ -130,19 +118,58 @@ public void CreateAndDisposeShouldNotThrow()
             service.Dispose();
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StartSynchronousAndStop()
+        {
+            var tokenSource = new CancellationTokenSource();
+            var service = new MySynchronousBackgroundService();
+
+            // should not block the start thread;
+            await service.StartAsync(tokenSource.Token);
+            await service.WaitForExecuteTask;
+            await service.StopAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            Assert.True(service.WaitForEndExecuteTask.IsCompleted);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StartSynchronousExecuteShouldBeCancelable()
+        {
+            var tokenSource = new CancellationTokenSource();
+            var service = new MySynchronousBackgroundService();
+
+            await service.StartAsync(tokenSource.Token);
+            await service.WaitForExecuteTask;
+
+            tokenSource.Cancel();
+
+            await service.WaitForEndExecuteTask;
+        }
+
         private class WaitForCancelledTokenService : BackgroundService
         {
+            private TaskCompletionSource<object> _waitForExecuteTask = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+
             public Task ExecutingTask { get; private set; }
 
+            public Task WaitForExecuteTask => _waitForExecuteTask.Task;
+
             protected override Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
             {
                 ExecutingTask = Task.Delay(Timeout.Infinite, stoppingToken);
+
+                _waitForExecuteTask.TrySetResult(null);
+
                 return ExecutingTask;
             }
         }
 
         private class ThrowOnCancellationService : BackgroundService
         {
+            private TaskCompletionSource<object> _waitForExecuteTask = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+
+            public Task WaitForExecuteTask => _waitForExecuteTask.Task;
+
             public int TokenCalls { get; set; }
 
             protected override Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
@@ -158,6 +185,8 @@ protected override Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
                     TokenCalls++;
                 });
 
+                _waitForExecuteTask.TrySetResult(null);
+
                 return new TaskCompletionSource<object>().Task;
             }
         }
@@ -191,5 +220,24 @@ private async Task ExecuteCore(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
                 await task;
             }
         }
+
+        private class MySynchronousBackgroundService : BackgroundService
+        {
+            private TaskCompletionSource<object> _waitForExecuteTask = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+            private TaskCompletionSource<object> _waitForEndExecuteTask = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+
+            public Task WaitForExecuteTask => _waitForExecuteTask.Task;
+            public Task WaitForEndExecuteTask => _waitForEndExecuteTask.Task;
+
+#pragma warning disable CS1998 // Async method lacks 'await' operators and will run synchronously
+            protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
+            {
+                _waitForExecuteTask.TrySetResult(null);
+                stoppingToken.WaitHandle.WaitOne();
+                _waitForEndExecuteTask.TrySetResult(null);
+            }
+#pragma warning restore CS1998 // Async method lacks 'await' operators and will run synchronously
+
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/Internal/HostTests.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/Internal/HostTests.cs
index cd54f9f468ebd6..a7d63ccb5b1a01 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/Internal/HostTests.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/Internal/HostTests.cs
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ public async Task WebHostStopAsyncUsesDefaultTimeoutIfNoTokenProvided()
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public async Task HostPropagatesExceptionsThrownWithBackgroundServiceExceptionBehaviorOfStopHost()
+        public async Task HostStopsWithBackgroundServiceExceptionBehaviorOfStopHost()
         {
             using IHost host = CreateBuilder()
                 .ConfigureServices(
@@ -702,7 +702,12 @@ public async Task HostPropagatesExceptionsThrownWithBackgroundServiceExceptionBe
                     })
                 .Build();
 
-            await Assert.ThrowsAsync<Exception>(() => host.StartAsync());
+            await host.StartAsync();
+
+            // host is expected to catch exception, then trigger ApplicationStopping.
+            // give the host 1 minute to stop.
+            var lifetime = host.Services.GetRequiredService<IHostApplicationLifetime>();
+            Assert.True(lifetime.ApplicationStopping.WaitHandle.WaitOne(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1)));
         }
 
         [Fact]