diff --git a/aws/resources/ecs_cluster.go b/aws/resources/ecs_cluster.go
index 1f5c0cf7..66c41b06 100644
--- a/aws/resources/ecs_cluster.go
+++ b/aws/resources/ecs_cluster.go
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ package resources
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"github.com/gruntwork-io/cloud-nuke/util"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/gruntwork-io/cloud-nuke/util"
+
 	"github.com/gruntwork-io/cloud-nuke/telemetry"
 	commonTelemetry "github.com/gruntwork-io/go-commons/telemetry"
 
@@ -124,6 +125,34 @@ func (clusters *ECSClusters) getAll(c context.Context, configObj config.Config)
 	return filteredEcsClusters, nil
 }
 
+func (clusters *ECSClusters) stopClusterRunningTasks(clusterArn *string) error {
+	logging.Debugf("[TASK] stopping tasks running on cluster %v", *clusterArn)
+	// before deleting the cluster, remove the active tasks on that cluster
+	runningTasks, err := clusters.Client.ListTasks(&ecs.ListTasksInput{
+		Cluster:       clusterArn,
+		DesiredStatus: aws.String("RUNNING"),
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.WithStackTrace(err)
+	}
+
+	// stop the listed tasks
+	for _, task := range runningTasks.TaskArns {
+		_, err := clusters.Client.StopTask(&ecs.StopTaskInput{
+			Cluster: clusterArn,
+			Task:    task,
+			Reason:  aws.String("Terminating task due to cluster deletion"),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			logging.Debugf("[TASK] Unable to stop the task %s on cluster %s. Reason: %v", *task, *clusterArn, err)
+			return errors.WithStackTrace(err)
+		}
+		logging.Debugf("[TASK] Success, stopped task %v", *task)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (clusters *ECSClusters) nukeAll(ecsClusterArns []*string) error {
 	numNuking := len(ecsClusterArns)
 
@@ -136,10 +165,18 @@ func (clusters *ECSClusters) nukeAll(ecsClusterArns []*string) error {
 
 	var nukedEcsClusters []*string
 	for _, clusterArn := range ecsClusterArns {
+
+		// before nuking the clusters, do check active tasks on the cluster and stop all of them
+		err := clusters.stopClusterRunningTasks(clusterArn)
+		if err != nil {
+			logging.Debugf("Error, unable to stop the running stasks on the cluster %s %s", aws.StringValue(clusterArn), err)
+			return errors.WithStackTrace(err)
+		}
+
 		params := &ecs.DeleteClusterInput{
 			Cluster: clusterArn,
 		}
-		_, err := clusters.Client.DeleteCluster(params)
+		_, err = clusters.Client.DeleteCluster(params)
 
 		// Record status of this resource
 		e := report.Entry{
@@ -150,7 +187,7 @@ func (clusters *ECSClusters) nukeAll(ecsClusterArns []*string) error {
 		report.Record(e)
 
 		if err != nil {
-			logging.Debugf("Error, failed to delete cluster with ARN %s", aws.StringValue(clusterArn))
+			logging.Debugf("Error, failed to delete cluster with ARN %s %s", aws.StringValue(clusterArn), err)
 			telemetry.TrackEvent(commonTelemetry.EventContext{
 				EventName: "Error Nuking ECS Cluster",
 			}, map[string]interface{}{
diff --git a/aws/resources/ecs_cluster_test.go b/aws/resources/ecs_cluster_test.go
index 9be2532c..da2cc990 100644
--- a/aws/resources/ecs_cluster_test.go
+++ b/aws/resources/ecs_cluster_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ package resources
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"regexp"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ecs"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ecs/ecsiface"
@@ -9,9 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gruntwork-io/cloud-nuke/telemetry"
 	"github.com/gruntwork-io/cloud-nuke/util"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"regexp"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
 )
 
 type mockedEC2Cluster struct {
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ type mockedEC2Cluster struct {
 	TagResourceOutput         ecs.TagResourceOutput
 	ListTagsForResourceOutput ecs.ListTagsForResourceOutput
 	DeleteClusterOutput       ecs.DeleteClusterOutput
+	ListTasksOutput           ecs.ListTasksOutput
+	StopTaskOutput            ecs.StopTaskOutput
 }
 
 func (m mockedEC2Cluster) ListClusters(*ecs.ListClustersInput) (*ecs.ListClustersOutput, error) {
@@ -43,6 +46,13 @@ func (m mockedEC2Cluster) DeleteCluster(*ecs.DeleteClusterInput) (*ecs.DeleteClu
 	return &m.DeleteClusterOutput, nil
 }
 
+func (m mockedEC2Cluster) ListTasks(*ecs.ListTasksInput) (*ecs.ListTasksOutput, error) {
+	return &m.ListTasksOutput, nil
+}
+func (m mockedEC2Cluster) StopTask(*ecs.StopTaskInput) (*ecs.StopTaskOutput, error) {
+	return &m.StopTaskOutput, nil
+}
+
 func TestEC2Cluster_GetAll(t *testing.T) {
 	telemetry.InitTelemetry("cloud-nuke", "")
 	t.Parallel()
@@ -84,6 +94,12 @@ func TestEC2Cluster_GetAll(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
+			ListTasksOutput: ecs.ListTasksOutput{
+				TaskArns: []*string{
+					aws.String("task-arn-001"),
+					aws.String("task-arn-002"),
+				},
+			},
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -137,3 +153,23 @@ func TestEC2Cluster_NukeAll(t *testing.T) {
 	err := ec.nukeAll([]*string{aws.String("arn:aws:ecs:us-east-1:123456789012:cluster/cluster1")})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestEC2ClusterWithTasks_NukeAll(t *testing.T) {
+	telemetry.InitTelemetry("cloud-nuke", "")
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ec := ECSClusters{
+		Client: mockedEC2Cluster{
+			DeleteClusterOutput: ecs.DeleteClusterOutput{},
+			ListTasksOutput: ecs.ListTasksOutput{
+				TaskArns: []*string{
+					aws.String("task-arn-001"),
+					aws.String("task-arn-002"),
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := ec.nukeAll([]*string{aws.String("arn:aws:ecs:us-east-1:123456789012:cluster/cluster1")})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}