diff --git a/plugins/out_exit/exit.c b/plugins/out_exit/exit.c
index 825903ac09e..59df850879f 100644
--- a/plugins/out_exit/exit.c
+++ b/plugins/out_exit/exit.c
@@ -19,15 +19,22 @@
 
 #include <fluent-bit/flb_output_plugin.h>
 #include <fluent-bit/flb_utils.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_time.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_log_event_decoder.h>
 
-#define FLB_EXIT_FLUSH_COUNT  "1"
+#define FLB_EXIT_FLUSH_COUNT  "-1"
+#define FLB_EXIT_RECORD_COUNT "-1"
+#define FLB_EXIT_TIME_COUNT   "-1"
 
 struct flb_exit {
     int is_running;
-    int count;
+    struct flb_time start_time;
 
     /* config */
     int flush_count;
+    int record_count;
+    int time_count;
+    struct flb_output_instance *ins;
 };
 
 static int cb_exit_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins, struct flb_config *config,
@@ -43,8 +50,13 @@ static int cb_exit_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins, struct flb_config *conf
         flb_errno();
         return -1;
     }
-    ctx->count = 0;
+    ctx->ins = ins;
     ctx->is_running = FLB_TRUE;
+    flb_time_get(&ctx->start_time);
+
+    ctx->flush_count = -1;
+    ctx->record_count = -1;
+    ctx->time_count = -1;
 
     ret = flb_output_config_map_set(ins, (void *) ctx);
     if (ret == -1) {
@@ -52,6 +64,13 @@ static int cb_exit_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins, struct flb_config *conf
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (ctx->flush_count == -1 &&
+        ctx->record_count == -1 &&
+        ctx->time_count == -1) {
+        // emulate legacy behaviour by setting to a single flush.
+        ctx->flush_count = 1;
+    }
+
     flb_output_set_context(ins, ctx);
 
     return 0;
@@ -66,11 +85,57 @@ static void cb_exit_flush(struct flb_event_chunk *event_chunk,
     (void) i_ins;
     (void) out_context;
     struct flb_exit *ctx = out_context;
-
-    ctx->count++;
-    if (ctx->is_running == FLB_TRUE && ctx->count >= ctx->flush_count) {
-        flb_engine_exit(config);
-        ctx->is_running = FLB_FALSE;
+    struct flb_log_event_decoder log_decoder;
+    struct flb_log_event         log_event;
+    struct flb_time now;
+    struct flb_time run;
+    int result;
+
+    if (ctx->is_running == FLB_TRUE) {
+        if (ctx->flush_count > 0) {
+            ctx->flush_count--;
+        }
+
+        if (ctx->record_count > 0 && event_chunk->type == FLB_EVENT_TYPE_LOGS) {
+            result = flb_log_event_decoder_init(&log_decoder,
+                                               (char *) event_chunk->data,
+                                               event_chunk->size);
+            if (result != FLB_EVENT_DECODER_SUCCESS) {
+                flb_plg_error(ctx->ins,
+                              "Log event decoder initialization error : %d", result);
+
+                FLB_OUTPUT_RETURN(FLB_RETRY);
+            }
+
+            while (flb_log_event_decoder_next(&log_decoder,
+                                              &log_event) == FLB_EVENT_DECODER_SUCCESS) {
+                if (ctx->record_count > 0) {
+                    ctx->record_count--;
+                }
+            }
+
+            result = flb_log_event_decoder_get_last_result(&log_decoder);
+            flb_log_event_decoder_destroy(&log_decoder);
+
+            if (result != FLB_EVENT_DECODER_SUCCESS) {
+                flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "Log event decoder error : %d", result);
+                FLB_OUTPUT_RETURN(FLB_ERROR);
+            }
+
+            FLB_OUTPUT_RETURN(FLB_OK);
+        }
+
+        if (ctx->time_count > 0) {
+            flb_time_get(&now);
+            flb_time_diff(&now, &ctx->start_time, &run);
+        }
+
+        if (ctx->flush_count == 0 ||
+            ctx->record_count == 0 ||
+            (ctx->time_count > 0 && flb_time_to_millisec(&run) > (ctx->time_count*1000))) {
+            flb_engine_exit(config);
+            ctx->is_running = FLB_FALSE;
+        }
     }
 
     FLB_OUTPUT_RETURN(FLB_OK);
@@ -90,7 +155,17 @@ static struct flb_config_map config_map[] = {
     {
      FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "flush_count", FLB_EXIT_FLUSH_COUNT,
      0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_exit, flush_count),
-     NULL
+     "number of flushes before exiting"
+    },
+    {
+     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "record_count", FLB_EXIT_RECORD_COUNT,
+     0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_exit, record_count),
+     "number of records received before exiting"
+    },
+    {
+     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "time_count", FLB_EXIT_TIME_COUNT,
+     0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_exit, time_count),
+     "number of seconds before exiting (will trigger upon receiving a flush)"
     },
 
     /* EOF */