diff --git a/tests/test_server.py b/tests/test_server.py
index eaede18df..f693344b0 100644
--- a/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_server.py
@@ -276,3 +276,20 @@ async def app(scope: Scope, receive: ASGIReceiveCallable, send: ASGISendCallable
     ) as extract_json_body:
         assert await extract_json_body(large_request) == {}
         assert await extract_json_body(SIMPLE_GET_REQUEST) == {}
+
+
+async def test_should_exit_setter_clears_exit_event() -> None:
+    """Setting should_exit=False clears the exit event, allowing a paused main_loop to resume."""
+    config = Config(app=app)
+    server = Server(config=config)
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    server._exit_loop = loop
+    server._exit_event = asyncio.Event()
+
+    server.should_exit = True
+    await asyncio.sleep(0)
+    assert server._exit_event.is_set()
+
+    server.should_exit = False
+    await asyncio.sleep(0)
+    assert not server._exit_event.is_set()
diff --git a/uvicorn/server.py b/uvicorn/server.py
index 380e70a78..ab226138d 100644
--- a/uvicorn/server.py
+++ b/uvicorn/server.py
@@ -70,12 +70,28 @@ def __init__(self, config: Config) -> None:
         self.server_state = ServerState()
 
         self.started = False
-        self.should_exit = False
+        self._should_exit = False
+        self._exit_event: asyncio.Event | None = None
+        self._exit_loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop | None = None
         self.force_exit = False
         self.last_notified = 0.0
 
         self._captured_signals: list[int] = []
 
+    @property
+    def should_exit(self) -> bool:
+        return self._should_exit
+
+    @should_exit.setter
+    def should_exit(self, value: bool) -> None:
+        self._should_exit = value
+        loop = self._exit_loop
+        if self._exit_event is not None and loop is not None and not loop.is_closed():
+            if value:
+                loop.call_soon_threadsafe(self._exit_event.set)
+            else:
+                loop.call_soon_threadsafe(self._exit_event.clear)
+
     @functools.cached_property
     def limit_max_requests(self) -> int | None:
         if self.config.limit_max_requests is None:
@@ -240,12 +256,18 @@ def _log_started_message(self, listeners: Sequence[socket.SocketType]) -> None:
             )
 
     async def main_loop(self) -> None:
+        self._exit_loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+        self._exit_event = asyncio.Event()
         counter = 0
         should_exit = await self.on_tick(counter)
         while not should_exit:
             counter += 1
             counter = counter % 864000
-            await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
+            try:
+                async with asyncio.timeout(0.1):
+                    await self._exit_event.wait()
+            except TimeoutError:
+                pass
             should_exit = await self.on_tick(counter)
 
     async def on_tick(self, counter: int) -> bool: