diff --git a/.changeset/famous-dingos-tease.md b/.changeset/famous-dingos-tease.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..85b580366b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/famous-dingos-tease.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+'xstate': minor
+---
+
+An actor being stopped can now be observed:
+
+```ts
+const actor = createActor(machine);
+
+actor.subscribe({
+  next: (snapshot) => {
+    if (snapshot.status === 'stopped') {
+      console.log('Actor stopped');
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+actor.start();
+
+// ...
+
+actor.stop();
+```
diff --git a/packages/core/src/interpreter.ts b/packages/core/src/interpreter.ts
index 46728387ba..627ec2feb9 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/interpreter.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/interpreter.ts
@@ -247,15 +247,19 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
       }
     }
 
+    const notifyObservers = () => {
+      for (const observer of this.observers) {
+        try {
+          observer.next?.(snapshot);
+        } catch (err) {
+          reportUnhandledError(err);
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
     switch ((this._snapshot as any).status) {
       case 'active':
-        for (const observer of this.observers) {
-          try {
-            observer.next?.(snapshot);
-          } catch (err) {
-            reportUnhandledError(err);
-          }
-        }
+        notifyObservers();
         break;
       case 'done':
         // next observers are meant to be notified about done snapshots
@@ -264,13 +268,7 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
         // it's more ergonomic for XState to treat a done snapshot as a "next" value
         // and the completion event as something that is separate,
         // something that merely follows emitting that done snapshot
-        for (const observer of this.observers) {
-          try {
-            observer.next?.(snapshot);
-          } catch (err) {
-            reportUnhandledError(err);
-          }
-        }
+        notifyObservers();
 
         this._stopProcedure();
         this._complete();
@@ -286,6 +284,9 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
       case 'error':
         this._error((this._snapshot as any).error);
         break;
+      case 'stopped':
+        notifyObservers();
+        break;
     }
     this.system._sendInspectionEvent({
       type: '@xstate.snapshot',
@@ -513,22 +514,27 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
     this.update(nextState, event);
     if (event.type === XSTATE_STOP) {
       this._stopProcedure();
-      this._complete();
     }
   }
 
-  private _stop(): this {
+  private _stop(): void {
     if (this._processingStatus === ProcessingStatus.Stopped) {
-      return this;
+      return;
     }
     this.mailbox.clear();
     if (this._processingStatus === ProcessingStatus.NotStarted) {
       this._processingStatus = ProcessingStatus.Stopped;
-      return this;
+      return;
     }
     this.mailbox.enqueue({ type: XSTATE_STOP } as any);
-
-    return this;
+    this._processingStatus = ProcessingStatus.Stopped;
+    // this.update(
+    //   {
+    //     ...(this._snapshot as any),
+    //     status: 'stopped'
+    //   },
+    //   { event: 'xstate.stop' } as any
+    // );
   }
 
   /**
@@ -538,7 +544,8 @@ export class Actor<TLogic extends AnyActorLogic>
     if (this._parent) {
       throw new Error('A non-root actor cannot be stopped directly.');
     }
-    return this._stop();
+    this._stop();
+    return this;
   }
   private _complete(): void {
     for (const observer of this.observers) {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/interpreter.test.ts b/packages/core/test/interpreter.test.ts
index 8bd2ac7528..c6ff73f061 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/interpreter.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/interpreter.test.ts
@@ -1414,20 +1414,37 @@ describe('interpreter', () => {
       expect(completeCb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
 
-    it('should call complete() once the interpreter is stopped', () => {
-      const completeCb = jest.fn();
+    it('should not call complete() once the actor is stopped', (done) => {
+      const spy = jest.fn();
 
-      const service = createActor(createMachine({})).start();
+      const actorRef = createActor(createMachine({})).start();
 
-      service.subscribe({
-        complete: () => {
-          completeCb();
+      actorRef.subscribe({
+        complete: spy,
+        next: (s) => {
+          if (s.status === 'stopped') {
+            done();
+          }
         }
       });
 
-      service.stop();
+      actorRef.stop();
 
-      expect(completeCb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+    });
+
+    it('stopping an actor can be observed via snapshot.status', (done) => {
+      const actorRef = createActor(createMachine({})).start();
+
+      actorRef.subscribe({
+        next: (s) => {
+          if (s.status === 'stopped') {
+            done();
+          }
+        }
+      });
+
+      actorRef.stop();
     });
   });