diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTracker.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTracker.java
index 376f5d636cb..5b647ff53e3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTracker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTracker.java
@@ -220,6 +220,17 @@ public synchronized void exitWhenFinished() {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tests whether {@link #exitWhenFinished()} has been called, and therefore whether the file cleaner thread will terminate when there are no more objects
+     * being tracked for deletion.
+     *
+     * @return {@code true} if {@link #exitWhenFinished()} has been called, {@code false} otherwise.
+     * @since 2.23.0
+     */
+    public synchronized boolean exitWhenFinishedTest() {
+        return exitWhenFinished;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets a copy of the file paths that failed to delete.
      *
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTrackerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTrackerTest.java
index 85bfea1aa00..bca09be09c5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTrackerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/FileCleaningTrackerTest.java
@@ -115,6 +115,42 @@ public void tearDown() {
         fileCleaningTracker = null;
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testExitWhenFinishedTestMatchesField() {
+        // Before calling exitWhenFinished()
+        assertEquals(fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinished, fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinishedTest(),
+                "exitWhenFinishedTest() must reflect the exitWhenFinished field (before)");
+        fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinished();
+        // After calling exitWhenFinished()
+        assertEquals(fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinished, fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinishedTest(),
+                "exitWhenFinishedTest() must reflect the exitWhenFinished field (after)");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testExitWhenFinishedTestReturnsFalseInitially() {
+        assertFalse(fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinishedTest(), "exitWhenFinishedTest() should return false before exitWhenFinished() is called");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testExitWhenFinishedTestReturnsTrueAfterExitWhenFinished() {
+        fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinished();
+        assertTrue(fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinishedTest(), "exitWhenFinishedTest() should return true after exitWhenFinished() is called");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testExitWhenFinishedTestWithActiveReaper() throws Exception {
+        final String path = testFile.getPath();
+        // Start the reaper by tracking a file
+        final RandomAccessFile raf = createRandomAccessFile();
+        fileCleaningTracker.track(path, raf);
+        assertFalse(fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinishedTest(), "exitWhenFinishedTest() should return false while reaper is still active");
+        assertTrue(fileCleaningTracker.reaper.isAlive(), "Reaper should be alive");
+        fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinished();
+        assertTrue(fileCleaningTracker.exitWhenFinishedTest(),
+                "exitWhenFinishedTest() should return true after exitWhenFinished() is called with active reaper");
+        raf.close();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testFileCleanerDirectory_ForceStrategy_FileSource() throws Exception {
         if (!testFile.getParentFile().exists()) {