diff --git a/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/common/Problems.java b/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/common/Problems.java
index e8bc594e6c..e63bc853b4 100644
--- a/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/common/Problems.java
+++ b/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/common/Problems.java
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ public void abortIfCancelled() {
     }
   }
 
-  protected boolean isCancelled() {
+  public boolean isCancelled() {
     return false;
   }
 
diff --git a/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/transpiler/frontend/kotlin/KotlinParser.kt b/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/transpiler/frontend/kotlin/KotlinParser.kt
index 84e271d2e4..43d730aac6 100644
--- a/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/transpiler/frontend/kotlin/KotlinParser.kt
+++ b/transpiler/java/com/google/j2cl/transpiler/frontend/kotlin/KotlinParser.kt
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.declarations.IrModuleFragment
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.metadata.jvm.deserialization.JvmMetadataVersion
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.metadata.jvm.deserialization.JvmProtoBufUtil
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.modules.TargetId
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.progress.CompilationCanceledException
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.progress.CompilationCanceledStatus
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.progress.ProgressIndicatorAndCompilationCanceledStatus
 
@@ -102,7 +103,9 @@ class KotlinParser(private val problems: Problems) {
       ProgressIndicatorAndCompilationCanceledStatus.setCompilationCanceledStatus(
         object : CompilationCanceledStatus {
           override fun checkCanceled() {
-            problems.abortIfCancelled()
+            // throw CompilationCanceledException instead of our own which is properly handled by
+            // kotlinc to gracefully exit from the compilation.
+            if (problems.isCancelled) throw CompilationCanceledException()
           }
         }
       )