Method and apparatus for stopping completions using stop codes in an instruction completion table are provided by during a first clock cycle, in response to determining that a given entry in an Instruction Completion Table (ICT) is finalized and is associated with a stop code, completing, according to a program order, instructions included in one or more finalized entries of the ICT located in the ICT before the given entry; during a second clock cycle, after completing the instructions, performing exception processing for a special instruction included in the given entry; and during a third clock cycle, after processing the special instruction, completing, according to the program order, additional instructions in one or more finalized entries located in the ICT after the given entry.