diff --git a/docs/api.rst b/docs/api.rst
index 45241afe..35ed547c 100644
--- a/docs/api.rst
+++ b/docs/api.rst
@@ -740,6 +740,18 @@ Context Class
     masters, and child contexts who later become parents. Currently when this
     class is required, the target context's router is upgraded at runtime.
 
+    .. method:: shutdown (wait=False)
+
+        Arrange for the context to receive a ``SHUTDOWN`` message, triggering
+        graceful shutdown.
+
+        Due to a lack of support for timers, no attempt is made yet to force
+        terminate a hung context using this method. This will be fixed shortly.
+
+        :param bool wait:
+            If :py:data:`True`, block the calling thread until the context has
+            completely terminated.
+
     .. method:: call_async (fn, \*args, \*\*kwargs)
 
         Arrange for the context's ``CALL_FUNCTION`` handle to receive a
diff --git a/mitogen/parent.py b/mitogen/parent.py
index 08081031..801c1282 100644
--- a/mitogen/parent.py
+++ b/mitogen/parent.py
@@ -308,6 +308,9 @@ class Stream(mitogen.core.Stream):
     #: True to cause context to write /tmp/mitogen.stats.<pid>.<thread>.log.
     profiling = False
 
+    #: Set to the child's PID by connect().
+    pid = None
+
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(Stream, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         self.sent_modules = set(['mitogen', 'mitogen.core'])
@@ -351,6 +354,16 @@ class Stream(mitogen.core.Stream):
             )
         )
 
+    def on_disconnect(self, broker):
+        pid, status = os.waitpid(self.pid, os.WNOHANG)
+        if pid:
+            LOG.debug('%r: child process exit status was %d', self, status)
+        else:
+            LOG.debug('%r: child process still alive, sending SIGTERM', self)
+            os.kill(self.pid, signal.SIGTERM)
+            pid, status = os.waitpid(self.pid, 0)
+        super(Stream, self).on_disconnect(broker)
+
     # Minimised, gzipped, base64'd and passed to 'python -c'. It forks, dups
     # file descriptor 0 as 100, creates a pipe, then execs a new interpreter
     # with a custom argv.
@@ -425,8 +438,8 @@ class Stream(mitogen.core.Stream):
 
     def connect(self):
         LOG.debug('%r.connect()', self)
-        pid, fd = self.create_child(*self.get_boot_command())
-        self.name = 'local.%s' % (pid,)
+        self.pid, fd = self.create_child(*self.get_boot_command())
+        self.name = 'local.%s' % (self.pid,)
         self.receive_side = mitogen.core.Side(self, fd)
         self.transmit_side = mitogen.core.Side(self, os.dup(fd))
         LOG.debug('%r.connect(): child process stdin/stdout=%r',
@@ -492,6 +505,20 @@ class Context(mitogen.core.Context):
         receiver = self.call_async(fn, *args, **kwargs)
         return receiver.get().unpickle(throw_dead=False)
 
+    def shutdown(self, wait=False):
+        LOG.debug('%r.shutdown() sending SHUTDOWN', self)
+        latch = mitogen.core.Latch()
+        mitogen.core.listen(self, 'disconnect', lambda: latch.put(None))
+
+        self.send(
+            mitogen.core.Message(
+                handle=mitogen.core.SHUTDOWN,
+            )
+        )
+
+        if wait:
+            latch.get()
+
 
 class RouteMonitor(object):
     def __init__(self, router, parent=None):
diff --git a/tests/parent_test.py b/tests/parent_test.py
index 1a2d0a19..169d237b 100644
--- a/tests/parent_test.py
+++ b/tests/parent_test.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import os
 import subprocess
 import time
 
@@ -7,6 +8,14 @@ import mitogen.parent
 import testlib
 
 
+class ContextTest(testlib.RouterMixin, unittest2.TestCase):
+    def test_context_shutdown(self):
+        local = self.router.local()
+        pid = local.call(os.getpid)
+        local.shutdown(wait=True)
+        self.assertRaises(OSError, lambda: os.kill(pid, 0))
+
+
 class IterReadTest(unittest2.TestCase):
     func = staticmethod(mitogen.parent.iter_read)