diff --git a/pkg/fs/z_test.go b/pkg/fs/z_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bca132e42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/fs/z_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// +build linux darwin
+
+/*
+Copyright 2013 The Camlistore Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package fs
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"camlistore.org/pkg/test"
+)
+
+// Make sure that the camlistored process started
+// by the World gets terminated when all the tests
+// are done.
+// This works only as long as TestZLastTest is the
+// last test to run in the package.
+func TestZLastTest(t *testing.T) {
+	test.GetWorldMaybe(t).Stop()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/osutil/findproc_appengine.go b/pkg/osutil/findproc_appengine.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..365b69581
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/osutil/findproc_appengine.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// +build !appengine
+
+/*
+Copyright 2013 The Camlistore Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package osutil
+
+import (
+	"log"
+)
+
+func DieOnParentDeath() {
+	// TODO(mpl): maybe the way it's done in findproc_normal.go actually works
+	// on appengine too? Verify that.
+	log.Fatal("DieOnParentDeath not implemented on appengine.")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/osutil/findproc_normal.go b/pkg/osutil/findproc_normal.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..abb8e4d61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/osutil/findproc_normal.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// +build !appengine
+
+/*
+Copyright 2013 The Camlistore Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package osutil
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// DieOnParentDeath starts a goroutine that regularly checks that
+// the current process can find its parent, and calls os.Exit(0)
+// as soon as it cannot.
+func DieOnParentDeath() {
+	// TODO: on Linux, use PR_SET_PDEATHSIG later. For now, the portable way:
+	go func() {
+		pollParent(30 * time.Second)
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}()
+}
+
+// pollParent checks every t that the ppid of the current
+// process has not changed (i.e that the process has not
+// been orphaned). It returns as soon as that ppid changes.
+func pollParent(t time.Duration) {
+	for initial := os.Getppid(); initial == os.Getppid(); time.Sleep(t) {
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/test/integration/z_test.go b/pkg/test/integration/z_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f657d3d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/test/integration/z_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2013 The Camlistore Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package integration
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"camlistore.org/pkg/test"
+)
+
+// Make sure that the camlistored process started
+// by the World gets terminated when all the tests
+// are done.
+// This works only as long as TestZLastTest is the
+// last test to run in the package.
+func TestZLastTest(t *testing.T) {
+	test.GetWorldMaybe(t).Stop()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/test/world.go b/pkg/test/world.go
index 4111d3034..44f45101d 100644
--- a/pkg/test/world.go
+++ b/pkg/test/world.go
@@ -85,12 +85,12 @@ func (w *World) Start() error {
 	{
 		cmd := exec.Command("go", "run", "make.go")
 		cmd.Dir = w.camRoot
-		log.Printf("Running make.go to build camlistore binaries for testing...")
+		log.Print("Running make.go to build camlistore binaries for testing...")
 		out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Error building world: %v, %s", err, string(out))
 		}
-		log.Printf("Ran make.go.")
+		log.Print("Ran make.go.")
 	}
 
 	// Start camlistored.
@@ -99,12 +99,14 @@ func (w *World) Start() error {
 			filepath.Join(w.camRoot, "bin", "camlistored"),
 			"--configfile="+filepath.Join(w.camRoot, "pkg", "test", "testdata", "server-config.json"),
 			"--listen=FD:3",
+			"--pollparent=true",
 		)
 		var buf bytes.Buffer
 		w.server.Stdout = &buf
 		w.server.Stderr = &buf
 		w.server.Dir = w.tempDir
 		w.server.Env = append(os.Environ(),
+			"CAMLI_DEBUG=1",
 			"CAMLI_ROOT="+w.tempDir,
 			"CAMLI_SECRET_RING="+filepath.Join(w.camRoot, filepath.FromSlash("pkg/jsonsign/testdata/test-secring.gpg")),
 			"CAMLI_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:"+strconv.Itoa(w.port),
@@ -146,6 +148,9 @@ func (w *World) Start() error {
 }
 
 func (w *World) Stop() {
+	if w == nil {
+		return
+	}
 	w.server.Process.Kill()
 
 	if d := w.tempDir; d != "" {
@@ -153,7 +158,6 @@ func (w *World) Stop() {
 	}
 }
 
-//
 func (w *World) Cmd(binary string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	cmd := exec.Command(filepath.Join(w.camRoot, "bin", binary), args...)
 	switch binary {
@@ -199,6 +203,11 @@ func GetWorld(t *testing.T) *World {
 	return w
 }
 
+// GetWorldMaybe returns the current World. It might be nil.
+func GetWorldMaybe(t *testing.T) *World {
+	return theWorld
+}
+
 // RunCmd runs c (which is assumed to be something short-lived, like a
 // camput or camget command), capturing its stdout for return, and
 // also capturing its stderr, just in the case of errors.
diff --git a/server/camlistored/camlistored.go b/server/camlistored/camlistored.go
index 3d129a95e..de1c20b9e 100644
--- a/server/camlistored/camlistored.go
+++ b/server/camlistored/camlistored.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"os/signal"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
@@ -49,11 +50,11 @@ import (
 	// Storage options:
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/cond"
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/encrypt"
+	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/google"
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/localdisk"
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/remote"
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/replica"
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/s3"
-	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/google"
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver/shard"
 	// Indexers: (also present themselves as storage targets)
 	_ "camlistore.org/pkg/index" // base indexer + in-memory dev index
@@ -76,9 +77,16 @@ var (
 	flagVersion    = flag.Bool("version", false, "show version")
 	flagConfigFile = flag.String("configfile", "",
 		"Config file to use, relative to the Camlistore configuration directory root. If blank, the default is used or auto-generated.")
-	listenFlag = flag.String("listen", "", "host:port to listen on, or :0 to auto-select. If blank, the value in the config will be used instead.")
+	listenFlag     = flag.String("listen", "", "host:port to listen on, or :0 to auto-select. If blank, the value in the config will be used instead.")
+	flagPollParent bool
 )
 
+func init() {
+	if debug, _ := strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("CAMLI_DEBUG")); debug {
+		flag.BoolVar(&flagPollParent, "pollparent", false, "Camlistored regularly polls its parent process to detect if it has been orphaned, and terminates in that case. Mainly useful for tests.")
+	}
+}
+
 func exitf(pattern string, args ...interface{}) {
 	if !strings.HasSuffix(pattern, "\n") {
 		pattern = pattern + "\n"
@@ -424,5 +432,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	go ws.Serve()
 	go handleSignals()
+	if flagPollParent {
+		osutil.DieOnParentDeath()
+	}
 	select {}
 }