diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/execution/ExecutionHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/execution/ExecutionHandler.java
index c7edd7edfb..9a99bc036a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/execution/ExecutionHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/execution/ExecutionHandler.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelPipeline;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelPipelineCoverage;
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.ChannelUpstreamHandler;
+import org.jboss.netty.util.ExecutorShutdownUtil;
 
 /**
  * Forwards an upstream {@link ChannelEvent} to an {@link Executor}.
@@ -77,10 +78,18 @@ public class ExecutionHandler implements ChannelUpstreamHandler {
     /**
      * Returns the {@link Executor} which was specified with the constructor.
      */
-    public final Executor getExecutor() {
+    public Executor getExecutor() {
         return executor;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Shuts down the {@link Executor} which was specified with the constructor
+     * and wait for its termination.
+     */
+    public void terminateExecutor() {
+        ExecutorShutdownUtil.shutdown(getExecutor());
+    }
+
     public void handleUpstream(
             ChannelHandlerContext context, ChannelEvent e) throws Exception {
         executor.execute(new ChannelEventRunnable(context, e));