diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index 34e4396a..a2f31af1 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -2049,3 +2049,107 @@ get_slot_record(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, t_replication_slot *record)
 }
 
 
+/* asynchronous query functions */
+
+bool
+cancel_query(PGconn *conn, int timeout)
+{
+	char		errbuf[ERRBUFF_SIZE];
+	PGcancel   *pgcancel;
+
+	if (wait_connection_availability(conn, timeout) != 1)
+		return false;
+
+	pgcancel = PQgetCancel(conn);
+
+	if (pgcancel == NULL)
+		return false;
+
+	/*
+	 * PQcancel can only return 0 if socket()/connect()/send() fails, in any
+	 * of those cases we can assume something bad happened to the connection
+	 */
+	if (PQcancel(pgcancel, errbuf, ERRBUFF_SIZE) == 0)
+	{
+		log_warning(_("Can't stop current query: %s\n"), errbuf);
+		PQfreeCancel(pgcancel);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	PQfreeCancel(pgcancel);
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * Wait until current query finishes, ignoring any results.
+ * Usually this will be an async query or query cancellation.
+ *
+ * Returns 1 for success; 0 if any error ocurred; -1 if timeout reached.
+ */
+int
+wait_connection_availability(PGconn *conn, long long timeout)
+{
+	PGresult   *res;
+	fd_set		read_set;
+	int			sock = PQsocket(conn);
+	struct timeval tmout,
+				before,
+				after;
+	struct timezone tz;
+
+	/* recalc to microseconds */
+	timeout *= 1000000;
+
+	while (timeout > 0)
+	{
+		if (PQconsumeInput(conn) == 0)
+		{
+			log_warning(_("wait_connection_availability(): could not receive data from connection. %s\n"),
+						PQerrorMessage(conn));
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		if (PQisBusy(conn) == 0)
+		{
+			do
+			{
+				res = PQgetResult(conn);
+				PQclear(res);
+			} while (res != NULL);
+
+			break;
+		}
+
+		tmout.tv_sec = 0;
+		tmout.tv_usec = 250000;
+
+		FD_ZERO(&read_set);
+		FD_SET(sock, &read_set);
+
+		gettimeofday(&before, &tz);
+		if (select(sock, &read_set, NULL, NULL, &tmout) == -1)
+		{
+			log_warning(
+						_("wait_connection_availability(): select() returned with error:\n  %s"),
+						strerror(errno));
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		gettimeofday(&after, &tz);
+
+		timeout -= (after.tv_sec * 1000000 + after.tv_usec) -
+			(before.tv_sec * 1000000 + before.tv_usec);
+	}
+
+
+	if (timeout >= 0)
+	{
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	log_warning(_("wait_connection_availability(): timeout reached"));
+	return -1;
+}
+
diff --git a/dbutils.h b/dbutils.h
index d671e0a0..8f2e2056 100644
--- a/dbutils.h
+++ b/dbutils.h
@@ -219,5 +219,9 @@ bool		create_replication_slot(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, int server_version_
 bool		drop_replication_slot(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name);
 int			get_slot_record(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, t_replication_slot *record);
 
+/* asynchronous query functions */
+bool		cancel_query(PGconn *conn, int timeout);
+int			wait_connection_availability(PGconn *conn, long long timeout);
+
 #endif
 
diff --git a/repmgr.h b/repmgr.h
index 6e1ddd9c..8021dc00 100644
--- a/repmgr.h
+++ b/repmgr.h
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@
 #define TABLESPACE_MAP "tablespace_map"
 #endif
 
+#define ERRBUFF_SIZE 512
+
 #define WITNESS_DEFAULT_PORT "5499" /* If this value is ever changed, remember
 									 * to update comments and documentation */
 
diff --git a/repmgrd.c b/repmgrd.c
index 7bba6efe..6724184e 100644
--- a/repmgrd.c
+++ b/repmgrd.c
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 #include "config.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
-
+#include <signal.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
 
-#define OPT_HELP						   1
+#define OPT_HELP	1
 
 static char	   *config_file = NULL;
 static bool		verbose = false;
@@ -22,12 +22,30 @@ static bool		daemonize = false;
 t_configuration_options config_file_options = T_CONFIGURATION_OPTIONS_INITIALIZER;
 
 static t_node_info local_node_info;
+static PGconn	   *local_conn = NULL;
+
+static PGconn	   *master_conn = NULL;
+
+/*
+ * Record receipt SIGHUP; will cause configuration file to be reread at the
+ * appropriate point in the main loop.
+ */
+static volatile sig_atomic_t got_SIGHUP = false;
 
 static void show_help(void);
 static void show_usage(void);
 static void daemonize_process(void);
 static void check_and_create_pid_file(const char *pid_file);
 
+#ifndef WIN32
+static void setup_event_handlers(void);
+static void handle_sighup(SIGNAL_ARGS);
+static void handle_sigint(SIGNAL_ARGS);
+#endif
+
+static void close_connections();
+static void terminate(int retval);
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -171,6 +189,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		check_and_create_pid_file(pid_file);
 	}
 
+#ifndef WIN32
+	setup_event_handlers();
+#endif
+
 	while(1) {
 		sleep(1);
 	}
@@ -306,6 +328,30 @@ check_and_create_pid_file(const char *pid_file)
 }
 
 
+#ifndef WIN32
+static void
+handle_sigint(SIGNAL_ARGS)
+{
+	terminate(SUCCESS);
+}
+
+/* SIGHUP: set flag to re-read config file at next convenient time */
+static void
+handle_sighup(SIGNAL_ARGS)
+{
+	got_SIGHUP = true;
+}
+
+static void
+setup_event_handlers(void)
+{
+	pqsignal(SIGHUP, handle_sighup);
+	pqsignal(SIGINT, handle_sigint);
+	pqsignal(SIGTERM, handle_sigint);
+}
+#endif
+
+
 void
 show_usage(void)
 {
@@ -345,3 +391,35 @@ show_help(void)
 	printf(_("%s monitors a cluster of servers and optionally performs failover.\n"), progname());
 }
 
+
+static void
+close_connections()
+{
+	if (PQstatus(master_conn) == CONNECTION_OK)
+	{
+		/* cancel any pending queries to the master */
+		if (PQisBusy(master_conn) == 1)
+			cancel_query(master_conn, config_file_options.master_response_timeout);
+		PQfinish(master_conn);
+	}
+
+	if (PQstatus(local_conn) == CONNECTION_OK)
+		PQfinish(local_conn);
+}
+
+
+static void
+terminate(int retval)
+{
+	close_connections();
+	logger_shutdown();
+
+	if (pid_file)
+	{
+		unlink(pid_file);
+	}
+
+	log_info(_("%s terminating...\n"), progname());
+
+	exit(retval);
+}