diff --git a/managemon.c b/managemon.c
index 730334c..a8af614 100644
--- a/managemon.c
+++ b/managemon.c
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ static void handle_message(struct supertype *container, struct metadata_update *
 
 		manage(mdstat, container);
 		free_mdstat(mdstat);
-	} else {
+	} else if (!sigterm) {
 		mu = malloc(sizeof(*mu));
 		mu->len = msg->len;
 		mu->buf = msg->buf;
@@ -612,6 +612,7 @@ void do_manager(struct supertype *container)
 	sigdelset(&set, SIGUSR1);
 	sigdelset(&set, SIGHUP);
 	sigdelset(&set, SIGALRM);
+	sigdelset(&set, SIGTERM);
 	proc_fd = open("/proc/mounts", O_RDONLY);
 
 	do {
@@ -647,6 +648,9 @@ void do_manager(struct supertype *container)
 
 		manager_ready = 1;
 
+		if (sigterm)
+			wakeup_monitor();
+
 		if (update_queue == NULL) {
 			if (container->sock < 0)
 				mdstat_wait_fd(proc_fd, &set);
diff --git a/mdmon.c b/mdmon.c
index 28b0139..7ef0c80 100644
--- a/mdmon.c
+++ b/mdmon.c
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ struct active_array *pending_discard;
 
 int mon_tid, mgr_tid;
 
+int sigterm;
+
 int run_child(void *v)
 {
 	struct supertype *c = v;
@@ -87,6 +89,9 @@ int make_pidfile(char *devname, int o_excl)
 	int fd;
 	int n;
 
+	if (sigterm)
+		return -1;
+
 	sprintf(path, "/var/run/mdadm/%s.pid", devname);
 
 	fd = open(path, O_RDWR|O_CREAT|o_excl, 0600);
@@ -138,6 +143,9 @@ void remove_pidfile(char *devname)
 {
 	char buf[100];
 
+	if (sigterm)
+		return;
+
 	sprintf(buf, "/var/run/mdadm/%s.pid", devname);
 	unlink(buf);
 	sprintf(buf, "/var/run/mdadm/%s.sock", devname);
@@ -151,6 +159,9 @@ int make_control_sock(char *devname)
 	long fl;
 	struct sockaddr_un addr;
 
+	if (sigterm)
+		return -1;
+
 	sprintf(path, "/var/run/mdadm/%s.sock", devname);
 	unlink(path);
 	sfd = socket(PF_LOCAL, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
@@ -176,6 +187,11 @@ static void hup(int sig)
 	socket_hup_requested = 1;
 }
 
+static void term(int sig)
+{
+	sigterm = 1;
+}
+
 static void wake_me(int sig)
 {
 
@@ -355,6 +371,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	sigaddset(&set, SIGUSR1);
 	sigaddset(&set, SIGHUP);
 	sigaddset(&set, SIGALRM);
+	sigaddset(&set, SIGTERM);
 	sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK, &set, NULL);
 	act.sa_handler = wake_me;
 	act.sa_flags = 0;
@@ -362,6 +379,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	sigaction(SIGALRM, &act, NULL);
 	act.sa_handler = hup;
 	sigaction(SIGHUP, &act, NULL);
+	act.sa_handler = term;
+	sigaction(SIGTERM, &act, NULL);
 	act.sa_handler = SIG_IGN;
 	sigaction(SIGPIPE, &act, NULL);
 
diff --git a/mdmon.h b/mdmon.h
index 41222e1..2ce1fe6 100644
--- a/mdmon.h
+++ b/mdmon.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ void do_manager(struct supertype *container);
 int make_control_sock(char *devname);
 int make_pidfile(char *devname, int o_excl);
 extern int socket_hup_requested;
+extern int sigterm;
 
 int read_dev_state(int fd);
 int get_resync_start(struct active_array *a);
diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 1bf69a7..d8ac45e 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ static int wait_and_act(struct supertype *container, int nowait)
 	struct active_array *a, **ap;
 	int rv;
 	struct mdinfo *mdi;
+	static unsigned int dirty_arrays = ~0; /* start at some non-zero value */
 
 	FD_ZERO(&rfds);
 
@@ -442,16 +443,20 @@ static int wait_and_act(struct supertype *container, int nowait)
 		ap = &(*ap)->next;
 	}
 
-	if (manager_ready && *aap == NULL) {
-		/* No interesting arrays. Lets see about exiting.
-		 * Note that blocking at this point is not a problem
-		 * as there are no active arrays, there is nothing that
-		 * we need to be ready to do.
+	if (manager_ready && (*aap == NULL || (sigterm && !dirty_arrays))) {
+		/* No interesting arrays, or we have been told to
+		 * terminate and everything is clean.  Lets see about
+		 * exiting.  Note that blocking at this point is not a
+		 * problem as there are no active arrays, there is
+		 * nothing that we need to be ready to do.
 		 */
 		int fd = open(container->device_name, O_RDONLY|O_EXCL);
 		if (fd >= 0 || errno != EBUSY) {
 			/* OK, we are safe to leave */
-			dprintf("no arrays to monitor... exiting\n");
+			if (sigterm && !dirty_arrays)
+				dprintf("caught sigterm, all clean... exiting\n");
+			else
+				dprintf("no arrays to monitor... exiting\n");
 			remove_pidfile(container->devname);
 			exit_now = 1;
 			signal_manager();
@@ -487,7 +492,10 @@ static int wait_and_act(struct supertype *container, int nowait)
 	}
 
 	rv = 0;
+	dirty_arrays = 0;
 	for (a = *aap; a ; a = a->next) {
+		int is_dirty;
+
 		if (a->replaces && !discard_this) {
 			struct active_array **ap;
 			for (ap = &a->next; *ap && *ap != a->replaces;
@@ -502,6 +510,30 @@ static int wait_and_act(struct supertype *container, int nowait)
 		}
 		if (a->container)
 			rv += read_and_act(a);
+		else
+			continue;
+
+		/* when terminating stop manipulating the array after it is
+		 * clean, but make sure read_and_act() is given a chance to
+		 * handle 'active_idle'
+		 */
+		switch (read_state(a->info.state_fd)) {
+			case active:
+			case active_idle:
+			case suspended:
+			case bad_word:
+				is_dirty = 1;
+				break;
+			default:
+				if (a->curr_state == active_idle)
+					is_dirty = 1;
+				else
+					is_dirty = 0;
+				break;
+		}
+		dirty_arrays += is_dirty;
+		if (sigterm && !is_dirty)
+			a->container = NULL; /* stop touching this array */
 	}
 
 	/* propagate failures across container members */