diff --git a/include/lighttpd/worker.h b/include/lighttpd/worker.h
index 861476c..a6ebfeb 100644
--- a/include/lighttpd/worker.h
+++ b/include/lighttpd/worker.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ struct liWorker {
 	struct ev_loop *loop;
 	ev_prepare loop_prepare;
 	/* ev_check loop_check; */
-	ev_async worker_stop_watcher, worker_suspend_watcher, worker_exit_watcher;
+	ev_async worker_stop_watcher, worker_stopping_watcher, worker_suspend_watcher, worker_exit_watcher;
 
 	GQueue log_queue;
 
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ struct liWorker {
 	ev_async new_con_watcher;
 	GAsyncQueue *new_con_queue;
 
+	liServerStateWait wait_for_stop_connections;
+
 	ev_timer stats_watcher;
 	liStatistics stats;
 
@@ -122,6 +124,7 @@ LI_API void li_worker_free(liWorker *wrk);
 
 LI_API void li_worker_run(liWorker *wrk);
 LI_API void li_worker_stop(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk);
+LI_API void li_worker_stopping(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk);
 LI_API void li_worker_suspend(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk);
 LI_API void li_worker_exit(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk);
 
diff --git a/src/main/server.c b/src/main/server.c
index a1fdc70..c168af2 100644
--- a/src/main/server.c
+++ b/src/main/server.c
@@ -731,11 +731,8 @@ static void li_server_start_transition(liServer *srv, liServerState state) {
 		for (i = 0; i < srv->worker_count; i++) {
 			liWorker *wrk;
 			wrk = g_array_index(srv->workers, liWorker*, i);
-			li_worker_stop(srv->main_worker, wrk);
+			li_worker_stopping(srv->main_worker, wrk);
 		}
-
-		li_log_thread_wakeup(srv);
-		li_server_reached_state(srv, LI_SERVER_STOPPING);
 		break;
 	case LI_SERVER_DOWN:
 		/* wait */
@@ -773,6 +770,7 @@ void li_server_reached_state(liServer *srv, liServerState state) {
 	liServerState want_state = li_server_next_state(srv);
 	liServerState old_state = srv->state;
 	GList *swlink;
+	guint i;
 
 	if (state != want_state) return;
 	if (state == srv->state) return;
@@ -818,7 +816,16 @@ void li_server_reached_state(liServer *srv, liServerState state) {
 	case LI_SERVER_RUNNING:
 		break;
 	case LI_SERVER_SUSPENDING:
+		break;
 	case LI_SERVER_STOPPING:
+		/* stop all workers */
+		for (i = 0; i < srv->worker_count; i++) {
+			liWorker *wrk;
+			wrk = g_array_index(srv->workers, liWorker*, i);
+			li_worker_stop(srv->main_worker, wrk);
+		}
+
+		li_log_thread_wakeup(srv);
 		break;
 	case LI_SERVER_DOWN:
 		/* li_server_exit(srv); */
diff --git a/src/main/worker.c b/src/main/worker.c
index b9941f8..8ee7524 100644
--- a/src/main/worker.c
+++ b/src/main/worker.c
@@ -231,7 +231,16 @@ static void li_worker_stop_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_async *w, int revents) {
 	li_worker_stop(wrk, wrk);
 }
 
-/* stop worker watcher */
+/* stopping worker watcher */
+static void li_worker_stopping_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_async *w, int revents) {
+	liWorker *wrk = (liWorker*) w->data;
+	UNUSED(loop);
+	UNUSED(revents);
+
+	li_worker_stopping(wrk, wrk);
+}
+
+/* suspend worker watcher */
 static void li_worker_suspend_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_async *w, int revents) {
 	liWorker *wrk = (liWorker*) w->data;
 	UNUSED(loop);
@@ -383,6 +392,10 @@ liWorker* li_worker_new(liServer *srv, struct ev_loop *loop) {
 	wrk->worker_stop_watcher.data = wrk;
 	ev_async_start(wrk->loop, &wrk->worker_stop_watcher);
 
+	ev_init(&wrk->worker_stopping_watcher, li_worker_stopping_cb);
+	wrk->worker_stopping_watcher.data = wrk;
+	ev_async_start(wrk->loop, &wrk->worker_stopping_watcher);
+
 	ev_init(&wrk->worker_suspend_watcher, li_worker_suspend_cb);
 	wrk->worker_suspend_watcher.data = wrk;
 	ev_async_start(wrk->loop, &wrk->worker_suspend_watcher);
@@ -516,6 +529,7 @@ void li_worker_stop(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk) {
 		li_plugins_worker_stop(wrk);
 
 		ev_async_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->worker_stop_watcher);
+		ev_async_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->worker_stopping_watcher);
 		ev_async_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->worker_suspend_watcher);
 		ev_async_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->new_con_watcher);
 		li_waitqueue_stop(&wrk->io_timeout_queue);
@@ -545,6 +559,36 @@ void li_worker_stop(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk) {
 	}
 }
 
+void li_worker_stopping(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk) {
+	liServer *srv = context->srv;
+	guint i;
+
+	if (context == srv->main_worker) {
+		li_server_state_wait(srv, &wrk->wait_for_stop_connections);
+	}
+
+	if (context == wrk) {
+		/* li_plugins_worker_stopping(wrk); ??? */
+
+		/* close keep alive connections */
+		for (i = wrk->connections_active; i-- > 0;) {
+			liConnection *con = g_array_index(wrk->connections, liConnection*, i);
+			if (con->state == LI_CON_STATE_KEEP_ALIVE) {
+				li_worker_con_put(con);
+			}
+		}
+
+		li_worker_check_keepalive(wrk);
+
+		li_worker_new_con_cb(wrk->loop, &wrk->new_con_watcher, 0); /* handle remaining new connections */
+		if (0 == g_atomic_int_get(&wrk->connection_load) && wrk->wait_for_stop_connections.active) {
+			li_server_state_ready(srv, &wrk->wait_for_stop_connections);
+		}
+	} else {
+		ev_async_send(wrk->loop, &wrk->worker_stopping_watcher);
+	}
+}
+
 void li_worker_suspend(liWorker *context, liWorker *wrk) {
 	if (context == wrk) {
 		guint i;
@@ -645,4 +689,8 @@ void li_worker_con_put(liConnection *con) {
 		/* above treshold, update timestamp */
 		wrk->connections_gc_ts = now;
 	}
+
+	if (wrk->wait_for_stop_connections.active && 0 == g_atomic_int_get((gint*) &wrk->connection_load)) {
+		li_server_state_ready(wrk->srv, &wrk->wait_for_stop_connections);
+	}
 }