diff --git a/src/zk/server/detail/event_handle.cpp b/src/zk/server/detail/event_handle.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3933f42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/zk/server/detail/event_handle.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#include "event_handle.hpp"
+#include "close.hpp"
+
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <system_error>
+
+#include <sys/eventfd.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+namespace zk::server::detail
+{
+
+event_handle::event_handle() :
+        _fd(::eventfd(0, EFD_CLOEXEC | EFD_NONBLOCK))
+{ }
+
+event_handle::~event_handle() noexcept
+{
+    close();
+}
+
+void event_handle::close() noexcept
+{
+    if (_fd != -1)
+    {
+        detail::close(_fd);
+        _fd = -1;
+    }
+}
+
+void event_handle::notify_one()
+{
+    std::uint64_t x = 1;
+    if (::write(_fd, &x, sizeof x) == -1 && errno != EAGAIN)
+        throw std::system_error(errno, std::system_category(), "event_handle::notify_one()");
+}
+
+bool event_handle::try_wait()
+{
+    std::uint64_t burn;
+    if (::read(_fd, &burn, sizeof burn) == -1)
+        return errno == EAGAIN ? false
+                               : throw std::system_error(errno, std::system_category(), "event_handle::try_wait()");
+    else
+        return true;
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/zk/server/detail/event_handle.hpp b/src/zk/server/detail/event_handle.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e2e40c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/zk/server/detail/event_handle.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <zk/config.hpp>
+
+namespace zk::server::detail
+{
+
+class event_handle final
+{
+public:
+    using native_handle_type = int;
+
+public:
+    explicit event_handle();
+
+    event_handle(const event_handle&) = delete;
+
+    event_handle& operator=(const event_handle&) = delete;
+
+    ~event_handle() noexcept;
+
+    /// Close this event for future signalling. This is automatically called from the destructor.
+    void close() noexcept;
+
+    /// Signal this handle that something has happened.
+    void notify_one();
+
+    /// Attempt to wait for this handle to be signalled, but do not block.
+    ///
+    /// \returns \c true if we successfully waited for a signal (and consumed it); \c false if this handle was not
+    ///  signalled.
+    bool try_wait();
+
+    /// Get the file descriptor backing this handle. This is generally only used when interacting with the kernel and
+    /// should be avoided in regular use.
+    native_handle_type native_handle() { return _fd; }
+
+private:
+    native_handle_type _fd;
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.cpp b/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.cpp
index 4e9e108..3a9bc57 100644
--- a/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.cpp
+++ b/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <iterator>
+#include <numeric>
 #include <ostream>
 #include <system_error>
 
@@ -90,27 +91,44 @@ subprocess::subprocess(std::string program_name, argument_list args) :
 
 subprocess::~subprocess() noexcept
 {
-    auto old_sig_handler = ::signal(SIGALRM, [](int) {});
+    terminate();
+}
+
+void subprocess::terminate(duration_type time_to_abort) noexcept
+{
+    auto alarm_time = [&] () -> unsigned int
+                      {
+                          if (time_to_abort.count() <= 0)
+                              return 1U;
+                          else if (time_to_abort.count() > 300)
+                              return 300U;
+                          else
+                              return static_cast<unsigned int>(time_to_abort.count());
+                      }();
+
     for (unsigned attempt = 1U; _proc_id != -1; ++attempt)
     {
-        signal(attempt == 1U ? SIGTERM : SIGABRT, true /* terminate the whole process group */);
+        auto old_sig_handler = ::signal(SIGALRM, [](int) { });
+        signal(attempt == 1U ? SIGTERM : SIGABRT);
 
         int rc;
-        ::alarm(1);
+        ::alarm(alarm_time);
         if (::waitpid(_proc_id, &rc, 0) > 0)
+        {
             _proc_id = -1;
-    }
+        }
 
-    ::alarm(0);
-    ::signal(SIGALRM, old_sig_handler);
+        ::alarm(0);
+        ::signal(SIGALRM, old_sig_handler);
+    }
 }
 
-bool subprocess::signal(int sig_val, bool whole_group)
+bool subprocess::signal(int sig_val)
 {
     if (_proc_id == -1)
         return false;
 
-    pid_t pid = whole_group ? -_proc_id : _proc_id;
+    pid_t pid = _proc_id;
 
     int rc = ::kill(pid, sig_val);
     if (rc == -1 && errno == ESRCH)
diff --git a/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.hpp b/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.hpp
index b6fb527..52ecefd 100644
--- a/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.hpp
+++ b/src/zk/server/detail/subprocess.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <zk/config.hpp>
 
+#include <chrono>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <iosfwd>
 #include <string>
@@ -12,12 +13,13 @@
 namespace zk::server::detail
 {
 
-/** Represents an owned subprocess. **/
+/// Represents an owned subprocess.
 class subprocess
 {
 public:
-    using handle = int;
+    using handle        = int;
     using argument_list = std::vector<std::string>;
+    using duration_type = std::chrono::seconds;
 
 public:
     explicit subprocess(std::string program_name, argument_list args = argument_list());
@@ -27,18 +29,20 @@ class subprocess
 
     ~subprocess() noexcept;
 
-    /** Send a signal to this subprocess.
-     *
-     *  \param whole_group Should the entire process group be signalled or just the root process?
-     *  \returns \c true if the signal likely reached the subprocess; \c false if it might not have (this can happen if
-     *   the subprocess has already terminated).
-    **/
-    bool signal(int sig_val, bool whole_group = false);
+    /// Send a signal to this subprocess.
+    ///
+    /// \returns \c true if the signal likely reached the subprocess; \c false if it might not have (this can happen if
+    ///  the subprocess has already terminated).
+    bool signal(int sig_val);
 
     pipe& stdin()  noexcept { return _stdin; }
     pipe& stdout() noexcept { return _stdout; }
     pipe& stderr() noexcept { return _stderr; }
 
+    /// Terminate the process if it is still running. In the first attempt to terminate, \c SIGTERM is used. If the
+    /// process has not terminated before \a time_to_abort has passed, the process is signalled again with \c SIGABRT.
+    void terminate(duration_type time_to_abort = std::chrono::seconds(1U)) noexcept;
+
 private:
     std::string _program_name;
     handle      _proc_id;
diff --git a/src/zk/server/server.cpp b/src/zk/server/server.cpp
index 14841b4..8e6ec08 100644
--- a/src/zk/server/server.cpp
+++ b/src/zk/server/server.cpp
@@ -2,13 +2,17 @@
 
 #include <zk/future.hpp>
 
+#include <cerrno>
 #include <exception>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <system_error>
 
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <sys/select.h>
 
 #include "classpath.hpp"
 #include "configuration.hpp"
+#include "detail/event_handle.hpp"
 #include "detail/subprocess.hpp"
 
 namespace zk::server
@@ -27,7 +31,8 @@ static void validate_settings(const configuration& settings)
 }
 
 server::server(classpath packages, configuration settings) :
-        _running(true)
+        _running(true),
+        _shutdown_event(std::make_unique<detail::event_handle>())
 {
     validate_settings(settings);
     _worker = std::thread([this, packages = std::move(packages), settings = std::move(settings)] ()
@@ -48,11 +53,33 @@ server::~server() noexcept
 
 void server::shutdown(bool wait_for_stop)
 {
-    _running = false;
+    _running.store(false, std::memory_order_release);
+    _shutdown_event->notify_one();
+
     if (wait_for_stop && _worker.joinable())
         _worker.join();
 }
 
+static void wait_for_event(int fd1, int fd2, int fd3)
+{
+    // This could be implemented with epoll instead of select, but since N=3, it doesn't really matter
+    ::fd_set read_fds;
+    FD_ZERO(&read_fds);
+    FD_SET(fd1, &read_fds);
+    FD_SET(fd2, &read_fds);
+    FD_SET(fd3, &read_fds);
+
+    int nfds = std::max(std::max(fd1, fd2), fd3) + 1;
+    int rc   = ::select(nfds, &read_fds, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr);
+    if (rc < 0)
+    {
+        if (errno == EINTR)
+            return;
+        else
+            throw std::system_error(errno, std::system_category(), "select");
+    }
+}
+
 void server::run_process(const classpath& packages, const configuration& settings)
 {
     detail::subprocess::argument_list args = { "-cp", packages.command_line(),
@@ -70,12 +97,40 @@ void server::run_process(const classpath& packages, const configuration& setting
 
     detail::subprocess proc("java", std::move(args));
 
-    while (_running.load(std::memory_order_relaxed))
+    auto drain_pipes = [&] ()
+                       {
+                           bool read_anything = true;
+                           while (read_anything)
+                           {
+                               read_anything = false;
+
+                               auto out = proc.stdout().read();
+                               if (!out.empty())
+                               {
+                                   read_anything = true;
+                                   std::cout << out;
+                               }
+
+                               auto err = proc.stderr().read();
+                               if (!err.empty())
+                               {
+                                   read_anything = true;
+                                   std::cerr << out;
+                               }
+                           }
+                       };
+
+    while (_running.load(std::memory_order_acquire))
     {
-        std::cout << proc.stdout().read();
-        std::cerr << proc.stderr().read();
+        wait_for_event(proc.stdout().native_read_handle(),
+                       proc.stderr().native_read_handle(),
+                       _shutdown_event->native_handle()
+                      );
+
+        drain_pipes();
     }
-    proc.signal(SIGTERM);
+    proc.terminate();
+    drain_pipes();
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/zk/server/server.hpp b/src/zk/server/server.hpp
index 60e9f21..5a79afc 100644
--- a/src/zk/server/server.hpp
+++ b/src/zk/server/server.hpp
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
 namespace zk::server
 {
 
+namespace detail
+{
+
+class event_handle;
+
+}
+
 /// \defgroup Server
 /// Control a ZooKeeper \ref server process.
 /// \{
@@ -53,8 +60,9 @@ class server final
     void run_process(const classpath&, const configuration&);
 
 private:
-    std::atomic<bool> _running;
-    std::thread       _worker;
+    std::atomic<bool>                     _running;
+    std::unique_ptr<detail::event_handle> _shutdown_event;
+    std::thread                           _worker;
 
     // NOTE: The configuration is NOT stored in the server object. This is because configuration can be changed by the
     // ZK process in cases like ensemble reconfiguration. It is the job of run_process to deal with this.