diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index fc7799e17..adbb780fd 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -2897,6 +2897,7 @@ standardConfig configs[] = {
     createBoolConfig("multi-master-no-forward", NULL, MODIFIABLE_CONFIG, cserver.multimaster_no_forward, 0, validateMultiMasterNoForward, NULL),
     createBoolConfig("allow-write-during-load", NULL, MODIFIABLE_CONFIG, g_pserver->fWriteDuringActiveLoad, 0, NULL, NULL),
     createBoolConfig("force-backlog-disk-reserve", NULL, MODIFIABLE_CONFIG, cserver.force_backlog_disk, 0, NULL, NULL),
+    createBoolConfig("soft-shutdown", NULL, MODIFIABLE_CONFIG, g_pserver->config_soft_shutdown, 0, NULL, NULL),
 
 #ifdef USE_OPENSSL
     createIntConfig("tls-port", NULL, MODIFIABLE_CONFIG, 0, 65535, g_pserver->tls_port, 0, INTEGER_CONFIG, NULL, updateTLSPort), /* TCP port. */
diff --git a/src/db.cpp b/src/db.cpp
index 0ad3df99f..aefdd84f6 100644
--- a/src/db.cpp
+++ b/src/db.cpp
@@ -1462,6 +1462,11 @@ void shutdownCommand(client *c) {
             flags |= SHUTDOWN_NOSAVE;
         } else if (!strcasecmp(szFromObj(c->argv[1]),"save")) {
             flags |= SHUTDOWN_SAVE;
+        } else if (!strcasecmp(szFromObj(c->argv[1]), "soft")) {
+            g_pserver->soft_shutdown = true;
+            serverLog(LL_WARNING, "Soft Shutdown Initiated");
+            addReply(c, shared.ok);
+            return;
         } else {
             addReplyErrorObject(c,shared.syntaxerr);
             return;
diff --git a/src/help.h b/src/help.h
index c6d7affd6..efb79a063 100644
--- a/src/help.h
+++ b/src/help.h
@@ -1071,7 +1071,7 @@ struct commandHelp {
     1,
     "2.2.0" },
     { "SHUTDOWN",
-    "[NOSAVE|SAVE]",
+    "[NOSAVE|SAVE|SOFT]",
     "Synchronously save the dataset to disk and then shut down the server",
     9,
     "1.0.0" },
diff --git a/src/networking.cpp b/src/networking.cpp
index 5b1fe5894..e1896f892 100644
--- a/src/networking.cpp
+++ b/src/networking.cpp
@@ -1256,6 +1256,20 @@ static void acceptCommonHandler(connection *conn, int flags, char *ip, int iel)
         return;
     }
 
+    /* Prevent new connections if we're in a soft shutdown situation */
+    if (g_pserver->soft_shutdown) {
+        const char *err = "-SHUTDOWN";
+        /* That's a best effort error message, don't check write errors.
+         * Note that for TLS connections, no handshake was done yet so nothing
+         * is written and the connection will just drop. */
+        if (connWrite(conn,err,strlen(err)) == -1) {
+            /* Nothing to do, Just to avoid the warning... */
+        }
+        g_pserver->stat_rejected_conn++;
+        connClose(conn);
+        return;
+    }
+
     /* Limit the number of connections we take at the same time.
      *
      * Admission control will happen before a client is created and connAccept()
diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index a480476e3..f3bcafd5b 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ struct redisCommand redisCommandTable[] = {
      0,NULL,0,0,0,0,0,0},
 
     {"shutdown",shutdownCommand,-1,
-     "admin no-script ok-loading ok-stale",
+     "admin no-script ok-loading ok-stale noprop",
      0,NULL,0,0,0,0,0,0},
 
     {"lastsave",lastsaveCommand,1,
@@ -2648,6 +2648,24 @@ int serverCron(struct aeEventLoop *eventLoop, long long id, void *clientData) {
         }
     }
 
+    if (g_pserver->soft_shutdown) {
+        /* Loop through our clients list and see if there are any active clients */
+        listIter li;
+        listNode *ln;
+        listRewind(g_pserver->clients, &li);
+        bool fActiveClient = false;
+        while ((ln = listNext(&li)) && !fActiveClient) {
+            client *c = (client*)listNodeValue(ln);
+            if (c->flags & (CLIENT_MASTER | CLIENT_SLAVE | CLIENT_BLOCKED | CLIENT_MONITOR))
+                continue;
+            fActiveClient = true;
+        }
+        if (!fActiveClient) {
+            serverLog(LL_WARNING, "All active clients have disconnected while a soft shutdown is pending.  Shutting down now.");
+            throw ShutdownException();
+        }
+    }
+
     g_pserver->cronloops++;
     return 1000/g_pserver->hz;
 }
@@ -5297,6 +5315,11 @@ void pingCommand(client *c) {
         return;
     }
 
+    if (g_pserver->soft_shutdown) {
+        addReplyError(c, "-SHUTDOWN PENDING");
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (c->flags & CLIENT_PUBSUB && c->resp == 2) {
         addReply(c,shared.mbulkhdr[2]);
         addReplyBulkCBuffer(c,"pong",4);
@@ -6691,7 +6714,7 @@ static void sigShutdownHandler(int sig) {
      * If we receive the signal the second time, we interpret this as
      * the user really wanting to quit ASAP without waiting to persist
      * on disk. */
-    if (g_pserver->shutdown_asap && sig == SIGINT) {
+    if ((g_pserver->shutdown_asap || g_pserver->soft_shutdown) && sig == SIGINT) {
         serverLogFromHandler(LL_WARNING, "You insist... exiting now.");
         rdbRemoveTempFile(g_pserver->rdbThreadVars.tmpfileNum, 1);
         g_pserver->garbageCollector.shutdown();
@@ -6702,7 +6725,10 @@ static void sigShutdownHandler(int sig) {
     }
 
     serverLogFromHandler(LL_WARNING, msg);
-    g_pserver->shutdown_asap = 1;
+    if (g_pserver->config_soft_shutdown)
+        g_pserver->soft_shutdown = true;
+    else
+        g_pserver->shutdown_asap = 1;
 }
 
 void setupSignalHandlers(void) {
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index 2a56255ec..7b101b24b 100644
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -2721,6 +2721,9 @@ struct redisServer {
     long long repl_batch_offStart = -1;
     long long repl_batch_idxStart = -1;
 
+    int config_soft_shutdown = false;
+    bool soft_shutdown = false;
+
     /* Lock Contention Ring Buffer */
     static const size_t s_lockContentionSamples = 64;
     uint16_t rglockSamples[s_lockContentionSamples];
diff --git a/tests/test_helper.tcl b/tests/test_helper.tcl
index 82be834db..d9c0e870e 100644
--- a/tests/test_helper.tcl
+++ b/tests/test_helper.tcl
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ set ::all_tests {
     integration/logging
     integration/corrupt-dump
     integration/corrupt-dump-fuzzer
+    unit/soft_shutdown
 }
 # Index to the next test to run in the ::all_tests list.
 set ::next_test 0
diff --git a/tests/unit/soft_shutdown.tcl b/tests/unit/soft_shutdown.tcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..560ff7eb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/soft_shutdown.tcl
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} } {
+    test {soft shutdown command replies} {
+        assert_equal [r shutdown soft] "OK"
+    }
+
+    test {soft shutdown errors on ping} {
+        catch {[r ping]} e
+        assert_match {SHUTDOWN PENDING} $e
+    }
+}
+
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} } {
+    test {soft shutdown prevents new connections} {
+        assert_equal [r shutdown soft] "OK"
+        # reconnect
+        set catch_res [catch {set rd [redis_deferring_client]} e]
+        if {$::tls} {
+            assert_equal $catch_res 1
+        } else {
+            assert_match {*SHUTDOWN*} $e
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} } {
+    test {soft shutdown prevents allows commands to execute while waiting} {
+        assert_equal [r shutdown soft] "OK"
+        r set test val
+        assert_equal [r get test] {val}
+    }
+}
+
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} } {
+    test {soft shutdown shuts down after all clients exit} {
+        assert_equal [r shutdown soft] "OK"
+        r close
+        after 500
+        catch {set rd [redis_deferring_client]} e
+        assert_match {*refused*} $e
+    }
+}
+
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} overrides {soft-shutdown yes} } {
+    test {soft shutdown triggered by SIGINT} {
+        exec kill -SIGINT [s process_id]
+        catch {[r ping]} e
+        assert_match {SHUTDOWN PENDING} $e
+    }
+
+    test {second SIGINT forces a shutdown during a soft shutdown} {
+        exec kill -SIGINT [s process_id]
+        catch {[r ping]} e
+        assert_match {*I/O*} $e
+    }
+}
+
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} } {
+    test {monitor does not prevent soft shutdown} {
+        set monitor [redis_deferring_client]
+        $monitor monitor
+        assert_equal [r shutdown soft] "OK"
+        r close
+        after 500
+        catch {set rd [redis_deferring_client]} e
+        assert_match {*refused*} $e
+    }
+}
+
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} } {
+    start_server {} {
+        set node_0 [srv 0 client]
+        set node_0_host [srv 0 host]
+        set node_0_port [srv 0 port]
+        set node_0_pid [srv 0 pid]
+
+        set node_1 [srv -1 client]
+        set node_1_host [srv -1 host]
+        set node_1_port [srv -1 port]
+        set node_1_pid [srv -1 pid]
+
+        $node_0 replicaof $node_1_host $node_1_port
+        wait_for_sync $node_0
+
+        test {soft shutdown works for with master} {
+            $node_1 shutdown soft
+        } {OK}
+
+        test {soft shutdown on master doesn't affect replica} {
+            assert_equal [$node_0 ping] {PONG}
+        }
+
+        test {soft shutdown on master updates ping response} {
+            catch {$node_1 ping} e
+            assert_equal $e {SHUTDOWN PENDING}
+        }
+
+        test {master prevents new connections with soft shutdown} {
+            set c1 [redis $node_1_host $node_1_port 1 $::tls]
+            set catch_res [catch {$c1 read} e]
+            if {$::tls} {
+                assert_equal $catch_res 1
+            } else {
+                assert_match {*SHUTDOWN*} $e
+            }
+        }
+
+        test {master soft shutdown works after all clients disconnect} {
+            $node_1 close
+            after 500
+            catch {set c1 [redis $node_1_host $node_1_port 1 $::tls]} e
+            assert_match {*refused*} $e
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+start_server {tags {"soft_shutdown"} } {
+    start_server {} {
+        set node_0 [srv 0 client]
+        set node_0_host [srv 0 host]
+        set node_0_port [srv 0 port]
+        set node_0_pid [srv 0 pid]
+
+        set node_1 [srv -1 client]
+        set node_1_host [srv -1 host]
+        set node_1_port [srv -1 port]
+        set node_1_pid [srv -1 pid]
+
+        $node_0 replicaof $node_1_host $node_1_port
+        wait_for_sync $node_0
+
+        test {soft shutdown on replica is not blocked by master} {
+            assert_equal [$node_0 shutdown soft] {OK}
+            $node_0 close
+            after 500
+            catch {set c0 [redis $node_0_host $node_0_port 1 $::tls]} e
+            assert_match {*refused*} $e
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file