diff --git a/core/internal/config/config.go b/core/internal/config/config.go
index 4efed03c..0b42289c 100644
--- a/core/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/core/internal/config/config.go
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ Available commands:
 		flag.StringVar(&Hostname, "hostname", "localhost", "Hostname")
 		flag.DurationVar(&ActorBusyTimeout, "actor_busy_timeout", 2*time.Minute, "Time to wait on a busy actor before timing out (0 is infinite)")
 		flag.DurationVar(&MissingComponentTimeout, "missing_component_timeout", 2*time.Minute, "Time to wait on request to unknown service or actor type before timing out (0 is infinite)")
+		flag.BoolVar(&KafkaConfig.Cancellation, "cancel", false, "Cancel a pending call if the caller has failed")
 
 	case GetCmd:
 		usage = "kar get [OPTIONS]"
diff --git a/core/pkg/rpc/requests.go b/core/pkg/rpc/requests.go
index c31e7093..0783069c 100644
--- a/core/pkg/rpc/requests.go
+++ b/core/pkg/rpc/requests.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ var (
 	handlersNode                     = map[string]NodeHandler{}    // registered method handlers for node targets
 	sessionTable                     = sync.Map{}                  // session table: SessionKey -> *SessionInstance
 	deferredLocks                    = sync.Map{}                  // locks being defered by tail calls: deferredLockId -> chan
+	cancellation                     = false                       // whether to cancel a pending call if the caller has failed
 	sessionBusyTimeout time.Duration = 0
 	deactivateCallback               = func(ctx context.Context, i *SessionInstance) error { i.Activated = false; return nil }
 )
@@ -422,7 +423,14 @@ func handleSessionRequest(ctx context.Context, before chan struct{}, waitForChil
 			sendOrDie(ctx, Done{RequestID: m.requestID(), Deadline: m.deadline()})
 		}
 	} else {
-		dest, value, err := f(ctx, target, instance, m.requestID(), m.value()) // The call to the higher-level handler that does something useful....at last!!!
+		var dest *Destination
+		var value []byte
+		var err error
+		if cr, ok := m.(CallRequest); ok && cancellation && node2partition[cr.Caller] == 0 {
+			logger.Info("Cancelling call request %s from dead sidecar %s", m.requestID(), cr.Caller)
+		} else {
+			dest, value, err = f(ctx, target, instance, m.requestID(), m.value()) // The call to the higher-level handler that does something useful....at last!!!
+		}
 		if instance.Activated && target.Flow != "nonexclusive" {
 			instance.lastAccess = time.Now()
 		}
@@ -541,5 +549,6 @@ func registerNode(method string, handler NodeHandler) {
 // Connect to Kafka
 func connect(ctx context.Context, topic string, conf *Config, services ...string) (<-chan struct{}, error) {
 	sessionBusyTimeout = conf.SessionBusyTimeout
+	cancellation = conf.Cancellation
 	return Dial(ctx, topic, conf, services, func(msg Message) { accept(ctx, msg) })
 }
diff --git a/core/pkg/rpc/rpc.go b/core/pkg/rpc/rpc.go
index a29238b8..bbf9737f 100644
--- a/core/pkg/rpc/rpc.go
+++ b/core/pkg/rpc/rpc.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	TLSSkipVerify      bool
 	TopicConfig        map[string]*string
 	SessionBusyTimeout time.Duration
+	Cancellation       bool
 }
 
 // Target of an invocation