diff --git a/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestCluster.java b/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestCluster.java
index 22916ca..8f237e9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestCluster.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestCluster.java
@@ -442,6 +442,7 @@ public void after() {
         CrateTestServer[] localServers = serversSafe();
         for (CrateTestServer server : localServers) {
             server.after();
+            assert !server.isAlive();
         }
         try {
             removeCrateDir();
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestServer.java b/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestServer.java
index 53e90f9..dc25cb9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestServer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/crate/testing/CrateTestServer.java
@@ -135,6 +135,13 @@ protected void after() {
         }
     }
 
+    public Boolean isAlive() {
+        if (crateProcess == null) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        return crateProcess.isAlive();
+    }
+
     private long startCrateAsDaemon() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
         Map<String, Object> settingsMap = prepareSettings();
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/crate/testing/ShutdownTest.java b/src/test/java/io/crate/testing/ShutdownTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a688b9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/io/crate/testing/ShutdownTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import io.crate.testing.CrateTestCluster;
+import org.junit.AfterClass;
+import org.junit.BeforeClass;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.is;
+
+public class ShutdownTest {
+
+    private static CrateTestCluster testCluster;
+
+    @BeforeClass
+    public static void setUpClusterAndAgent() throws Throwable {
+        testCluster = CrateTestCluster.fromURL("https://cdn.crate.io/downloads/releases/nightly/crate-latest.tar.gz")
+                .keepWorkingDir(false)
+                .build();
+        testCluster.before();
+    }
+
+    @AfterClass
+    public static void tearDown() {
+        // if cluster cannot be terminated, an expection will be thrown
+        testCluster.after();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void test() {
+        assertThat(true, is(true));
+    }
+}