diff --git a/samples/GenericHostSample/MyServiceA.cs b/samples/GenericHostSample/MyServiceA.cs
index 93be796bbb3..d8f8c6f039d 100644
--- a/samples/GenericHostSample/MyServiceA.cs
+++ b/samples/GenericHostSample/MyServiceA.cs
@@ -5,38 +5,22 @@
 
 namespace GenericHostSample
 {
-    public class MyServiceA : IHostedService
+    public class MyServiceA : BackgroundService
     {
-        private bool _stopping;
-        private Task _backgroundTask;
-
-        public Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
         {
             Console.WriteLine("MyServiceA is starting.");
-            _backgroundTask = BackgroundTask();
-            return Task.CompletedTask;
-        }
 
-        private async Task BackgroundTask()
-        {
-            while (!_stopping)
+            stoppingToken.Register(() => Console.WriteLine("MyServiceA is stopping."));
+
+            while (!stoppingToken.IsCancellationRequested)
             {
-                await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
                 Console.WriteLine("MyServiceA is doing background work.");
+
+                await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5), stoppingToken);
             }
 
             Console.WriteLine("MyServiceA background task is stopping.");
         }
-
-        public async Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
-        {
-            Console.WriteLine("MyServiceA is stopping.");
-            _stopping = true;
-            if (_backgroundTask != null)
-            {
-                // TODO: cancellation
-                await _backgroundTask;
-            }
-        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Abstractions/BackgroundService.cs b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Abstractions/BackgroundService.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..65b2bf7e848
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Abstractions/BackgroundService.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+// Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using System;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Base class for implementing a long running <see cref="IHostedService"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    public abstract class BackgroundService : IHostedService, IDisposable
+    {
+        private Task _executingTask;
+        private readonly CancellationTokenSource _stoppingCts = new CancellationTokenSource();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// This method is called when the <see cref="IHostedService"/> starts. The implementation should return a task that represents
+        /// the lifetime of the long running operation(s) being performed.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="stoppingToken">Triggered when <see cref="IHostedService.StopAsync(CancellationToken)"/> is called.</param>
+        /// <returns>A <see cref="Task"/> that represents the long running operations.</returns>
+        protected abstract Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Triggered when the application host is ready to start the service.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="cancellationToken">Indicates that the start process has been aborted.</param>
+        public virtual Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        {
+            // Store the task we're executing
+            _executingTask = ExecuteAsync(_stoppingCts.Token);
+
+            // If the task is completed then return it, this will bubble cancellation and failure to the caller
+            if (_executingTask.IsCompleted)
+            {
+                return _executingTask;
+            }
+
+            // Otherwise it's running
+            return Task.CompletedTask;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Triggered when the application host is performing a graceful shutdown.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="cancellationToken">Indicates that the shutdown process should no longer be graceful.</param>
+        public virtual async Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        {
+            // Stop called without start
+            if (_executingTask == null)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                // Signal cancellation to the executing method
+                _stoppingCts.Cancel();
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                // Wait until the task completes or the stop token triggers
+                await Task.WhenAny(_executingTask, Task.Delay(Timeout.Infinite, cancellationToken));
+            }
+
+        }
+
+        public virtual void Dispose()
+        {
+            _stoppingCts.Cancel();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Tests/BackgroundHostedServiceTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Tests/BackgroundHostedServiceTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..40b537fafb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Tests/BackgroundHostedServiceTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Tests
+{
+    public class BackgroundHostedServiceTests
+    {
+        [Fact]
+        public void StartReturnsCompletedTaskIfLongRunningTaskIsIncomplete()
+        {
+            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+            var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
+
+            var task = service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            Assert.True(task.IsCompleted);
+            Assert.False(tcs.Task.IsCompleted);
+
+            // Complete the tsk
+            tcs.TrySetResult(null);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void StartReturnsCompletedTaskIfCancelled()
+        {
+            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+            tcs.TrySetCanceled();
+            var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
+
+            var task = service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            Assert.True(task.IsCompleted);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StartReturnsLongRunningTaskIfFailed()
+        {
+            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+            tcs.TrySetException(new Exception("fail!"));
+            var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
+
+            var exception = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<Exception>(() => service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None));
+
+            Assert.Equal("fail!", exception.Message);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StopAsyncWithoutStartAsyncNoops()
+        {
+            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+            var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
+
+            await service.StopAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StopAsyncStopsBackgroundService()
+        {
+            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>();
+            var service = new MyBackgroundService(tcs.Task);
+
+            await service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            Assert.False(service.ExecuteTask.IsCompleted);
+
+            await service.StopAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            Assert.True(service.ExecuteTask.IsCompleted);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StopAsyncStopsEvenIfTaskNeverEnds()
+        {
+            var service = new IgnoreCancellationService();
+
+            await service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            var cts = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
+            await service.StopAsync(cts.Token);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StopAsyncThrowsIfCancellationCallbackThrows()
+        {
+            var service = new ThrowOnCancellationService();
+
+            await service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            var cts = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
+            await Assert.ThrowsAsync<AggregateException>(() => service.StopAsync(cts.Token));
+
+            Assert.Equal(2, service.TokenCalls);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task StartAsyncThenDisposeTriggersCancelledToken()
+        {
+            var service = new WaitForCancelledTokenService();
+
+            await service.StartAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+
+            service.Dispose();
+        }
+
+        private class WaitForCancelledTokenService : BackgroundService
+        {
+            protected override Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
+            {
+                return Task.Delay(Timeout.Infinite, stoppingToken);
+            }
+        }
+
+        private class ThrowOnCancellationService : BackgroundService
+        {
+            public int TokenCalls { get; set; }
+
+            protected override Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
+            {
+                stoppingToken.Register(() =>
+                {
+                    TokenCalls++;
+                    throw new InvalidOperationException();
+                });
+
+                stoppingToken.Register(() =>
+                {
+                    TokenCalls++;
+                });
+
+                return new TaskCompletionSource<object>().Task;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private class IgnoreCancellationService : BackgroundService
+        {
+            protected override Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
+            {
+                return new TaskCompletionSource<object>().Task;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private class MyBackgroundService : BackgroundService
+        {
+            private readonly Task _task;
+
+            public Task ExecuteTask { get; set; }
+
+            public MyBackgroundService(Task task)
+            {
+                _task = task;
+            }
+
+            protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
+            {
+                ExecuteTask = ExecuteCore(stoppingToken);
+                await ExecuteTask;
+            }
+
+            private async Task ExecuteCore(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
+            {
+                var task = await Task.WhenAny(_task, Task.Delay(Timeout.Infinite, stoppingToken));
+
+                await task;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}