diff --git a/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/Gateway.java b/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/Gateway.java
index 43b6af0e..d5a6a49c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/Gateway.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/Gateway.java
@@ -183,6 +183,14 @@ interface Builder {
          */
         Builder discovery(boolean enabled);
 
+        /**
+         * <em>Optional</em> - Enable or disable force immediate shutdown of the network connection.
+         * forceClose is enabled by default.
+         * @param enabled - true to enable force immediate shutdown.
+         * @return The builder instance, allowing multiple configuration options to be chained.
+         */
+        Builder forceClose(boolean enabled);
+
         /**
          * Connects to the gateway using the specified options.
          * @return The connected {@link Gateway} object.
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayImpl.java
index 79b5924e..e78dd273 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayImpl.java
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ public final class GatewayImpl implements Gateway {
     private final TimePeriod commitTimeout;
     private final QueryHandlerFactory queryHandlerFactory;
     private final boolean discovery;
+    private final boolean forceClose;
 
     public static final class Builder implements Gateway.Builder {
         private CommitHandlerFactory commitHandlerFactory = DefaultCommitHandlers.PREFER_MSPID_SCOPE_ALLFORTX;
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ public static final class Builder implements Gateway.Builder {
         private Identity identity = null;
         private HFClient client;
         private boolean discovery = false;
+        private boolean forceClose = true;
 
         private static final class ExposedByteArrayOutputStream extends ByteArrayOutputStream {
             public byte[] getInternalBuffer() {
@@ -152,6 +154,12 @@ public Builder discovery(final boolean enabled) {
             return this;
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public Builder forceClose(final boolean enabled) {
+            this.forceClose = enabled;
+            return this;
+        }
+
         public Builder client(final HFClient client) {
             this.client = client;
             return this;
@@ -168,6 +176,7 @@ private GatewayImpl(final Builder builder) {
         this.commitTimeout = builder.commitTimeout;
         this.queryHandlerFactory = builder.queryHandlerFactory;
         this.discovery = builder.discovery;
+        this.forceClose = builder.forceClose;
 
         if (builder.client != null) {
             // Only for testing!
@@ -201,6 +210,7 @@ private GatewayImpl(final GatewayImpl that) {
         this.commitTimeout = that.commitTimeout;
         this.queryHandlerFactory = that.queryHandlerFactory;
         this.discovery = that.discovery;
+        this.forceClose = that.forceClose;
         this.networkConfig = that.networkConfig;
         this.identity = that.identity;
 
@@ -281,6 +291,10 @@ public boolean isDiscoveryEnabled() {
         return discovery;
     }
 
+    public boolean isForceClose() {
+        return forceClose;
+    }
+
     public GatewayImpl newInstance() {
         return new GatewayImpl(this);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/NetworkImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/NetworkImpl.java
index 8c48e1c7..0b0b6095 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/NetworkImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/NetworkImpl.java
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ public void close() {
         orderedBlockSource.close();
         channelBlockSource.close();
 
-        channel.shutdown(false);
+        channel.shutdown(gateway.isForceClose());
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayTest.java b/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayTest.java
index 1eeff95f..1f944e47 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/fabric/gateway/impl/GatewayTest.java
@@ -82,6 +82,37 @@ public void testCloseGatewayClosesNetworks() {
         assertThat(channel.isShutdown()).isTrue();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testCloseGatewayForceClosesNetworks() {
+        HFClient mockClient = testUtils.newMockClient();
+        Channel mockChannel = testUtils.newMockChannel("CHANNEL");
+        Mockito.when(mockClient.getChannel("CHANNEL")).thenReturn(mockChannel);
+
+        builder.client(mockClient);
+
+        try (Gateway gateway = builder.connect()) {
+            gateway.getNetwork("CHANNEL");
+        }
+
+        Mockito.verify(mockChannel).shutdown(true);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCloseGatewayWithForceCloseDisabledClosesNetworks() {
+        HFClient mockClient = testUtils.newMockClient();
+        Channel mockChannel = testUtils.newMockChannel("CHANNEL");
+        Mockito.when(mockClient.getChannel("CHANNEL")).thenReturn(mockChannel);
+
+        builder.client(mockClient);
+        builder.forceClose(false);
+
+        try (Gateway gateway = builder.connect()) {
+            gateway.getNetwork("CHANNEL");
+        }
+
+        Mockito.verify(mockChannel).shutdown(false);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testNewInstanceHasSameCryptoSuite() {
         final HFClient clientSpy;