diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php
index 7474ca4a0e65..4a3df45686e5 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
  *
  * @api
  */
-class HttpKernel implements HttpKernelInterface
+class HttpKernel implements HttpKernelInterface, TerminableInterface
 {
     private $dispatcher;
     private $resolver;
@@ -79,6 +79,19 @@ public function handle(Request $request, $type = HttpKernelInterface::MASTER_REQ
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Terminates a request/response cycle.
+     *
+     * Should be called after sending the response and before shutting down the kernel.
+     *
+     * @api
+     */
+    public function terminate()
+    {
+        $event = new PostResponseEvent($this);
+        $this->dispatcher->dispatch(KernelEvents::TERMINATE, $event);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Handles a request to convert it to a response.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
index e9ebd844aff0..e8efa691da35 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
@@ -143,6 +143,13 @@ public function boot()
      */
     public function terminate()
     {
+        if (false === $this->booted) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if ($this->getHttpKernel() instanceof TerminableInterface) {
+            $this->getHttpKernel()->terminate();
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCacheTest.php b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCacheTest.php
index 6771362d402b..18180f38fa2c 100644
--- a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCacheTest.php
+++ b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCacheTest.php
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public function testTerminateDelegatesTerminationOnlyForTerminableInterface()
         $kernel = new HttpCache($kernelMock, $storeMock);
         $kernel->terminate();
 
-        // does implement TerminableInterface
+        // implements TerminableInterface
         $kernelMock = $this->getMockBuilder('Symfony\\Component\\HttpKernel\\Kernel')
             ->disableOriginalConstructor()
             ->setMethods(array('terminate', 'registerBundles', 'registerContainerConfiguration'))
diff --git a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernelTest.php b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernelTest.php
index 149cbeb8dea6..8954cee86bda 100644
--- a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernelTest.php
+++ b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernelTest.php
@@ -164,6 +164,20 @@ public function testHandleWithAResponseListener()
         $this->assertEquals('foo', $kernel->handle(new Request())->getContent());
     }
 
+    public function testTerminate()
+    {
+        $dispatcher = new EventDispatcher();
+        $kernel = new HttpKernel($dispatcher, $this->getResolver());
+        $dispatcher->addListener(KernelEvents::TERMINATE, function ($event) use (&$called, &$capturedKernel) {
+            $called = true;
+            $capturedKernel = $event->getKernel();
+        });
+
+        $kernel->terminate();
+        $this->assertTrue($called);
+        $this->assertEquals($kernel, $capturedKernel);
+    }
+
     protected function getResolver($controller = null)
     {
         if (null === $controller) {
diff --git a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/KernelTest.php b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/KernelTest.php
index 2572044b4336..fea6e1199dbb 100644
--- a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/KernelTest.php
+++ b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/HttpKernel/KernelTest.php
@@ -652,6 +652,66 @@ public function testInitializeBundleThrowsExceptionWhenABundleExtendsItself()
         $kernel->initializeBundles();
     }
 
+    public function testTerminateReturnsSilentlyIfKernelIsNotBooted()
+    {
+        $kernel = $this->getMockBuilder('Symfony\Tests\Component\HttpKernel\KernelForTest')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->setMethods(array('getHttpKernel'))
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $kernel->expects($this->never())
+            ->method('getHttpKernel');
+
+        $kernel->setIsBooted(false);
+        $kernel->terminate();
+    }
+
+    public function testTerminateDelegatesTerminationOnlyForTerminableInterface()
+    {
+        // does not implement TerminableInterface
+        $httpKernelMock = $this->getMockBuilder('Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernelInterface')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $httpKernelMock
+            ->expects($this->never())
+            ->method('terminate');
+
+        $kernel = $this->getMockBuilder('Symfony\Tests\Component\HttpKernel\KernelForTest')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->setMethods(array('getHttpKernel'))
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $kernel->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('getHttpKernel')
+            ->will($this->returnValue($httpKernelMock));
+
+        $kernel->setIsBooted(true);
+        $kernel->terminate();
+
+        // implements TerminableInterface
+        $httpKernelMock = $this->getMockBuilder('Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->setMethods(array('terminate'))
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $httpKernelMock
+            ->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('terminate');
+
+        $kernel = $this->getMockBuilder('Symfony\Tests\Component\HttpKernel\KernelForTest')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->setMethods(array('getHttpKernel'))
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $kernel->expects($this->exactly(2))
+            ->method('getHttpKernel')
+            ->will($this->returnValue($httpKernelMock));
+
+        $kernel->setIsBooted(true);
+        $kernel->terminate();
+    }
+
     protected function getBundle($dir = null, $parent = null, $className = null, $bundleName = null)
     {
         $bundle = $this