diff --git a/include/spdk/event.h b/include/spdk/event.h
index 3e712ed3d..dfc3fcd6a 100644
--- a/include/spdk/event.h
+++ b/include/spdk/event.h
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ int spdk_app_fini(void);
 */
 int spdk_app_start(spdk_event_fn start_fn, void *arg1, void *arg2);
 
+/**
+ * \brief Start shutting down the framework.  Typically this function is not called directly, and
+ * the shutdown process is started implicitly by a process signal.  But in applications that are
+ * using SPDK for a subset of its process threads, this function can be called in lieu of a signal.
+ */
+void spdk_app_start_shutdown(void);
+
 /**
  * \brief Stop the framework. This does not wait for all threads to exit. Instead, it kicks off
  * the shutdown process and returns. Once the shutdown process is complete, \ref spdk_app_start will return.
diff --git a/lib/event/app.c b/lib/event/app.c
index 35976e6b5..5c812bde9 100644
--- a/lib/event/app.c
+++ b/lib/event/app.c
@@ -189,18 +189,19 @@ spdk_get_log_facility(struct spdk_conf *config)
 	return logfacility;
 }
 
+void
+spdk_app_start_shutdown(void)
+{
+	if (g_shutdown_event != NULL) {
+		spdk_event_call(g_shutdown_event);
+		g_shutdown_event = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 __shutdown_signal(int signo)
 {
-	/*
-	 * Call pre-allocated shutdown event.  Note that it is not
-	 *  safe to allocate the event within the signal handlers
-	 *  context, since that context is not a DPDK thread so
-	 *  buffer allocation is not permitted.
-	 */
-	if (g_shutdown_event != NULL) {
-		spdk_event_call(g_shutdown_event);
-	}
+	spdk_app_start_shutdown();
 }
 
 static void