diff --git a/docs/howitworks.rst b/docs/howitworks.rst
index 0e48a538..5c8bb018 100644
--- a/docs/howitworks.rst
+++ b/docs/howitworks.rst
@@ -445,6 +445,20 @@ also listen on the following handles:
     In this way, the master need never re-send a module it has already sent to
     a direct descendant.
 
+.. currentmodule:: mitogen.core
+.. data:: DETACHING
+
+    Sent to inform a parent that user code has invoked
+    :meth:`ExternalContext.detach` to decouple the lifecycle of a directly
+    connected context and its subtree from the running program.
+
+    A child usually shuts down immediately if it loses its parent connection,
+    and parents usually terminate any related Python/SSH subprocess on
+    disconnection. Receiving :data:`DETACHING` informs the parent the
+    connection will soon drop, but the process intends to continue life
+    independently, and to avoid terminating the related subprocess if that
+    subprocess is the child itself.
+
 
 Additional handles are created to receive the result of every function call
 triggered by :py:meth:`call_async() <mitogen.parent.Context.call_async>`.
diff --git a/docs/images/disconnected-subtree.graphml b/docs/images/detached-subtree.graphml
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/images/disconnected-subtree.graphml
rename to docs/images/detached-subtree.graphml
diff --git a/docs/images/disconnected-subtree.png b/docs/images/detached-subtree.png
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/images/disconnected-subtree.png
rename to docs/images/detached-subtree.png
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index a2c9c9c1..a693fc15 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -237,6 +237,17 @@ uptime')** without further need to capture or manage output.
    18:17:56 I mitogen.ctx.k3: stdout: 17:37:10 up 562 days,  2:25,  5 users,  load average: 1.24, 1.13, 1.14
 
 
+Detached Subtrees
+#################
+
+.. image:: images/detached-subtree.png
+
+It is possible to dynamically construct and decouple individual contexts from
+the lifecycle of the running program without terminating them, while enabling
+communication with any descendents in the subtree to be maintained. This is
+intended to support implementing background tasks.
+
+
 Blocking Code Friendly
 ######################
 
diff --git a/mitogen/core.py b/mitogen/core.py
index 56fc3266..f47b8380 100644
--- a/mitogen/core.py
+++ b/mitogen/core.py
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ DEL_ROUTE = 104
 ALLOCATE_ID = 105
 SHUTDOWN = 106
 LOAD_MODULE = 107
+DETACHING = 108
 IS_DEAD = 999
 
 PY3 = sys.version_info > (3,)
@@ -953,6 +954,7 @@ class Context(object):
             raise SystemError('Cannot making blocking call on broker thread')
 
         receiver = Receiver(self.router, persist=persist, respondent=self)
+        msg.dst_id = self.context_id
         msg.reply_to = receiver.handle
 
         _v and LOG.debug('%r.send_async(%r)', self, msg)
@@ -1277,6 +1279,10 @@ class Router(object):
         self.broker.start_receive(stream)
         listen(stream, 'disconnect', lambda: self.on_stream_disconnect(stream))
 
+    def stream_by_id(self, dst_id):
+        return self._stream_by_id.get(dst_id,
+            self._stream_by_id.get(mitogen.parent_id))
+
     def del_handler(self, handle):
         del self._handle_map[handle]
 
@@ -1501,6 +1507,8 @@ class Broker(object):
 
 
 class ExternalContext(object):
+    detached = False
+
     def _on_broker_shutdown(self):
         self.channel.close()
 
@@ -1514,8 +1522,34 @@ class ExternalContext(object):
             self.broker.shutdown()
 
     def _on_parent_disconnect(self):
-        _v and LOG.debug('%r: parent stream is gone, dying.', self)
-        self.broker.shutdown()
+        if self.detached:
+            mitogen.parent_ids = []
+            mitogen.parent_id = None
+            LOG.info('Detachment complete')
+        else:
+            _v and LOG.debug('%r: parent stream is gone, dying.', self)
+            self.broker.shutdown()
+
+    def _sync(self, func):
+        latch = Latch()
+        self.broker.defer(lambda: latch.put(func()))
+        return latch.get()
+
+    def detach(self):
+        self.detached = True
+        stream = self.router.stream_by_id(mitogen.parent_id)
+        if stream:  # not double-detach()'d
+            os.setsid()
+            self.parent.send_await(Message(handle=DETACHING))
+            LOG.info('Detaching from %r; parent is %s', stream, self.parent)
+            for x in range(20):
+                pending = self._sync(lambda: stream.pending_bytes())
+                if not pending:
+                    break
+                time.sleep(0.05)
+            if pending:
+                LOG.error('Stream had %d bytes after 2000ms', pending)
+            self.broker.defer(stream.on_disconnect, self.broker)
 
     def _setup_master(self, max_message_size, profiling, parent_id,
                       context_id, in_fd, out_fd):
diff --git a/mitogen/docker.py b/mitogen/docker.py
index c265dc4f..148c132b 100644
--- a/mitogen/docker.py
+++ b/mitogen/docker.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = False
+
     container = None
     image = None
     username = None
diff --git a/mitogen/fork.py b/mitogen/fork.py
index fdf40c39..70737fc8 100644
--- a/mitogen/fork.py
+++ b/mitogen/fork.py
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ def handle_child_crash():
 
 
 class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = True
+
     #: Reference to the importer, if any, recovered from the parent.
     importer = None
 
diff --git a/mitogen/jail.py b/mitogen/jail.py
index 37c89483..ed04da00 100644
--- a/mitogen/jail.py
+++ b/mitogen/jail.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = False
     create_child_args = {
         'merge_stdio': True
     }
diff --git a/mitogen/lxc.py b/mitogen/lxc.py
index 8a8e4b78..eb8ad173 100644
--- a/mitogen/lxc.py
+++ b/mitogen/lxc.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = False
     create_child_args = {
         # If lxc-attach finds any of stdin, stdout, stderr connected to a TTY,
         # to prevent input injection it creates a proxy pty, forcing all IO to
diff --git a/mitogen/master.py b/mitogen/master.py
index d0bc55a8..95202e35 100644
--- a/mitogen/master.py
+++ b/mitogen/master.py
@@ -690,6 +690,11 @@ class Router(mitogen.parent.Router):
         self.responder = ModuleResponder(self)
         self.log_forwarder = LogForwarder(self)
         self.route_monitor = mitogen.parent.RouteMonitor(router=self)
+        self.add_handler(  # TODO: cutpaste.
+            fn=self._on_detaching,
+            handle=mitogen.core.DETACHING,
+            persist=True,
+        )
 
     def enable_debug(self):
         mitogen.core.enable_debug_logging()
diff --git a/mitogen/parent.py b/mitogen/parent.py
index 7352712e..feac28a8 100644
--- a/mitogen/parent.py
+++ b/mitogen/parent.py
@@ -599,12 +599,23 @@ class Stream(mitogen.core.Stream):
             )
         )
 
+    #: If :data:`True`, indicates the subprocess managed by us should not be
+    #: killed during graceful detachment, as it the actual process implementing
+    #: the child context. In all other cases, the subprocess is SSH, sudo, or a
+    #: similar tool that should be reminded to quit during disconnection.
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = True
+
+    detached = False
     _reaped = False
 
     def _reap_child(self):
         """
         Reap the child process during disconnection.
         """
+        if self.detached and self.child_is_immediate_subprocess:
+            LOG.debug('%r: immediate child is detached, won\'t reap it', self)
+            return
+
         if self._reaped:
             # on_disconnect() may be invoked more than once, for example, if
             # there is still a pending message to be sent after the first
@@ -929,10 +940,22 @@ class Router(mitogen.core.Router):
             importer=importer,
         )
         self.route_monitor = RouteMonitor(self, parent)
+        self.add_handler(
+            fn=self._on_detaching,
+            handle=mitogen.core.DETACHING,
+            persist=True,
+        )
 
-    def stream_by_id(self, dst_id):
-        return self._stream_by_id.get(dst_id,
-            self._stream_by_id.get(mitogen.parent_id))
+    def _on_detaching(self, msg):
+        if msg.is_dead:
+            return
+        stream = self.stream_by_id(msg.src_id)
+        if stream.remote_id != msg.src_id or stream.detached:
+            LOG.warning('bad DETACHING received on %r: %r', stream, msg)
+            return
+        LOG.debug('%r: marking as detached', stream)
+        stream.detached = True
+        msg.reply(None)
 
     def add_route(self, target_id, stream):
         LOG.debug('%r.add_route(%r, %r)', self, target_id, stream)
diff --git a/mitogen/setns.py b/mitogen/setns.py
index 979e6bf4..c95b3217 100644
--- a/mitogen/setns.py
+++ b/mitogen/setns.py
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ def get_machinectl_pid(path, name):
 
 
 class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = False
+
     container = None
     username = None
     kind = None
diff --git a/mitogen/ssh.py b/mitogen/ssh.py
index 0fe18f75..76fad2a0 100644
--- a/mitogen/ssh.py
+++ b/mitogen/ssh.py
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ class HostKeyError(mitogen.core.StreamError):
 
 class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
     create_child = staticmethod(mitogen.parent.hybrid_tty_create_child)
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = False
     python_path = 'python2.7'
 
     #: Once connected, points to the corresponding TtyLogStream, allowing it to
diff --git a/mitogen/su.py b/mitogen/su.py
index bfaada11..2cc3406b 100644
--- a/mitogen/su.py
+++ b/mitogen/su.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
     # for hybrid_tty_create_child(), there just needs to be either a shell
     # snippet or bootstrap support for fixing things up afterwards.
     create_child = staticmethod(mitogen.parent.tty_create_child)
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = False
 
     #: Once connected, points to the corresponding TtyLogStream, allowing it to
     #: be disconnected at the same time this stream is being torn down.
diff --git a/mitogen/sudo.py b/mitogen/sudo.py
index 9377c960..5d2911fc 100644
--- a/mitogen/sudo.py
+++ b/mitogen/sudo.py
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class PasswordError(mitogen.core.StreamError):
 
 class Stream(mitogen.parent.Stream):
     create_child = staticmethod(mitogen.parent.hybrid_tty_create_child)
+    child_is_immediate_subprocess = False
 
     #: Once connected, points to the corresponding TtyLogStream, allowing it to
     #: be disconnected at the same time this stream is being torn down.