diff --git a/econtext/core.py b/econtext/core.py
index 58deeeb6..57716bd1 100644
--- a/econtext/core.py
+++ b/econtext/core.py
@@ -248,9 +248,9 @@ class BasicStream(object):
         self.read_side.close()
         self.write_side.close()
 
-    def shutdown(self):
+    def on_shutdown(self):
         """Disconnect gracefully. Base implementation calls on_disconnect()."""
-        LOG.debug('%r.shutdown()', self)
+        LOG.debug('%r.on_shutdown()', self)
         self.on_disconnect()
 
     def has_output(self):
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ class Stream(BasicStream):
             LOG.debug('%r.on_disconnect(): killing %r: %r', self, handle, fn)
             fn(_DEAD)
 
-    def shutdown(self):
+    def on_shutdown(self):
         """Override BasicStream behaviour of immediately disconnecting."""
 
     def accept(self, rfd, wfd):
@@ -412,8 +412,8 @@ class Context(object):
         self._lock = threading.Lock()
         self.add_handle_cb(self._shutdown, SHUTDOWN)
 
-    def shutdown(self):
-        """Slave does nothing, _broker_main() will .shutdown its streams."""
+    def on_shutdown(self):
+        """Slave does nothing, _broker_main() will shutdown its streams."""
 
     def _shutdown(self, data):
         if data != _DEAD and self.stream:
@@ -545,8 +545,8 @@ class IoLogger(BasicStream):
             line, _, self._buf = self._buf.partition('\n')
             self._log.info('%s', line.rstrip('\n'))
 
-    def shutdown(self):
-        LOG.debug('%r.shutdown()', self)
+    def on_shutdown(self):
+        LOG.debug('%r.on_shutdown()', self)
         self._wsock.shutdown(socket.SHUT_WR)
         self._wsock.close()
 
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ class Broker(object):
                 self._loop_once()
 
             for side in self._readers | self._writers:
-                self._call_and_update(side.stream, side.stream.shutdown)
+                self._call_and_update(side.stream, side.stream.on_shutdown)
 
             deadline = time.time() + self.graceful_timeout
             while ((self._readers or self._writers) and
@@ -661,16 +661,16 @@ class Broker(object):
         except Exception:
             LOG.exception('_broker_main() crashed')
 
-    def wait(self):
-        """Wait for the broker to stop."""
-        self._thread.join()
-
     def shutdown(self):
-        """Gracefully disconnect streams and wait for broker to stop."""
+        """Request broker gracefully disconnect streams and stop."""
         LOG.debug('%r.shutdown()', self)
         self._alive = False
         self._waker.wake()
 
+    def wait(self):
+        """Wait for the broker to stop."""
+        self._thread.join()
+
     def __repr__(self):
         return 'Broker()'
 
diff --git a/econtext/master.py b/econtext/master.py
index 6f981732..b45d89bc 100644
--- a/econtext/master.py
+++ b/econtext/master.py
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ class LocalStream(econtext.core.Stream):
         super(LocalStream, self).__init__(context)
         self._permitted_classes = set([('econtext.core', 'CallError')])
 
-    def shutdown(self):
-        """Requesting the slave gracefully shut itself down."""
+    def on_shutdown(self):
+        """Request the slave gracefully shut itself down."""
         LOG.debug('%r enqueuing SHUTDOWN', self)
         self.enqueue(econtext.core.SHUTDOWN, None)