diff --git a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/ActorMaterializerSpec.scala b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/ActorMaterializerSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9eedf56da5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/ActorMaterializerSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package akka.stream
+
+import akka.stream.impl.{ StreamSupervisor, ActorFlowMaterializerImpl }
+import akka.stream.scaladsl.{ Sink, Source }
+import akka.stream.testkit.AkkaSpec
+import akka.testkit.{ ImplicitSender, TestProbe }
+
+import scala.concurrent.Await
+import scala.concurrent.duration._
+
+class ActorMaterializerSpec extends AkkaSpec with ImplicitSender {
+
+  "ActorMaterializer" must {
+
+    "report shutdown status properly" in {
+      val m = ActorFlowMaterializer.create(system)
+
+      m.isShutdown should ===(false)
+      m.shutdown()
+      m.isShutdown should ===(true)
+    }
+
+    "properly shut down actors associated with it" in {
+      val m = ActorFlowMaterializer.create(system)
+
+      val f = Source.lazyEmpty[Int].runFold(0)(_ + _)(m)
+      m.shutdown()
+
+      an[AbruptTerminationException] should be thrownBy
+        Await.result(f, 3.seconds)
+    }
+
+    "refuse materialization after shutdown" in {
+      val m = ActorFlowMaterializer.create(system)
+      m.shutdown()
+      an[IllegalStateException] should be thrownBy
+        Source(1 to 5).runForeach(println)(m)
+    }
+
+    "shut down the supervisor actor it encapsulates" in {
+      val m = ActorFlowMaterializer.create(system).asInstanceOf[ActorFlowMaterializerImpl]
+
+      Source.lazyEmpty[Any].to(Sink.ignore).run()(m)
+      m.supervisor ! StreamSupervisor.GetChildren
+      expectMsgType[StreamSupervisor.Children]
+      m.shutdown()
+
+      m.supervisor ! StreamSupervisor.GetChildren
+      expectNoMsg(1.second)
+    }
+
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorInterpreterSpec.scala b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorInterpreterSpec.scala
index 7352be1a2c..4eca857805 100644
--- a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorInterpreterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorInterpreterSpec.scala
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class ActorInterpreterSpec extends AkkaSpec {
     "satisfy larger demand" in largeDemand(1)
 
     "handle spec violations" in {
-      a[SpecViolation] should be thrownBy {
+      a[AbruptTerminationException] should be thrownBy {
         Await.result(
           Source(new Publisher[String] {
             def subscribe(s: Subscriber[_ >: String]) = {
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/ActorFlowMaterializer.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/ActorFlowMaterializer.scala
index 12807046e2..4dd5c19658 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/ActorFlowMaterializer.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/ActorFlowMaterializer.scala
@@ -147,6 +147,18 @@ abstract class ActorFlowMaterializer extends FlowMaterializer {
 
   def effectiveSettings(opAttr: OperationAttributes): ActorFlowMaterializerSettings
 
+  /**
+   * Shuts down this materializer and all the stages that have been materialized through this materializer. After
+   * having shut down, this materializer cannot be used again. Any attempt to materialize stages after having
+   * shut down will result in an IllegalStateException being thrown at materialization time.
+   */
+  def shutdown(): Unit
+
+  /**
+   * Indicates if the materializer has been shut down.
+   */
+  def isShutdown: Boolean
+
   /**
    * INTERNAL API: this might become public later
    */
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorFlowMaterializerImpl.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorFlowMaterializerImpl.scala
index 91056e6908..4ad84b1337 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorFlowMaterializerImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ActorFlowMaterializerImpl.scala
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 package akka.stream.impl
 
-import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.{ AtomicBoolean, AtomicLong }
 
 import akka.actor._
 import akka.dispatch.Dispatchers
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ private[akka] case class ActorFlowMaterializerImpl(
   import ActorFlowMaterializerImpl._
   import akka.stream.impl.Stages._
 
+  private val haveShutDown = new AtomicBoolean(false)
+
+  override def shutdown(): Unit =
+    if (haveShutDown.compareAndSet(false, true)) supervisor ! PoisonPill
+
+  override def isShutdown: Boolean = haveShutDown.get()
+
   override def withNamePrefix(name: String): FlowMaterializer = this.copy(namePrefix = name)
 
   private[this] def nextFlowNameCount(): Long = flowNameCounter.incrementAndGet()
@@ -59,6 +66,8 @@ private[akka] case class ActorFlowMaterializerImpl(
   }
 
   override def materialize[Mat](runnableFlow: Graph[ClosedShape, Mat]): Mat = {
+    if (haveShutDown.get())
+      throw new IllegalStateException("Attempted to call materialize() after the ActorMaterializer has been shut down.")
     if (StreamLayout.Debug) runnableFlow.module.validate()
 
     val session = new MaterializerSession(runnableFlow.module) {
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ReactiveStreamsCompliance.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ReactiveStreamsCompliance.scala
index e0d6a2bc8d..f7464f50b0 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ReactiveStreamsCompliance.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/ReactiveStreamsCompliance.scala
@@ -106,15 +106,15 @@ private[stream] object ReactiveStreamsCompliance {
     }
   }
 
-  final def tryRequest(subscription: Subscription, demand: Long, onError: (Throwable) ⇒ Unit): Unit = {
+  final def tryRequest(subscription: Subscription, demand: Long): Unit = {
     try subscription.request(demand) catch {
-      case NonFatal(t) ⇒ onError(new SignalThrewException("It is illegal to throw exceptions from request(), rule 3.16", t))
+      case NonFatal(t) ⇒ throw new SignalThrewException("It is illegal to throw exceptions from request(), rule 3.16", t)
     }
   }
 
-  final def tryCancel(subscription: Subscription, onError: (Throwable) ⇒ Unit): Unit = {
+  final def tryCancel(subscription: Subscription): Unit = {
     try subscription.cancel() catch {
-      case NonFatal(t) ⇒ onError(new SignalThrewException("It is illegal to throw exceptions from cancel(), rule 3.15", t))
+      case NonFatal(t) ⇒ throw new SignalThrewException("It is illegal to throw exceptions from cancel(), rule 3.15", t)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/ActorInterpreter.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/ActorInterpreter.scala
index def327ea91..80ef8b52fd 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/ActorInterpreter.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/ActorInterpreter.scala
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ private[akka] class BatchingActorInputBoundary(val size: Int, val name: String)
 
     batchRemaining -= 1
     if (batchRemaining == 0 && !upstreamCompleted) {
-      tryRequest(upstream, requestBatchSize, onError)
+      tryRequest(upstream, requestBatchSize)
       batchRemaining = requestBatchSize
     }
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ private[akka] class BatchingActorInputBoundary(val size: Int, val name: String)
   def cancel(): Unit = {
     if (!upstreamCompleted) {
       upstreamCompleted = true
-      if (upstream ne null) tryCancel(upstream, onError)
+      if (upstream ne null) tryCancel(upstream)
       downstreamWaiting = false
       clear()
     }
@@ -115,21 +115,32 @@ private[akka] class BatchingActorInputBoundary(val size: Int, val name: String)
   private def onSubscribe(subscription: Subscription): Unit = {
     assert(subscription != null)
     if (upstreamCompleted)
-      tryCancel(subscription, onError)
+      tryCancel(subscription)
     else if (downstreamCanceled) {
       upstreamCompleted = true
-      tryCancel(subscription, onError)
+      tryCancel(subscription)
     } else {
       upstream = subscription
       // Prefetch
-      tryRequest(upstream, inputBuffer.length, onError)
+      tryRequest(upstream, inputBuffer.length)
       subreceive.become(upstreamRunning)
     }
   }
 
-  private def onError(e: Throwable): Unit = {
-    upstreamCompleted = true
-    enterAndFail(e)
+  // Call this when an error happens that does not come from the usual onError channel
+  // (exceptions while calling RS interfaces, abrupt termination etc)
+  def onInternalError(e: Throwable): Unit = {
+    if (!(upstreamCompleted || downstreamCanceled) && (upstream ne null)) {
+      upstream.cancel()
+    }
+    onError(e)
+  }
+
+  def onError(e: Throwable): Unit = {
+    if (!upstreamCompleted) {
+      upstreamCompleted = true
+      enterAndFail(e)
+    }
   }
 
   private def waitingForUpstream: Actor.Receive = {
@@ -148,7 +159,7 @@ private[akka] class BatchingActorInputBoundary(val size: Int, val name: String)
 
     case OnComplete                ⇒ onComplete()
     case OnError(cause)            ⇒ onError(cause)
-    case OnSubscribe(subscription) ⇒ tryCancel(subscription, onError) // spec rule 2.5
+    case OnSubscribe(subscription) ⇒ tryCancel(subscription) // spec rule 2.5
   }
 
 }
@@ -361,8 +372,13 @@ private[akka] class ActorInterpreter(val settings: ActorFlowMaterializerSettings
   }
 
   override def postStop(): Unit = {
+    // This should handle termination while interpreter is running. If the upstream have been closed already this
+    // call has no effect and therefore do the right thing: nothing.
+    try upstream.onInternalError(AbruptTerminationException(self))
+    // Will only have an effect if the above call to the interpreter failed to emit a proper failure to the downstream
+    // otherwise this will have no effect
+    finally downstream.fail(AbruptTerminationException(self))
     upstream.cancel()
-    downstream.fail(AbruptTerminationException(self))
   }
 
   override def postRestart(reason: Throwable): Unit = {