diff --git a/lib/appenders/smtp.js b/lib/appenders/smtp.js
index 7f8fd7c..6fa4b66 100644
--- a/lib/appenders/smtp.js
+++ b/lib/appenders/smtp.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 "use strict";
 var layouts = require("../layouts")
 , mailer = require("nodemailer")
-, os = require('os');
+, os = require('os')
+, unsentCount = 0
+, shutdownTimeout;
 
 /**
 * SMTP Appender. Sends logging events using SMTP protocol. 
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@ var layouts = require("../layouts")
 * @param config appender configuration data
 *    config.sendInterval time between log emails (in seconds), if 0
 *    then every event sends an email
+*    config.shutdownTimeout time to give up remaining emails (in seconds; defaults to 5).
 * @param layout a function that takes a logevent and returns a string (defaults to basicLayout).
 */
 function smtpAppender(config, layout) {
@@ -21,12 +24,15 @@ function smtpAppender(config, layout) {
 	var logEventBuffer = [];
 	var sendTimer;
 	
+	shutdownTimeout = ('shutdownTimeout' in config ? config.shutdownTimeout : 5) * 1000;
+	
 	function sendBuffer() {
     if (logEventBuffer.length > 0) {
 		
       var transport = mailer.createTransport(config.SMTP);
       var firstEvent = logEventBuffer[0];
       var body = "";
+      var count = logEventBuffer.length;
       while (logEventBuffer.length > 0) {
         body += layout(logEventBuffer.shift(), config.timezoneOffset) + "\n";
       }
@@ -51,6 +57,7 @@ function smtpAppender(config, layout) {
           console.error("log4js.smtpAppender - Error happened", error);
         }
         transport.close();
+        unsentCount -= count;
       });
     }
 	}
@@ -65,6 +72,7 @@ function smtpAppender(config, layout) {
 	}
 	
 	return function(loggingEvent) {
+		unsentCount++;
 		logEventBuffer.push(loggingEvent);
 		if (sendInterval > 0) {
 			scheduleSend();
@@ -82,7 +90,19 @@ function configure(config) {
 	return smtpAppender(config, layout);
 }
 
+function shutdown(cb) {
+	if (shutdownTimeout > 0) {
+		setTimeout(function() { unsentCount = 0; }, shutdownTimeout);
+	}
+	async.whilst(function() {
+		return unsentCount > 0;
+	}, function(done) {
+		setTimeout(done, 100);
+	}, cb);
+}
+
 exports.name = "smtp";
 exports.appender = smtpAppender;
 exports.configure = configure;
+exports.shutdown = shutdown;