diff --git a/middleware/proxy/lookup.go b/middleware/proxy/lookup.go
index e97741fb5..370307cc1 100644
--- a/middleware/proxy/lookup.go
+++ b/middleware/proxy/lookup.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ func NewLookup(hosts []string) Proxy {
 func NewLookupWithOption(hosts []string, opts Options) Proxy {
 	p := Proxy{Next: nil}
 
+	// TODO(miek): this needs to be unified with upstream.go's NewStaticUpstreams, caddy uses NewHost
+	// we should copy/make something similar.
 	upstream := &staticUpstream{
 		from:        ".",
 		Hosts:       make([]*UpstreamHost, len(hosts)),
diff --git a/middleware/proxy/proxy.go b/middleware/proxy/proxy.go
index ce8b99d83..5205bd06f 100644
--- a/middleware/proxy/proxy.go
+++ b/middleware/proxy/proxy.go
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ type Upstream interface {
 	IsAllowedDomain(string) bool
 	// Exchanger returns the exchanger to be used for this upstream.
 	Exchanger() Exchanger
+	// Stops the upstream from proxying requests to shutdown goroutines cleanly.
+	Stop() error
 }
 
 // UpstreamHostDownFunc can be used to customize how Down behaves.
diff --git a/middleware/proxy/proxy_test.go b/middleware/proxy/proxy_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a44d1b82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleware/proxy/proxy_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+package proxy
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mholt/caddy/caddyfile"
+)
+
+func TestStop(t *testing.T) {
+	config := "proxy . %s {\n health_check /healthcheck:%s %dms \n}"
+	tests := []struct {
+		name                    string
+		intervalInMilliseconds  int
+		numHealthcheckIntervals int
+	}{
+		{
+			"No Healthchecks After Stop - 5ms, 1 intervals",
+			5,
+			1,
+		},
+		{
+			"No Healthchecks After Stop - 5ms, 2 intervals",
+			5,
+			2,
+		},
+		{
+			"No Healthchecks After Stop - 5ms, 3 intervals",
+			5,
+			3,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+
+			// Set up proxy.
+			var counter int64
+			backend := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+				r.Body.Close()
+				atomic.AddInt64(&counter, 1)
+			}))
+
+			defer backend.Close()
+
+			port := backend.URL[17:] // Remove all crap up to the port
+			back := backend.URL[7:]  // Remove http://
+			c := caddyfile.NewDispenser("Testfile", strings.NewReader(fmt.Sprintf(config, back, port, test.intervalInMilliseconds)))
+			upstreams, err := NewStaticUpstreams(&c)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Error("Expected no error. Got:", err.Error())
+			}
+
+			// Give some time for healthchecks to hit the server.
+			time.Sleep(time.Duration(test.intervalInMilliseconds*test.numHealthcheckIntervals) * time.Millisecond)
+
+			for _, upstream := range upstreams {
+				if err := upstream.Stop(); err != nil {
+					t.Error("Expected no error stopping upstream. Got: ", err.Error())
+				}
+			}
+
+			counterValueAfterShutdown := atomic.LoadInt64(&counter)
+
+			// Give some time to see if healthchecks are still hitting the server.
+			time.Sleep(time.Duration(test.intervalInMilliseconds*test.numHealthcheckIntervals) * time.Millisecond)
+
+			if counterValueAfterShutdown == 0 {
+				t.Error("Expected healthchecks to hit test server. Got no healthchecks.")
+			}
+
+			counterValueAfterWaiting := atomic.LoadInt64(&counter)
+			if counterValueAfterWaiting != counterValueAfterShutdown {
+				t.Errorf("Expected no more healthchecks after shutdown. Got: %d healthchecks after shutdown", counterValueAfterWaiting-counterValueAfterShutdown)
+			}
+
+		})
+
+	}
+}
diff --git a/middleware/proxy/setup.go b/middleware/proxy/setup.go
index 36401188f..de979a5df 100644
--- a/middleware/proxy/setup.go
+++ b/middleware/proxy/setup.go
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ func setup(c *caddy.Controller) error {
 		c.OnShutdown(func() error {
 			return u.Exchanger().OnShutdown(P)
 		})
+		// Register shutdown handlers.
+		c.OnShutdown(u.Stop)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/middleware/proxy/upstream.go b/middleware/proxy/upstream.go
index 278b08d0f..8bc3e5306 100644
--- a/middleware/proxy/upstream.go
+++ b/middleware/proxy/upstream.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
@@ -25,7 +26,10 @@ var (
 )
 
 type staticUpstream struct {
-	from   string
+	from string
+	stop chan struct{}  // Signals running goroutines to stop.
+	wg   sync.WaitGroup // Used to wait for running goroutines to stop.
+
 	Hosts  HostPool
 	Policy Policy
 	Spray  Policy
@@ -49,6 +53,7 @@ func NewStaticUpstreams(c *caddyfile.Dispenser) ([]Upstream, error) {
 	for c.Next() {
 		upstream := &staticUpstream{
 			from:        ".",
+			stop:        make(chan struct{}),
 			Hosts:       nil,
 			Policy:      &Random{},
 			Spray:       nil,
@@ -108,13 +113,25 @@ func NewStaticUpstreams(c *caddyfile.Dispenser) ([]Upstream, error) {
 		}
 
 		if upstream.HealthCheck.Path != "" {
-			go upstream.HealthCheckWorker(nil)
+			upstream.wg.Add(1)
+			go func() {
+				defer upstream.wg.Done()
+				upstream.HealthCheckWorker(upstream.stop)
+			}()
 		}
 		upstreams = append(upstreams, upstream)
 	}
 	return upstreams, nil
 }
 
+// Stop sends a signal to all goroutines started by this staticUpstream to exit
+// and waits for them to finish before returning.
+func (u *staticUpstream) Stop() error {
+	close(u.stop)
+	u.wg.Wait()
+	return nil
+}
+
 // RegisterPolicy adds a custom policy to the proxy.
 func RegisterPolicy(name string, policy func() Policy) {
 	supportedPolicies[name] = policy
@@ -281,9 +298,8 @@ func (u *staticUpstream) HealthCheckWorker(stop chan struct{}) {
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			u.healthCheck()
 		case <-stop:
-			// TODO: the library should provide a stop channel and global
-			// waitgroup to allow goroutines started by plugins a chance
-			// to clean themselves up.
+			ticker.Stop()
+			return
 		}
 	}
 }