diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5cb87844..6a6b3afd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.8.4] - 2023-12-01
+
+### Added
+
+- `test_persistent_tasks` now accepts an optional `expr` to run in the precompile package. ([#255](https://github.com/JuliaTesting/Aqua.jl/pull/255))
+  + The `expr` option lets you test whether your precompile script leaves any dangling Tasks
+  or Timers, which would make it unsafe to use as a dependency for downstream packages.
+
 
 ## [0.8.3] - 2023-11-29
 
diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 9a95e3d5..29cf94df 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name = "Aqua"
 uuid = "4c88cf16-eb10-579e-8560-4a9242c79595"
 authors = ["Takafumi Arakaki <aka.tkf@gmail.com> and contributors"]
-version = "0.8.3"
+version = "0.8.4"
 
 [deps]
 Compat = "34da2185-b29b-5c13-b0c7-acf172513d20"
diff --git a/docs/src/persistent_tasks.md b/docs/src/persistent_tasks.md
index aef2dcaa..49371c19 100644
--- a/docs/src/persistent_tasks.md
+++ b/docs/src/persistent_tasks.md
@@ -32,6 +32,27 @@ fails to precompile: `using PkgA` runs `PkgA.__init__()`, which
 leaves the `Timer` `Task` running, and that causes precompilation
 of `PkgB` to hang.
 
+## Example with `expr`
+
+You can test that an expression using your package finishes without leaving any persistent
+tasks by passing a quoted expression:
+
+```julia
+Aqua.test_persistent_tasks(MyPackage, quote
+    # Code to run after loading MyPackage
+    server = MyPackage.start_server()
+    MyPackage.stop_server!(server)
+end)
+```
+
+Here is an example test with a dummy expr which will obviously fail, because it's explicitly
+spawning a Task that never dies.
+```@repl
+Aqua.test_persistent_tasks(Aqua, quote
+    Threads.@spawn while true sleep(0.5) end
+end
+```
+
 ## How the test works
 
 This test works by launching a Julia process that tries to precompile a
diff --git a/src/persistent_tasks.jl b/src/persistent_tasks.jl
index 437fbdf7..a44994e7 100644
--- a/src/persistent_tasks.jl
+++ b/src/persistent_tasks.jl
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ Test whether loading `package` creates persistent `Task`s
 which may block precompilation of dependent packages.
 See also [`Aqua.find_persistent_tasks_deps`](@ref).
 
+If you provide an optional `expr`, this tests whether loading `package` and running `expr`
+creates persistent `Task`s. For example, you might start and shutdown a web server, and
+this will test that there aren't any persistent `Task`s.
+
 On Julia version 1.9 and before, this test always succeeds.
 
 # Arguments
@@ -16,6 +20,7 @@ On Julia version 1.9 and before, this test always succeeds.
 - `tmax::Real = 5`: the maximum time (in seconds) to wait after loading the
   package before forcibly shutting down the precompilation process (triggering
   a test failure).
+- `expr::Expr = quote end`: An expression to run in the precompile package.
 """
 function test_persistent_tasks(package::PkgId; broken::Bool = false, kwargs...)
     if broken
@@ -29,10 +34,10 @@ function test_persistent_tasks(package::Module; kwargs...)
     test_persistent_tasks(PkgId(package); kwargs...)
 end
 
-function has_persistent_tasks(package::PkgId; tmax = 10)
+function has_persistent_tasks(package::PkgId; expr::Expr = quote end, tmax = 10)
     root_project_path, found = root_project_toml(package)
     found || error("Unable to locate Project.toml")
-    return !precompile_wrapper(root_project_path, tmax)
+    return !precompile_wrapper(root_project_path, tmax, expr)
 end
 
 """
@@ -60,7 +65,7 @@ function find_persistent_tasks_deps(package::Module; kwargs...)
     find_persistent_tasks_deps(PkgId(package); kwargs...)
 end
 
-function precompile_wrapper(project, tmax)
+function precompile_wrapper(project, tmax, expr)
     @static if VERSION < v"1.10.0-"
         return true
     end
@@ -84,6 +89,7 @@ function precompile_wrapper(project, tmax)
                 """
 module $wrappername
 using $pkgname
+$expr
 # Signal Aqua from the precompilation process that we've finished loading the package
 open("$(escape_string(statusfile))", "w") do io
     println(io, "done")
@@ -110,6 +116,8 @@ end
         end
         success = !process_running(proc)
         if !success
+            # SIGKILL to prevent julia from printing the SIG 15 handler, which can
+            # misleadingly look like it's caused by an issue in the user's program.
             kill(proc, Base.SIGKILL)
         end
         return success
diff --git a/test/test_persistent_tasks.jl b/test/test_persistent_tasks.jl
index 82554089..1339f159 100644
--- a/test/test_persistent_tasks.jl
+++ b/test/test_persistent_tasks.jl
@@ -29,4 +29,20 @@ end
     filter!(str -> !occursin("PersistentTasks", str), LOAD_PATH)
 end
 
+@testset "test_persistent_tasks(expr)" begin
+    if Base.VERSION >= v"1.10-"
+        @test !Aqua.has_persistent_tasks(
+            getid("TransientTask"),
+            expr = quote
+                fetch(Threads.@spawn nothing)
+            end,
+        )
+        @test Aqua.has_persistent_tasks(getid("TransientTask"), expr = quote
+            Threads.@spawn while true
+                sleep(0.5)
+            end
+        end)
+    end
+end
+
 end