diff --git a/common/channel/shutdown_once.go b/common/channel/shutdown_once.go
index 2cbbdcf59f2..8faaa2b10dd 100644
--- a/common/channel/shutdown_once.go
+++ b/common/channel/shutdown_once.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 package channel
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 )
 
@@ -41,11 +43,18 @@ type (
 		IsShutdown() bool
 		// Channel for shutdown notification
 		Channel() <-chan struct{}
+		// PropagateShutdown propagates the shutdown signal to the input context, canceling it when shutdown is called.
+		// This is useful when creating contexts for background tasks that should be terminated when the service that
+		// started them is shutdown.
+		// The cancel function returned by this method should be called in the same manner as the cancel function
+		// returned by context.WithCancel. In essence, it should be called in a defer statement.
+		PropagateShutdown(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc)
 	}
 
 	ShutdownOnceImpl struct {
 		status  int32
 		channel chan struct{}
+		wg      sync.WaitGroup
 	}
 )
 
@@ -73,3 +82,20 @@ func (c *ShutdownOnceImpl) IsShutdown() bool {
 func (c *ShutdownOnceImpl) Channel() <-chan struct{} {
 	return c.channel
 }
+
+// PropagateShutdown wraps the given context with a cancel function. We then spawn a goroutine which waits for the
+// context to be canceled or for the shutdown channel to be closed. When shutdown is called, the cancel function is
+// also called.
+func (c *ShutdownOnceImpl) PropagateShutdown(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	c.wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer c.wg.Done()
+		select {
+		case <-c.channel:
+			cancel()
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+		}
+	}()
+	return ctx, cancel
+}
diff --git a/common/channel/shutdown_once_test.go b/common/channel/shutdown_once_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c6416123285
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/channel/shutdown_once_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// The MIT License
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2020 Temporal Technologies Inc.  All rights reserved.
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2020 Uber Technologies, Inc.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+// THE SOFTWARE.
+
+package channel
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestShutdownOnceImpl_PropagateCancel(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("context is canceled when shutdown is called", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		so := NewShutdownOnce()
+		ctx, cancel := so.PropagateShutdown(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			t.Fatal("ctx should not be done")
+		default:
+		}
+		so.Shutdown()
+		<-ctx.Done()
+		err := ctx.Err()
+		assert.ErrorIs(t, err, context.Canceled)
+		require.True(t, so.IsShutdown())
+		select {
+		case _, ok := <-so.Channel():
+			assert.False(t, ok, "channel should be closed")
+		default:
+			t.Fatal("channel should be closed")
+		}
+	})
+	t.Run("input context is canceled", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		so := NewShutdownOnce()
+		inCtx, cancelInputCtx := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		outCtx, _ := so.PropagateShutdown(inCtx)
+		cancelInputCtx()
+		so.wg.Wait()
+		require.False(t, so.IsShutdown(), "should not shutdown when input context is canceled")
+		select {
+		case <-outCtx.Done():
+		default:
+			t.Fatal("output context should be canceled when input context is canceled")
+		}
+	})
+	t.Run("output context is canceled", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		so := NewShutdownOnce()
+		_, cancel := so.PropagateShutdown(context.Background())
+		cancel()
+		so.wg.Wait()
+		require.False(t, so.IsShutdown(), "should not shutdown when spawned context is canceled")
+		select {
+		case <-so.Channel():
+			t.Fatal("channel should not be closed")
+		default:
+		}
+	})
+}