diff --git a/src/core/mutter.c b/src/core/mutter.c
index 9d716014a..01041e734 100644
--- a/src/core/mutter.c
+++ b/src/core/mutter.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <glib/gi18n-lib.h>
+#include <glib-unix.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "compositor/meta-plugin-manager.h"
@@ -56,6 +57,37 @@ GOptionEntry mutter_options[] = {
   { NULL }
 };
 
+
+static gboolean
+on_sigterm (gpointer user_data)
+{
+  MetaContext *context = META_CONTEXT (user_data);
+
+  meta_context_terminate (context);
+
+  return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
+}
+
+static void
+init_signal_handlers (MetaContext *context)
+{
+  struct sigaction act = { 0 };
+  sigset_t empty_mask;
+
+  sigemptyset (&empty_mask);
+  act.sa_handler = SIG_IGN;
+  act.sa_mask = empty_mask;
+  act.sa_flags = 0;
+  if (sigaction (SIGPIPE,  &act, NULL) < 0)
+    g_warning ("Failed to register SIGPIPE handler: %s", g_strerror (errno));
+#ifdef SIGXFSZ
+  if (sigaction (SIGXFSZ,  &act, NULL) < 0)
+    g_warning ("Failed to register SIGXFSZ handler: %s", g_strerror (errno));
+#endif
+
+  g_unix_signal_add (SIGTERM, on_sigterm, context);
+}
+
 int
 main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -73,6 +105,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
   meta_context_set_plugin_name (context, plugin);
 
+  init_signal_handlers (context);
+
   if (!meta_context_setup (context, &error))
     {
       g_printerr ("Failed to setup: %s", error->message);