diff --git a/consume.go b/consume.go
index 4517c5d..ad80012 100644
--- a/consume.go
+++ b/consume.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package rabbitmq
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ type Consumer struct {
 	reconnectErrCh             <-chan error
 	closeConnectionToManagerCh chan<- struct{}
 	options                    ConsumerOptions
+	handlerMux                 *sync.RWMutex
 
 	isClosedMux *sync.RWMutex
 	isClosed    bool
@@ -89,6 +91,14 @@ func (consumer *Consumer) Run(handler Handler) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	handler = func(d Delivery) (action Action) {
+		if !consumer.handlerMux.TryRLock() {
+			return NackRequeue
+		}
+		defer consumer.handlerMux.RUnlock()
+		return handler(d)
+	}
+
 	for err := range consumer.reconnectErrCh {
 		consumer.options.Logger.Infof("successful consumer recovery from: %v", err)
 		err = consumer.startGoroutines(
@@ -104,10 +114,26 @@ func (consumer *Consumer) Run(handler Handler) error {
 }
 
 // Close cleans up resources and closes the consumer.
+// It waits for handler to finish before returning by default
+// (use WithConsumerOptionsForceShutdown option to disable this behavior).
+// Use CloseWithContext to specify a context to cancel the handler completion.
 // It does not close the connection manager, just the subscription
 // to the connection manager and the consuming goroutines.
 // Only call once.
 func (consumer *Consumer) Close() {
+	if consumer.options.CloseGracefully {
+		consumer.options.Logger.Infof("waiting for handler to finish...")
+		err := consumer.waitForHandlerCompletion(context.Background())
+		if err != nil {
+			consumer.options.Logger.Warnf("error while waiting for handler to finish: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	consumer.cleanupResources()
+
+}
+
+func (consumer *Consumer) cleanupResources() {
 	consumer.isClosedMux.Lock()
 	defer consumer.isClosedMux.Unlock()
 	consumer.isClosed = true
@@ -124,6 +150,24 @@ func (consumer *Consumer) Close() {
 	}()
 }
 
+// CloseWithContext cleans up resources and closes the consumer.
+// It waits for handler to finish before returning
+// (use WithConsumerOptionsForceShutdown option to disable this behavior).
+// Use the context to cancel the handler completion.
+// CloseWithContext does not close the connection manager, just the subscription
+// to the connection manager and the consuming goroutines.
+// Only call once.
+func (consumer *Consumer) CloseWithContext(ctx context.Context) {
+	if consumer.options.CloseGracefully {
+		err := consumer.waitForHandlerCompletion(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			consumer.options.Logger.Warnf("error while waiting for handler to finish: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	consumer.cleanupResources()
+}
+
 // startGoroutines declares the queue if it doesn't exist,
 // binds the queue to the routing key(s), and starts the goroutines
 // that will consume from the queue
@@ -211,3 +255,23 @@ func handlerGoroutine(consumer *Consumer, msgs <-chan amqp.Delivery, consumeOpti
 	}
 	consumer.options.Logger.Infof("rabbit consumer goroutine closed")
 }
+
+func (consumer *Consumer) waitForHandlerCompletion(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if ctx == nil {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	} else if ctx.Err() != nil {
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+	c := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		consumer.handlerMux.Lock()
+		defer consumer.handlerMux.Unlock()
+		close(c)
+	}()
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case <-c:
+		return nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/consumer_options.go b/consumer_options.go
index 7de85cb..aa87bdd 100644
--- a/consumer_options.go
+++ b/consumer_options.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ func getDefaultConsumerOptions(queueName string) ConsumerOptions {
 		},
 		ExchangeOptions: []ExchangeOptions{},
 		Concurrency:     1,
+		CloseGracefully: true,
 		Logger:          stdDebugLogger{},
 		QOSPrefetch:     10,
 		QOSGlobal:       false,
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ func getDefaultBindingOptions() BindingOptions {
 type ConsumerOptions struct {
 	RabbitConsumerOptions RabbitConsumerOptions
 	QueueOptions          QueueOptions
+	CloseGracefully       bool
 	ExchangeOptions       []ExchangeOptions
 	Concurrency           int
 	Logger                logger.Logger
@@ -311,6 +313,12 @@ func WithConsumerOptionsQOSGlobal(options *ConsumerOptions) {
 	options.QOSGlobal = true
 }
 
+// WithConsumerOptionsForceShutdown tells the consumer to not wait for
+// the handler to complete in consumer.Close
+func WithConsumerOptionsForceShutdown(options *ConsumerOptions) {
+	options.CloseGracefully = false
+}
+
 // WithConsumerOptionsQueueQuorum sets the queue a quorum type, which means
 // multiple nodes in the cluster will have the messages distributed amongst them
 // for higher reliability