diff --git a/circonus/circonus.go b/circonus/circonus.go
index eb41b99..9f1ea18 100644
--- a/circonus/circonus.go
+++ b/circonus/circonus.go
@@ -97,6 +97,15 @@ func (s *CirconusSink) AddSampleWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []m
 	s.metrics.RecordValue(flatKey, float64(val))
 }
 
+// Shutdown blocks while flushing metrics to the backend.
+func (s *CirconusSink) Shutdown() {
+	// The version of circonus metrics in go.mod (v2.3.1), and the current
+	// version (v3.4.6) do not support a shutdown operation. Instead we call
+	// Flush which blocks until metrics are submitted to storage, and then exit
+	// as the README examples do.
+	s.metrics.Flush()
+}
+
 // Flattens key to Circonus metric name
 func (s *CirconusSink) flattenKey(parts []string) string {
 	joined := strings.Join(parts, "`")
diff --git a/circonus/circonus_test.go b/circonus/circonus_test.go
index 2644d57..77e9f57 100644
--- a/circonus/circonus_test.go
+++ b/circonus/circonus_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/armon/go-metrics"
 )
 
 func TestNewCirconusSink(t *testing.T) {
@@ -152,3 +154,8 @@ func TestAddSample(t *testing.T) {
 
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMetricSinkInterface(t *testing.T) {
+	var cs *CirconusSink
+	_ = metrics.MetricSink(cs)
+}
diff --git a/datadog/dogstatsd.go b/datadog/dogstatsd.go
index fe021d0..c980004 100644
--- a/datadog/dogstatsd.go
+++ b/datadog/dogstatsd.go
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ func (s *DogStatsdSink) AddSampleWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []
 	s.client.TimeInMilliseconds(flatKey, float64(val), tags, rate)
 }
 
+// Shutdown disables further metric collection, blocks to flush data, and tears down the sink.
+func (s *DogStatsdSink) Shutdown() {
+	s.client.Close()
+}
+
 func (s *DogStatsdSink) getFlatkeyAndCombinedLabels(key []string, labels []metrics.Label) (string, []string) {
 	key, parsedLabels := s.parseKey(key)
 	flatKey := s.flattenKey(key)
diff --git a/datadog/dogstatsd_test.go b/datadog/dogstatsd_test.go
index cd3f833..3545e8d 100644
--- a/datadog/dogstatsd_test.go
+++ b/datadog/dogstatsd_test.go
@@ -151,3 +151,8 @@ func assertServerMatchesExpected(t *testing.T, server *net.UDPConn, buf []byte,
 		t.Fatalf("Line %s does not match expected: %s", string(msg), expected)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMetricSinkInterface(t *testing.T) {
+	var dd *DogStatsdSink
+	_ = metrics.MetricSink(dd)
+}
diff --git a/inmem.go b/inmem.go
index 7c427ac..a52d0ff 100644
--- a/inmem.go
+++ b/inmem.go
@@ -230,6 +230,10 @@ func (i *InmemSink) AddSampleWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []Labe
 	agg.Ingest(float64(val), i.rateDenom)
 }
 
+func (i *InmemSink) Shutdown() {
+	// Do nothing. InmemSink does not have cleanup associated with shutdown.
+}
+
 // Data is used to retrieve all the aggregated metrics
 // Intervals may be in use, and a read lock should be acquired
 func (i *InmemSink) Data() []*IntervalMetrics {
diff --git a/metrics.go b/metrics.go
index 6753b13..047657b 100644
--- a/metrics.go
+++ b/metrics.go
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ func (m *Metrics) UpdateFilterAndLabels(allow, block, allowedLabels, blockedLabe
 	}
 }
 
+func (m *Metrics) Shutdown() {
+	m.sink.Shutdown()
+}
+
 // labelIsAllowed return true if a should be included in metric
 // the caller should lock m.filterLock while calling this method
 func (m *Metrics) labelIsAllowed(label *Label) bool {
diff --git a/prometheus/prometheus.go b/prometheus/prometheus.go
index 5a8282f..f89cfd9 100644
--- a/prometheus/prometheus.go
+++ b/prometheus/prometheus.go
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+//go:build go1.9
 // +build go1.9
 
 package prometheus
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ var (
 	// PrometheusSink.
 	DefaultPrometheusOpts = PrometheusOpts{
 		Expiration: 60 * time.Second,
-		Name: "default_prometheus_sink",
+		Name:       "default_prometheus_sink",
 	}
 )
 
@@ -393,6 +394,10 @@ func (p *PrometheusSink) IncrCounterWithLabels(parts []string, val float32, labe
 	}
 }
 
+// Shutdown is not implemented. PrometheusSink is in memory storage.
+func (p *PrometheusSink) Shutdown() {
+}
+
 // PrometheusPushSink wraps a normal prometheus sink and provides an address and facilities to export it to an address
 // on an interval.
 type PrometheusPushSink struct {
@@ -446,6 +451,10 @@ func (s *PrometheusPushSink) flushMetrics() {
 	}()
 }
 
+// Shutdown tears down the PrometheusPushSink, and blocks while flushing metrics to the backend.
 func (s *PrometheusPushSink) Shutdown() {
 	close(s.stopChan)
+	// Closing the channel only stops the running goroutine that pushes metrics.
+	// To minimize the chance of data loss pusher.Push is called one last time.
+	s.pusher.Push()
 }
diff --git a/prometheus/prometheus_test.go b/prometheus/prometheus_test.go
index 6190874..321a7b9 100644
--- a/prometheus/prometheus_test.go
+++ b/prometheus/prometheus_test.go
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ func TestNewPrometheusSink(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Unregister(sink) = false, want true")
 	}
 }
+
 // TestMultiplePrometheusSink tests registering multiple sinks on the same registerer with different descriptors
 func TestMultiplePrometheusSink(t *testing.T) {
 	gaugeDef := GaugeDefinition{
@@ -66,14 +67,14 @@ func TestMultiplePrometheusSink(t *testing.T) {
 		GaugeDefinitions:   append([]GaugeDefinition{}, gaugeDef),
 		SummaryDefinitions: append([]SummaryDefinition{}),
 		CounterDefinitions: append([]CounterDefinition{}),
-		Name: "sink1",
+		Name:               "sink1",
 	}
 
 	sink1, err := NewPrometheusSinkFrom(cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want nil", err)
 	}
-	
+
 	reg := prometheus.DefaultRegisterer
 	if reg == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected default register to be non nil, got nil.")
@@ -359,3 +360,10 @@ func TestDefinitionsWithLabels(t *testing.T) {
 		return true
 	})
 }
+
+func TestMetricSinkInterface(t *testing.T) {
+	var ps *PrometheusSink
+	_ = metrics.MetricSink(ps)
+	var pps *PrometheusPushSink
+	_ = metrics.MetricSink(pps)
+}
diff --git a/sink.go b/sink.go
index 0b7d6e4..b839844 100644
--- a/sink.go
+++ b/sink.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ type MetricSink interface {
 	// Samples are for timing information, where quantiles are used
 	AddSample(key []string, val float32)
 	AddSampleWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []Label)
+
+	// Shutdown the metric sink, flush metrics to storage, and cleanup resources.
+	// Called immediately prior to application exit. Implementations must block
+	// until metrics are flushed to storage.
+	Shutdown()
 }
 
 // BlackholeSink is used to just blackhole messages
@@ -34,6 +39,7 @@ func (*BlackholeSink) IncrCounter(key []string, val float32)
 func (*BlackholeSink) IncrCounterWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []Label) {}
 func (*BlackholeSink) AddSample(key []string, val float32)                             {}
 func (*BlackholeSink) AddSampleWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []Label)   {}
+func (*BlackholeSink) Shutdown()                                                       {}
 
 // FanoutSink is used to sink to fanout values to multiple sinks
 type FanoutSink []MetricSink
@@ -74,6 +80,12 @@ func (fh FanoutSink) AddSampleWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []Lab
 	}
 }
 
+func (fh FanoutSink) Shutdown() {
+	for _, s := range fh {
+		s.Shutdown()
+	}
+}
+
 // sinkURLFactoryFunc is an generic interface around the *SinkFromURL() function provided
 // by each sink type
 type sinkURLFactoryFunc func(*url.URL) (MetricSink, error)
diff --git a/sink_test.go b/sink_test.go
index 36da370..dbaab7d 100644
--- a/sink_test.go
+++ b/sink_test.go
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ import (
 type MockSink struct {
 	lock sync.Mutex
 
-	keys   [][]string
-	vals   []float32
-	labels [][]Label
+	shutdown bool
+	keys     [][]string
+	vals     []float32
+	labels   [][]Label
 }
 
 func (m *MockSink) getKeys() [][]string {
@@ -63,6 +64,12 @@ func (m *MockSink) AddSampleWithLabels(key []string, val float32, labels []Label
 	m.vals = append(m.vals, val)
 	m.labels = append(m.labels, labels)
 }
+func (m *MockSink) Shutdown() {
+	m.lock.Lock()
+	defer m.lock.Unlock()
+
+	m.shutdown = true
+}
 
 func TestFanoutSink_Gauge(t *testing.T) {
 	m1 := &MockSink{}
diff --git a/start.go b/start.go
index 6aa0bd3..38976f8 100644
--- a/start.go
+++ b/start.go
@@ -144,3 +144,15 @@ func UpdateFilter(allow, block []string) {
 func UpdateFilterAndLabels(allow, block, allowedLabels, blockedLabels []string) {
 	globalMetrics.Load().(*Metrics).UpdateFilterAndLabels(allow, block, allowedLabels, blockedLabels)
 }
+
+// Shutdown disables metric collection, then blocks while attempting to flush metrics to storage.
+// WARNING: Not all MetricSink backends support this functionality, and calling this will cause them to leak resources.
+// This is intended for use immediately prior to application exit.
+func Shutdown() {
+	m := globalMetrics.Load().(*Metrics)
+	// Swap whatever MetricSink is currently active with a BlackholeSink. Callers must not have a
+	// reason to expect that calls to the library will successfully collect metrics after Shutdown
+	// has been called.
+	globalMetrics.Store(&Metrics{sink: &BlackholeSink{}})
+	m.Shutdown()
+}
diff --git a/start_test.go b/start_test.go
index 8ff5ca0..38a7b26 100644
--- a/start_test.go
+++ b/start_test.go
@@ -192,6 +192,26 @@ func Test_GlobalMetrics_UpdateFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func Test_GlobalMetrics_Shutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	s := &MockSink{}
+	m := &Metrics{sink: s}
+	globalMetrics.Store(m)
+
+	Shutdown()
+
+	loaded := globalMetrics.Load()
+	metrics, ok := loaded.(*Metrics)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected globalMetrics to contain a Metrics pointer, but found: %v", loaded)
+	}
+	if metrics == m {
+		t.Errorf("Calling shutdown should have replaced the Metrics struct stored in globalMetrics")
+	}
+	if !s.shutdown {
+		t.Errorf("Expected Shutdown to have been called on MockSink")
+	}
+}
+
 // Benchmark_GlobalMetrics_Direct/direct-8         	 5000000	       278 ns/op
 // Benchmark_GlobalMetrics_Direct/atomic.Value-8   	 5000000	       235 ns/op
 func Benchmark_GlobalMetrics_Direct(b *testing.B) {