diff --git a/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts b/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts
index 4d2d0d09df..fd700dc6f2 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ export class DaemonClient {
     this._connected = false;
   }
 
+  async requestShutdown(): Promise<void> {
+    return this.sendToDaemonViaQueue({ type: 'REQUEST_SHUTDOWN' });
+  }
+
   async getProjectGraph(): Promise<ProjectGraph> {
     return (await this.sendToDaemonViaQueue({ type: 'REQUEST_PROJECT_GRAPH' }))
       .projectGraph;
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/daemon/server/handle-request-shutdown.ts b/packages/nx/src/daemon/server/handle-request-shutdown.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a5506d87d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nx/src/daemon/server/handle-request-shutdown.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { Server } from 'net';
+import { handleServerProcessTermination } from './shutdown-utils';
+
+export async function handleRequestShutdown(
+  server: Server,
+  numberOfConnections: number
+) {
+  // 1 connection is the client asking to shut down
+  if (numberOfConnections > 1) {
+    return {
+      description: `Unable to shutdown the daemon. ${numberOfConnections} connections are open.`,
+      response: '{}',
+    };
+  } else {
+    setTimeout(async () => {
+      await handleServerProcessTermination({
+        server,
+        reason: 'Request to shutdown',
+      });
+    }, 0);
+    return {
+      description: 'Shutdown initiated',
+      response: '{}',
+    };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/daemon/server/server.ts b/packages/nx/src/daemon/server/server.ts
index 28ba7e5d06..e64fa7e3f8 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/daemon/server/server.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/daemon/server/server.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import {
   disableOutputsTracking,
   processFileChangesInOutputs,
 } from './outputs-tracking';
+import { handleRequestShutdown } from './handle-request-shutdown';
 
 let performanceObserver: PerformanceObserver | undefined;
 let workspaceWatcherError: Error | undefined;
@@ -130,6 +131,11 @@ async function handleMessage(socket, data: string) {
     await handleResult(socket, await handleRecordOutputsHash(payload));
   } else if (payload.type === 'OUTPUTS_HASHES_MATCH') {
     await handleResult(socket, await handleOutputsHashesMatch(payload));
+  } else if (payload.type === 'REQUEST_SHUTDOWN') {
+    await handleResult(
+      socket,
+      await handleRequestShutdown(server, numberOfOpenConnections)
+    );
   } else {
     await respondWithErrorAndExit(
       socket,