diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b451844b0..ba8a98b9f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -149,6 +149,22 @@ public class DockerCompositionTest {
 
 This will automatically record logs for all containers in real time to the specified directory. Collection will stop when the containers terminate.
 
+Skipping shutdown
+-----------------
+
+To skip shutdown of containers after tests are finished executing:
+
+```java
+public class DockerCompositionTest {
+    @ClassRule
+    public DockerComposition composition = DockerComposition.of("src/test/resources/docker-compose.yml")
+                                                .skipShutdown(true)
+                                                .build();
+}
+```
+
+This can shorten iteration time when services take a long time to start. Remember to never leave it on in CI!
+
 Docker Machine
 --------------
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java
index fdca2955d..2579bcaf6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ protected int retryAttempts() {
         return DEFAULT_RETRY_ATTEMPTS;
     }
 
+    @Value.Default
+    protected boolean skipShutdown() {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     @Value.Default
     protected LogCollector logCollector() {
         return new DoNothingLogCollector();
@@ -99,10 +104,20 @@ public void before() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
     @Override
     public void after() {
         try {
-            log.debug("Killing docker-compose cluster");
-            dockerCompose().down();
-            dockerCompose().kill();
-            dockerCompose().rm();
+            if (skipShutdown()) {
+                log.error("******************************************************************************************\n"
+                        + "* docker-compose-rule has been configured to skip docker-compose shutdown:               *\n"
+                        + "* this means the containers will be left running after tests finish executing.           *\n"
+                        + "* If you see this message when running on CI it means you are potentially abandoning     *\n"
+                        + "* long running processes and leaking resources.                                          *\n"
+                        + "*******************************************************************************************");
+            } else {
+                log.debug("Killing docker-compose cluster");
+                dockerCompose().down();
+                dockerCompose().kill();
+                dockerCompose().rm();
+            }
+
             logCollector().stopCollecting();
         } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
             throw new RuntimeException("Error cleaning up docker compose cluster", e);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionBuilder.java
index b62a024ba..a39a5698d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionBuilder.java
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ public DockerCompositionBuilder retryAttempts(int retryAttempts) {
         return this;
     }
 
+    public DockerCompositionBuilder skipShutdown(boolean skipShutdown) {
+        builder.skipShutdown(skipShutdown);
+        return this;
+    }
+
     public DockerComposition build() {
         DockerComposeRule rule = builder.build();
         return new DockerComposition(rule);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRuleTest.java b/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRuleTest.java
index 4fd6dafec..2b1353a3e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRuleTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRuleTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyNoMoreInteractions;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
 import com.palantir.docker.compose.connection.waiting.SingleServiceHealthCheck;
 import com.palantir.docker.compose.connection.waiting.SuccessOrFailure;
 import com.palantir.docker.compose.execution.DockerCompose;
+import com.palantir.docker.compose.logging.LogCollector;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
@@ -66,7 +68,8 @@ public class DockerComposeRuleTest {
     private final MockDockerEnvironment env = new MockDockerEnvironment(dockerCompose);
     private DockerComposeFiles mockFiles = mock(DockerComposeFiles.class);
     private DockerMachine machine = mock(DockerMachine.class);
-    private final DockerComposeRule rule = DockerComposeRule.builder().dockerCompose(dockerCompose).files(mockFiles).machine(machine).build();
+    private LogCollector logCollector = mock(LogCollector.class);
+    private final DockerComposeRule rule = defaultBuilder().build();
 
     @Test
     public void docker_compose_build_and_up_is_called_before_tests_are_run() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
@@ -189,10 +192,25 @@ public void logs_can_be_saved_to_a_directory_while_containers_are_running() thro
         assertThat(new File(logLocation, "db.log"), is(fileContainingString("db log")));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void when_skipShutdown_is_true_shutdown_does_not_happen() throws InterruptedException {
+        defaultBuilder().skipShutdown(true)
+                        .build()
+                        .after();
+        verifyNoMoreInteractions(dockerCompose);
+        verify(logCollector, times(1)).stopCollecting();
+    }
+
     public Container withComposeExecutableReturningContainerFor(String containerName) {
         final Container container = new Container(containerName, dockerCompose);
         when(dockerCompose.container(containerName)).thenReturn(container);
         return container;
     }
 
+    private ImmutableDockerComposeRule.Builder defaultBuilder() {
+        return DockerComposeRule.builder().dockerCompose(dockerCompose)
+                                          .files(mockFiles)
+                                          .machine(machine)
+                                          .logCollector(logCollector);
+    }
 }