diff --git a/server/mpm/event/event.c b/server/mpm/event/event.c
index 29d18a943ac..966691e3953 100644
--- a/server/mpm/event/event.c
+++ b/server/mpm/event/event.c
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
 #include "http_vhost.h"
 #include "unixd.h"
 #include "apr_skiplist.h"
+#include "ap_provider.h"
 #include "util_time.h"
 
 #include <signal.h>
@@ -1323,6 +1324,13 @@ static apr_status_t event_resume_suspended (conn_rec *c)
     return OK;
 }
 
+/* hack to allow a module to restart gracefully child */
+static void graceful_stop(void)
+{   
+    signal_threads(ST_GRACEFUL);
+}
+
+
 /* conns_this_child has gone to zero or below.  See if the admin coded
    "MaxConnectionsPerChild 0", and keep going in that case.  Doing it this way
    simplifies the hot path in worker_thread */
@@ -4270,6 +4278,8 @@ static void event_hooks(apr_pool_t * p)
 
     ap_hook_pre_connection(event_pre_connection, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_REALLY_FIRST);
     ap_hook_protocol_switch(event_protocol_switch, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_REALLY_FIRST);
+
+    ap_register_provider(p, "gracefull" , event_get_name(), "0", &graceful_stop);
 }
 
 static const char *set_daemons_to_start(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,
diff --git a/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c b/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
index d9837725c9e..d5c025a5873 100644
--- a/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
+++ b/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@
 #include "apr_poll.h"
 #include "util_time.h"
 
+#include "ap_provider.h"
+
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #ifdef HAVE_TIME_H
@@ -409,6 +411,13 @@ static void child_sigmask(sigset_t *new_mask, sigset_t *old_mask)
 }
 #endif
 
+/* hack to allow a module to restart gracefully child */
+static void graceful_stop(void)
+{                         
+    clean_child_exit(0);
+}   
+
+
 static void child_main(int child_num_arg, int child_bucket)
 {
 #if APR_HAS_THREADS
@@ -1510,6 +1519,8 @@ static void prefork_hooks(apr_pool_t *p)
     ap_hook_mpm(prefork_run, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
     ap_hook_mpm_query(prefork_query, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
     ap_hook_mpm_get_name(prefork_get_name, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
+
+    ap_register_provider(p, "gracefull" , prefork_get_name(), "0", &graceful_stop);
 }
 
 static const char *set_daemons_to_start(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy, const char *arg)
diff --git a/server/mpm/winnt/child.c b/server/mpm/winnt/child.c
index 1ad8df0374b..2e87418432a 100644
--- a/server/mpm/winnt/child.c
+++ b/server/mpm/winnt/child.c
@@ -784,6 +784,12 @@ struct worker_info {
     int num;
 };
 
+/* hack to allow a module to restart gracefully child */
+void child_graceful_stop(void)
+{
+                SetEvent(max_requests_per_child_event);
+}
+
 /*
  * worker_thread()
  * Main entry point for the worker threads. Worker threads block in
diff --git a/server/mpm/winnt/mpm_winnt.c b/server/mpm/winnt/mpm_winnt.c
index cbc090fb662..5abf32946cd 100644
--- a/server/mpm/winnt/mpm_winnt.c
+++ b/server/mpm/winnt/mpm_winnt.c
@@ -1750,6 +1750,11 @@ static int winnt_run(apr_pool_t *_pconf, apr_pool_t *plog, server_rec *s )
     return OK; /* Restart */
 }
 
+static void graceful_stop(void)
+{
+    child_graceful_stop();
+}
+
 static void winnt_hooks(apr_pool_t *p)
 {
     /* Our open_logs hook function must run before the core's, or stderr
@@ -1766,6 +1771,8 @@ static void winnt_hooks(apr_pool_t *p)
     ap_hook_mpm(winnt_run, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
     ap_hook_mpm_query(winnt_query, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
     ap_hook_mpm_get_name(winnt_get_name, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
+
+    ap_register_provider(p, "gracefull" , winnt_get_name(), "0", &graceful_stop);
 }
 
 AP_DECLARE_MODULE(mpm_winnt) = {
diff --git a/server/mpm/worker/worker.c b/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
index aebbd0b6f4b..1329f14eaac 100644
--- a/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
+++ b/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@
 #include "unixd.h"
 #include "util_time.h"
 
+#include "ap_provider.h"
+
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <limits.h>             /* for INT_MAX */
 
@@ -492,6 +494,12 @@ static void process_socket(apr_thread_t *thd, apr_pool_t *p, apr_socket_t *sock,
     }
 }
 
+/* hack to allow a module to restart gracefully child */
+static void graceful_stop(void)
+{                         
+    signal_threads(ST_GRACEFUL);
+}   
+
 /* requests_this_child has gone to zero or below.  See if the admin coded
    "MaxConnectionsPerChild 0", and keep going in that case.  Doing it this way
    simplifies the hot path in worker_thread */
@@ -2361,6 +2369,8 @@ static void worker_hooks(apr_pool_t *p)
     ap_hook_mpm(worker_run, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
     ap_hook_mpm_query(worker_query, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
     ap_hook_mpm_get_name(worker_get_name, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_MIDDLE);
+
+    ap_register_provider(p, "gracefull" , worker_get_name(), "0", &graceful_stop);
 }
 
 static const char *set_daemons_to_start(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,