diff --git a/lib/cluster.js b/lib/cluster.js
index 4e9ce2a8d3d..f75fda5216e 100644
--- a/lib/cluster.js
+++ b/lib/cluster.js
@@ -343,8 +343,8 @@ function masterInit() {
     signo = signo || 'SIGTERM';
     var proc = this.process;
     if (proc.connected) {
-      proc.once('disconnect', proc.kill.bind(proc, signo));
-      proc.disconnect();
+      this.once('disconnect', proc.kill.bind(proc, signo));
+      this.disconnect();
       return;
     }
     proc.kill(signo);
@@ -444,7 +444,13 @@ function workerInit() {
     worker.id = +process.env.NODE_UNIQUE_ID | 0;
     worker.state = 'online';
     worker.process = process;
-    process.once('disconnect', process.exit.bind(null, 0));
+    process.once('disconnect', function() {
+      if (!worker.suicide) {
+        // Unexpected disconnect, master exited, or some such nastiness, so
+        // worker exits immediately.
+        process.exit(0);
+      }
+    });
     process.on('internalMessage', internal(worker, onmessage));
     send({ act: 'online' });
     function onmessage(message, handle) {
@@ -554,6 +560,7 @@ function workerInit() {
   }
 
   Worker.prototype.disconnect = function() {
+    this.suicide = true;
     for (var key in handles) {
       var handle = handles[key];
       delete handles[key];
@@ -563,6 +570,7 @@ function workerInit() {
   };
 
   Worker.prototype.destroy = function() {
+    this.suicide = true;
     if (!process.connected) process.exit(0);
     var exit = process.exit.bind(null, 0);
     send({ act: 'suicide' }, exit);
diff --git a/test/simple/test-cluster-disconnect-idle-worker.js b/test/simple/test-cluster-disconnect-idle-worker.js
index 6f7c877e003..9c79ad779ea 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-cluster-disconnect-idle-worker.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-cluster-disconnect-idle-worker.js
@@ -29,6 +29,4 @@ if (cluster.isMaster) {
   cluster.disconnect(common.mustCall(function() {
     assert.deepEqual(Object.keys(cluster.workers), []);
   }));
-} else {
-  setTimeout(assert.fail, 1e6);
 }
diff --git a/test/simple/test-cluster-worker-forced-exit.js b/test/simple/test-cluster-worker-forced-exit.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..66d5f183552
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-cluster-worker-forced-exit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+var assert = require('assert');
+var cluster = require('cluster')
+var net = require('net');
+
+var SENTINEL = 42;
+
+// workers forcibly exit when control channel is disconnected, if
+// their .suicide flag isn't set
+//
+// test this by:
+//
+// 1 setup worker to wait a short time after disconnect, and exit
+//   with a sentinel value
+// 2 disconnect worker with cluster's disconnect, confirm sentinel
+// 3 disconnect worker with child_process's disconnect, confirm
+//   no sentinel value
+if (cluster.isWorker) {
+  process.on('disconnect', function(msg) {
+    setTimeout(function() {
+      process.exit(SENTINEL);
+    }, 10);
+  });
+  return;
+}
+
+var unforcedOk;
+var forcedOk;
+
+process.on('exit', function() {
+  assert(forcedOk);
+  assert(unforcedOk);
+});
+
+checkUnforced();
+checkForced();
+
+function checkUnforced() {
+  cluster.fork()
+  .on('online', function() {
+    this.disconnect();
+  })
+  .on('exit', function(status) {
+    assert.equal(status, SENTINEL);
+    unforcedOk = true;
+  });
+}
+
+function checkForced() {
+  cluster.fork()
+  .on('online', function() {
+    this.process.disconnect();
+  })
+  .on('exit', function(status) {
+    assert.equal(status, 0);
+    forcedOk = true;
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/simple/test-cluster-worker-no-exit.js b/test/simple/test-cluster-worker-no-exit.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c521fcbb104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-cluster-worker-no-exit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+var assert = require('assert');
+var cluster = require('cluster')
+var net = require('net');
+
+var destroyed;
+var success;
+var worker;
+var server;
+
+// workers do not exit on disconnect, they exit under normal node rules: when
+// they have nothing keeping their loop alive, like an active connection
+//
+// test this by:
+//
+// 1 creating a server, so worker can make a connection to something
+// 2 disconnecting worker
+// 3 wait to confirm it did not exit
+// 4 destroy connection
+// 5 confirm it does exit
+if (cluster.isMaster) {
+  server = net.createServer(function(conn) {
+    server.close();
+    worker.disconnect()
+    worker.once('disconnect', function() {
+      setTimeout(function() {
+        conn.destroy();
+        destroyed = true;
+      }, 1000);
+    }).once('exit', function() {
+      // worker should not exit while it has a connection
+      assert(destroyed, 'worker exited before connection destroyed');
+      success = true;
+    });
+
+  }).listen(0, function() {
+    var port = this.address().port;
+
+    worker = cluster.fork()
+      .on('online', function() {
+        this.send({port: port});
+      });
+  });
+  process.on('exit', function() {
+    assert(success);
+  });
+} else {
+  process.on('message', function(msg) {
+    // we shouldn't exit, not while a network connection exists
+    net.connect(msg.port);
+  });
+}