diff --git a/src/client/stdio.test.ts b/src/client/stdio.test.ts
index 646f9ea5..c3e716b6 100644
--- a/src/client/stdio.test.ts
+++ b/src/client/stdio.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { JSONRPCMessage } from "../types.js";
 import { StdioClientTransport, StdioServerParameters } from "./stdio.js";
+import { ChildProcess } from "node:child_process";
 
 const serverParameters: StdioServerParameters = {
   command: "/usr/bin/tee",
@@ -22,6 +23,77 @@ test("should start then close cleanly", async () => {
   expect(didClose).toBeTruthy();
 });
 
+test("should gracefully terminate the process", async () => {
+  const killSpy = jest.spyOn(ChildProcess.prototype, "kill");
+
+  jest.spyOn(global, "setTimeout").mockImplementationOnce((callback) => {
+    if (typeof callback === "function") {
+      callback();
+    }
+    return 1 as unknown as NodeJS.Timeout;
+  });
+
+  const client = new StdioClientTransport(serverParameters);
+
+  const mockProcess = {
+    kill: jest.fn(),
+    exitCode: null,
+    once: jest.fn().mockImplementation((event, handler) => {
+      if (
+        mockProcess.kill.mock.calls.length === 2 &&
+        (event === "exit" || event === "close")
+      ) {
+        setTimeout(() => handler(), 0);
+      }
+      return mockProcess;
+    }),
+  };
+
+  // @ts-expect-error accessing private property for testing
+  client._process = mockProcess;
+
+  await client.close();
+
+  expect(mockProcess.kill).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, "SIGTERM");
+  expect(mockProcess.kill).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, "SIGKILL");
+  expect(mockProcess.kill).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+  killSpy.mockRestore();
+});
+
+test("should exit cleanly if SIGTERM works", async () => {
+  const client = new StdioClientTransport(serverParameters);
+
+  const callbacks: Record<string, Function> = {};
+
+  const mockProcess = {
+    kill: jest.fn(),
+    exitCode: null,
+    once: jest.fn((event, callback) => {
+      callbacks[event] = callback;
+      return mockProcess;
+    }),
+  } as unknown as ChildProcess;
+
+  // @ts-expect-error accessing private property for testing
+  client._process = mockProcess;
+
+  // @ts-expect-error accessing private property for testing
+  client._abortController = { abort: jest.fn() };
+
+  const closePromise = client.close();
+
+  expect(mockProcess.kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith("SIGTERM");
+  expect(mockProcess.once).toHaveBeenCalledWith("exit", expect.any(Function));
+
+  callbacks.exit && callbacks.exit();
+
+  await closePromise;
+
+  expect(mockProcess.kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith("SIGTERM");
+  expect(mockProcess.kill).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+});
+
 test("should read messages", async () => {
   const client = new StdioClientTransport(serverParameters);
   client.onerror = (error) => {
diff --git a/src/client/stdio.ts b/src/client/stdio.ts
index 9e35293d..36ca001e 100644
--- a/src/client/stdio.ts
+++ b/src/client/stdio.ts
@@ -45,20 +45,20 @@ export type StdioServerParameters = {
 export const DEFAULT_INHERITED_ENV_VARS =
   process.platform === "win32"
     ? [
-        "APPDATA",
-        "HOMEDRIVE",
-        "HOMEPATH",
-        "LOCALAPPDATA",
-        "PATH",
-        "PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE",
-        "SYSTEMDRIVE",
-        "SYSTEMROOT",
-        "TEMP",
-        "USERNAME",
-        "USERPROFILE",
-      ]
+      "APPDATA",
+      "HOMEDRIVE",
+      "HOMEPATH",
+      "LOCALAPPDATA",
+      "PATH",
+      "PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE",
+      "SYSTEMDRIVE",
+      "SYSTEMROOT",
+      "TEMP",
+      "USERNAME",
+      "USERPROFILE",
+    ]
     : /* list inspired by the default env inheritance of sudo */
-      ["HOME", "LOGNAME", "PATH", "SHELL", "TERM", "USER"];
+    ["HOME", "LOGNAME", "PATH", "SHELL", "TERM", "USER"];
 
 /**
  * Returns a default environment object including only environment variables deemed safe to inherit.
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ export class StdioClientTransport implements Transport {
   async start(): Promise<void> {
     if (this._process) {
       throw new Error(
-        "StdioClientTransport already started! If using Client class, note that connect() calls start() automatically."
+        "StdioClientTransport already started! If using Client class, note that connect() calls start() automatically.",
       );
     }
 
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ export class StdioClientTransport implements Transport {
           signal: this._abortController.signal,
           windowsHide: process.platform === "win32" && isElectron(),
           cwd: this._serverParams.cwd,
-        }
+        },
       );
 
       this._process.on("error", (error) => {
@@ -201,8 +201,35 @@ export class StdioClientTransport implements Transport {
 
   async close(): Promise<void> {
     this._abortController.abort();
+
+    const taskProcess = this._process;
     this._process = undefined;
     this._readBuffer.clear();
+
+    if (!taskProcess || taskProcess.exitCode !== null) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    taskProcess.kill("SIGTERM");
+
+    const exited = await Promise.race([
+      new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+        const onExit = () => resolve(true);
+        taskProcess.once("exit", onExit);
+        taskProcess.once("close", onExit);
+      }),
+      new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+        setTimeout(() => resolve(false), 1000);
+      }),
+    ]);
+
+    if (!exited) {
+      taskProcess.kill("SIGKILL");
+      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+        taskProcess.once("exit", resolve);
+        taskProcess.once("close", resolve);
+      });
+    }
   }
 
   send(message: JSONRPCMessage): Promise<void> {