diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 31b8ac1..6770a6d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"os/signal"
 	"path"
+	"syscall"
 
 	"gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2"
 )
@@ -40,6 +42,20 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if *asDemon {
+		// exit cleanly on ctrl-C or kill
+		c := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
+		go func() {
+			for range c {
+				// dump history to file so that other apps can query it
+				err = write(history, histfile)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				os.Exit(0)
+			}
+		}()
+
 		persist := !*noPersist
 		if err := listen(history, histfile, persist, *max); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)