diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.c b/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.c
index 4228b1f51..ccab4062e 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.c
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.c
@@ -111,6 +111,14 @@ void wait_sigint()
 	sigint_cond->destroy(sigint_cond);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Windows variant
+ */
+void send_sigint()
+{
+	handler(CTRL_C_EVENT);
+}
+
 #else /* !WIN32 */
 
 /**
@@ -131,6 +139,14 @@ void wait_sigint()
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Unix variant
+ */
+void send_sigint()
+{
+	kill(0, SIGINT);
+}
+
 #ifndef HAVE_SIGWAITINFO
 int sigwaitinfo(const sigset_t *set, void *info)
 {
diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.h b/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.h
index 083f55344..a5a5faacb 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.h
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils/utils.h
@@ -237,6 +237,12 @@ int sigwaitinfo(const sigset_t *set, void *info);
  */
 void wait_sigint();
 
+/**
+ * Portable function to send a SIGINT/SIGTERM (or equivalent) to the current
+ * process to exit the above function.
+ */
+void send_sigint();
+
 #ifndef HAVE_CLOSEFROM
 /**
  * Close open file descriptors greater than or equal to lowfd.