diff --git a/src/util/cancellation.go b/src/util/cancellation.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1433c73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/cancellation.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package util
+
+import (
+  "errors"
+  "sync"
+  "time"
+  "runtime"
+)
+
+type Cancellation interface {
+  Finished() <-chan struct{}
+  Cancel(error) error
+  Error() error
+}
+
+func CancellationFinalizer(c Cancellation) {
+  c.Cancel(errors.New("finalizer called"))
+}
+
+type cancellation struct {
+  signal chan error
+  cancel chan struct{}
+  errMtx sync.RWMutex
+  err error
+}
+
+func (c *cancellation) worker() {
+    // Launch this in a separate goroutine when creating a cancellation
+    err := <-c.signal
+    c.errMtx.Lock()
+    c.err = err
+    c.errMtx.Unlock()
+    close(c.cancel)
+}
+
+func NewCancellation() Cancellation {
+  c := cancellation{
+    signal: make(chan error),
+    cancel: make(chan struct{}),
+  }
+  runtime.SetFinalizer(&c, CancellationFinalizer)
+  go c.worker()
+  return &c
+}
+
+func (c *cancellation) Finished() <-chan struct{} {
+  return c.cancel
+}
+
+func (c *cancellation) Cancel(err error) error {
+  select {
+  case c.signal<-err:
+    return nil
+  case <-c.cancel:
+    return c.Error()
+  }
+}
+
+func (c *cancellation) Error() error {
+  c.errMtx.RLock()
+  err := c.err
+  c.errMtx.RUnlock()
+  return err
+}
+
+func CancellationWithTimeout(parent Cancellation, timeout time.Duration) Cancellation {
+  child := NewCancellation()
+  go func() {
+    timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
+    defer TimerStop(timer)
+    select {
+    case <-parent.Finished():
+      child.Cancel(parent.Error())
+    case <-timer.C:
+      child.Cancel(errors.New("timeout"))
+    }
+  }()
+  return child
+}
+
+func CancellationWithDeadline(parent Cancellation, deadline time.Time) Cancellation {
+  return CancellationWithTimeout(parent, deadline.Sub(time.Now()))
+}