diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 34532205e..5cb9e2134 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ function clean() {
 
 ## build - Builds the project without running tests.
 function build() {
-   go build ./...
+   go build -o ./cloud-sql-proxy main.go
 }
 
 ## test - Runs local unit tests.
 function test() {
-  go test -v -race -cover -short
+  go test -v -race -cover -short ./...
 }
 
 ## e2e - Runs end-to-end integration tests.
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ function fix() {
   ".tools/goimports" -w .
   go mod tidy
   go fmt ./...
+
+  # Generate CMD docs
+  go run ./cmd/gendocs/gen_cloud-sql-proxy_docs.go
 }
 
 ## lint - runs the linters
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 135e9fc6d..d8811390e 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -349,8 +349,33 @@ Configuration
   ./cloud-sql-proxy wait --max 10s
 `
 
+var shutdownHelp = `
+Shutting Down the Proxy
+
+  The shutdown command signals a running Proxy process to gracefully shut
+  down. This is useful for scripting and for Kubernetes environments.
+
+  The shutdown command requires that the Proxy be started in another process
+  with the admin server enabled. For example:
+
+  ./cloud-sql-proxy <INSTANCE_CONNECTION_NAME> --quitquitquit
+
+  Invoke the shutdown command like this:
+
+  # signals another Proxy process to shut down
+  ./cloud-sql-proxy shutdown
+
+Configuration
+
+  If the running Proxy is configured with a non-default admin port, the
+  shutdown command must also be told to use the same custom value:
+
+  ./cloud-sql-proxy shutdown --admin-port 9192
+`
+
 const (
 	waitMaxFlag     = "max"
+	adminPortFlag   = "admin-port"
 	httpAddressFlag = "http-address"
 	httpPortFlag    = "http-port"
 )
@@ -384,6 +409,29 @@ func runWaitCmd(c *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	}
 }
 
+func runShutdownCmd(c *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+	p, _ := c.Flags().GetString(adminPortFlag)
+	addr := fmt.Sprintf("http://127.0.0.1:%v/quitquitquit", p)
+	c.SilenceUsage = true
+
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(c.Context(), "POST", addr, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create shutdown request: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to send shutdown request: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return fmt.Errorf("shutdown request failed: status code %v, %v", resp.StatusCode, resp.Status)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 const envPrefix = "CSQL_PROXY"
 
 // NewCommand returns a Command object representing an invocation of the proxy.
@@ -419,6 +467,20 @@ func NewCommand(opts ...Option) *Command {
 	)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(waitCmd)
 
+	var shutdownCmd = &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "shutdown",
+		Short: "Signal a running Proxy process to shut down",
+		Long:  shutdownHelp,
+		RunE:  runShutdownCmd,
+	}
+	shutdownFlags := shutdownCmd.Flags()
+	shutdownFlags.String(
+		adminPortFlag,
+		"9091",
+		"port for the admin server",
+	)
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(shutdownCmd)
+
 	rootCmd.Args = func(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		// Load the configuration file before running the command. This should
 		// ensure that the configuration is loaded in the correct order:
@@ -490,7 +552,7 @@ the Proxy will then pick-up automatically.`)
 		"Enable pprof on the localhost admin server")
 	localFlags.BoolVar(&c.conf.QuitQuitQuit, "quitquitquit", false,
 		"Enable quitquitquit endpoint on the localhost admin server")
-	localFlags.StringVar(&c.conf.AdminPort, "admin-port", "9091",
+	localFlags.StringVar(&c.conf.AdminPort, adminPortFlag, "9091",
 		"Port for localhost-only admin server")
 	localFlags.BoolVar(&c.conf.HealthCheck, "health-check", false,
 		"Enables health check endpoints /startup, /liveness, and /readiness on localhost.")
diff --git a/cmd/shutdown_test.go b/cmd/shutdown_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03bd44cad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/shutdown_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestShutdownCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	shutdownCh := make(chan bool, 1)
+	handler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method != "POST" {
+			t.Errorf("want = POST, got = %v", r.Method)
+		}
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		shutdownCh <- true
+	}
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(handler))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	_, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(server.Listener.Addr().String())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = invokeProxyCommand([]string{
+		"shutdown",
+		"--admin-port", port,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invokeProxyCommand failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case <-shutdownCh:
+		// success
+	case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("server did not receive shutdown request")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestShutdownCommandFails(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := invokeProxyCommand([]string{
+		"shutdown",
+		// assuming default host and port
+		"--wait=100ms",
+	})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("shutdown should fail when endpoint does not respond")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/docs/cmd/cloud-sql-proxy.md b/docs/cmd/cloud-sql-proxy.md
index 72f571d5b..19ed0c473 100644
--- a/docs/cmd/cloud-sql-proxy.md
+++ b/docs/cmd/cloud-sql-proxy.md
@@ -294,5 +294,6 @@ cloud-sql-proxy INSTANCE_CONNECTION_NAME... [flags]
 ### SEE ALSO
 
 * [cloud-sql-proxy completion](cloud-sql-proxy_completion.md)	 - Generate the autocompletion script for the specified shell
+* [cloud-sql-proxy shutdown](cloud-sql-proxy_shutdown.md)	 - Signal a running Proxy process to shut down
 * [cloud-sql-proxy wait](cloud-sql-proxy_wait.md)	 - Wait for another Proxy process to start
 
diff --git a/docs/cmd/cloud-sql-proxy_shutdown.md b/docs/cmd/cloud-sql-proxy_shutdown.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa5befb24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/cmd/cloud-sql-proxy_shutdown.md
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+## cloud-sql-proxy shutdown
+
+Signal a running Proxy process to shut down
+
+### Synopsis
+
+
+Shutting Down the Proxy
+
+  The shutdown command signals a running Proxy process to gracefully shut
+  down. This is useful for scripting and for Kubernetes environments.
+
+  The shutdown command requires that the Proxy be started in another process
+  with the admin server enabled. For example:
+
+  ./cloud-sql-proxy <INSTANCE_CONNECTION_NAME> --quitquitquit
+
+  Invoke the shutdown command like this:
+
+  # signals another Proxy process to shut down
+  ./cloud-sql-proxy shutdown
+
+Configuration
+
+  If the running Proxy is configured with a non-default admin port, the
+  shutdown command must also be told to use the same custom value:
+
+  ./cloud-sql-proxy shutdown --admin-port 9192
+
+
+```
+cloud-sql-proxy shutdown [flags]
+```
+
+### Options
+
+```
+      --admin-port string   port for the admin server (default "9091")
+  -h, --help                help for shutdown
+```
+
+### Options inherited from parent commands
+
+```
+      --http-address string   Address for Prometheus and health check server (default "localhost")
+      --http-port string      Port for Prometheus and health check server (default "9090")
+```
+
+### SEE ALSO
+
+* [cloud-sql-proxy](cloud-sql-proxy.md)	 - cloud-sql-proxy authorizes and encrypts connections to Cloud SQL.
+
diff --git a/examples/k8s-health-check/proxy_with_http_health_check.yaml b/examples/k8s-health-check/proxy_with_http_health_check.yaml
index 8b1b6c03d..dc6b20f07 100644
--- a/examples/k8s-health-check/proxy_with_http_health_check.yaml
+++ b/examples/k8s-health-check/proxy_with_http_health_check.yaml
@@ -112,15 +112,13 @@ spec:
         - name: CSQL_PROXY_STRUCTURED_LOGS
           value: "true"
 
-        # Configure kubernetes to call the /quitquitquit endpoint on the
-        # admin server before sending SIGTERM to the proxy before stopping
-        # the pod. This will give the proxy more time to gracefully exit.
+        # Configure kubernetes to call run the cloud-sql-proxy shutdown command
+        # before sending SIGTERM to the proxy when stopping the pod. This will
+        # give the proxy more time to gracefully exit.
         lifecycle:
           preStop:
-            httpGet:
-              path: /quitquitquit
-              port: 9092
-              scheme: HTTP
+            exec:
+              command: ["/cloud-sql-proxy","shutdown", "--admin-port","9192"]
 
         # The /startup probe returns OK when the proxy is ready to receive
         # connections from the application. In this example, k8s will check