diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/logmanager/ExtHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/logmanager/ExtHandler.java
index b2a805d0..7ee53634 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/logmanager/ExtHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/logmanager/ExtHandler.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 package org.jboss.logmanager;
 
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
-
 import java.security.Permission;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReferenceFieldUpdater;
 import java.util.logging.ErrorManager;
@@ -43,6 +42,7 @@ public abstract class ExtHandler extends Handler implements FlushableCloseable,
     private static final Permission CONTROL_PERMISSION = new LoggingPermission("control", null);
     private volatile boolean autoFlush = true;
     private volatile boolean enabled = true;
+    private volatile boolean closeChildren;
     private static final ErrorManager DEFAULT_ERROR_MANAGER = new OnlyOnceErrorManager();
 
     private volatile Object protectKey;
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ public abstract class ExtHandler extends Handler implements FlushableCloseable,
      */
     protected ExtHandler() {
         handlersUpdater.clear(this);
+        closeChildren = true;
         super.setErrorManager(DEFAULT_ERROR_MANAGER);
     }
 
@@ -230,6 +231,28 @@ public final boolean isEnabled() {
         return enabled;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Indicates whether or not children handlers should be closed when this handler is {@linkplain #close() closed}.
+     *
+     * @return {@code true} if the children handlers should be closed when this handler is closed, {@code false} if
+     * children handlers should not be closed when this handler is closed
+     */
+    public boolean isCloseChildren() {
+        return closeChildren;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets whether or not children handlers should be closed when this handler is {@linkplain #close() closed}.
+     *
+     * @param closeChildren {@code true} if all children handlers should be closed when this handler is closed,
+     *                      {@code false} if children handlers will <em>not</em> be closed when this handler
+     *                      is closed
+     */
+    public void setCloseChildren(final boolean closeChildren) {
+        checkAccess(this);
+        this.closeChildren = closeChildren;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public final void protect(Object protectionKey) throws SecurityException {
         if (protectKeyUpdater.compareAndSet(this, null, protectionKey)) {
@@ -313,11 +336,15 @@ public void flush() {
     @Override
     public void close() throws SecurityException {
         checkAccess(this);
-        for (Handler handler : handlers) try {
-            handler.close();
-        } catch (Exception ex) {
-            reportError("Failed to close child handler", ex, ErrorManager.CLOSE_FAILURE);
-        } catch (Throwable ignored) {}
+        if (closeChildren) {
+            for (Handler handler : handlers)
+                try {
+                    handler.close();
+                } catch (Exception ex) {
+                    reportError("Failed to close child handler", ex, ErrorManager.CLOSE_FAILURE);
+                } catch (Throwable ignored) {
+                }
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/jboss/logmanager/handlers/HandlerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/jboss/logmanager/handlers/HandlerTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45f49be6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/jboss/logmanager/handlers/HandlerTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/*
+ * JBoss, Home of Professional Open Source.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2017 Red Hat, Inc., and individual contributors
+ * as indicated by the @author tags.
+ *
+ * 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 org.jboss.logmanager.handlers;
+
+import org.jboss.logmanager.ExtHandler;
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * @author <a href="mailto:jperkins@redhat.com">James R. Perkins</a>
+ */
+public class HandlerTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testHandlerClose() throws Exception {
+        final CloseHandler parent = new CloseHandler();
+        final CloseHandler child1 = new CloseHandler();
+        final CloseHandler child2 = new CloseHandler();
+        parent.setHandlers(new CloseHandler[] {child1, child2, new CloseHandler()});
+
+        // Ensure all handlers are not closed
+        Assert.assertFalse(parent.closed);
+        Assert.assertFalse(child1.closed);
+        Assert.assertFalse(child2.closed);
+
+        // Close the parent handler, the children should be closed
+        parent.close();
+        Assert.assertTrue(parent.closed);
+        Assert.assertTrue(child1.closed);
+        Assert.assertTrue(child2.closed);
+
+        // Reset and wrap
+        parent.reset();
+        child1.reset();
+        child2.reset();
+
+        parent.setCloseChildren(false);
+
+        // Ensure all handlers are not closed
+        Assert.assertFalse(parent.closed);
+        Assert.assertFalse(child1.closed);
+        Assert.assertFalse(child2.closed);
+
+        parent.close();
+
+        // The parent should be closed, the others should be open
+        Assert.assertTrue(parent.closed);
+        Assert.assertFalse(child1.closed);
+        Assert.assertFalse(child2.closed);
+
+    }
+
+    static class CloseHandler extends ExtHandler {
+        private boolean closed = false;
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+            closed = true;
+            super.close();
+        }
+
+        void reset() {
+            closed = false;
+        }
+    }
+}