diff --git a/etc/rootwrap.conf.sample b/etc/rootwrap.conf.sample
index a29f501..b8f528f 100644
--- a/etc/rootwrap.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/rootwrap.conf.sample
@@ -25,3 +25,6 @@ syslog_log_facility=syslog
 # INFO means log all usage
 # ERROR means only log unsuccessful attempts
 syslog_log_level=ERROR
+
+# Rootwrap daemon exits after this seconds of inactivity
+daemon_timeout=600
diff --git a/oslo_rootwrap/daemon.py b/oslo_rootwrap/daemon.py
index cf7f03e..5982e4b 100644
--- a/oslo_rootwrap/daemon.py
+++ b/oslo_rootwrap/daemon.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import stat
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import threading
+import time
 
 from oslo_rootwrap import cmd
 from oslo_rootwrap import jsonrpc
@@ -44,8 +45,11 @@ class RootwrapClass(object):
     def __init__(self, config, filters):
         self.config = config
         self.filters = filters
+        self.reset_timer()
+        self.prepare_timer(config)
 
     def run_one_command(self, userargs, stdin=None):
+        self.reset_timer()
         try:
             obj = wrapper.start_subprocess(
                 self.filters, userargs,
@@ -73,7 +77,40 @@ class RootwrapClass(object):
             err = os.fsdecode(err)
         return obj.returncode, out, err
 
-    def shutdown(self):
+    @classmethod
+    def reset_timer(cls):
+        cls.last_called = time.time()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def cancel_timer(cls):
+        try:
+            cls.timeout.cancel()
+        except RuntimeError:
+            pass
+
+    @classmethod
+    def prepare_timer(cls, config=None):
+        if config is not None:
+            cls.daemon_timeout = config.daemon_timeout
+        # Wait a bit longer to avoid rounding errors
+        timeout = max(
+            cls.last_called + cls.daemon_timeout - time.time(),
+            0) + 1
+        if getattr(cls, 'timeout', None):
+            # Another timer is already initialized
+            return
+        cls.timeout = threading.Timer(timeout, cls.handle_timeout)
+        cls.timeout.start()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def handle_timeout(cls):
+        if cls.last_called < time.time() - cls.daemon_timeout:
+            cls.shutdown()
+
+        cls.prepare_timer()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def shutdown():
         # Suicide to force break of the main thread
         os.kill(os.getpid(), signal.SIGINT)
 
@@ -144,6 +181,7 @@ def daemon_start(config, filters):
                 except Exception:
                     # Most likely the socket have already been closed
                     LOG.debug("Failed to close connection")
+            RootwrapClass.cancel_timer()
             LOG.info("Waiting for all client threads to finish.")
             for thread in threading.enumerate():
                 if thread.daemon:
diff --git a/oslo_rootwrap/tests/test_functional.py b/oslo_rootwrap/tests/test_functional.py
index 83825a5..e61c247 100644
--- a/oslo_rootwrap/tests/test_functional.py
+++ b/oslo_rootwrap/tests/test_functional.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import pwd
 import signal
 import sys
 import threading
+import time
 
 try:
     import eventlet
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ class _FunctionalBase(object):
         with open(self.config_file, 'w') as f:
             f.write("""[DEFAULT]
 filters_path=%s
+daemon_timeout=10
 exec_dirs=/bin""" % (filters_dir,))
         with open(filters_file, 'w') as f:
             f.write("""[Filters]
@@ -200,6 +202,15 @@ class RootwrapDaemonTest(_FunctionalBase, testtools.TestCase):
         # Expect client to successfully restart daemon and run simple request
         self.test_run_once()
 
+    def test_daemon_timeout(self):
+        # Let the client start a daemon
+        self.execute(['echo'])
+        # Make daemon timeout
+        with mock.patch.object(self.client, '_restart') as restart:
+            time.sleep(15)
+            self.execute(['echo'])
+            restart.assert_called_once()
+
     def _exec_thread(self, fifo_path):
         try:
             # Run a shell script that signals calling process through FIFO and
diff --git a/oslo_rootwrap/wrapper.py b/oslo_rootwrap/wrapper.py
index 49fdac3..050fceb 100644
--- a/oslo_rootwrap/wrapper.py
+++ b/oslo_rootwrap/wrapper.py
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ class RootwrapConfig(object):
         else:
             self.use_syslog = False
 
+        # daemon_timeout
+        if config.has_option("DEFAULT", "daemon_timeout"):
+            self.daemon_timeout = int(config.get("DEFAULT", "daemon_timeout"))
+        else:
+            self.daemon_timeout = 600
+
 
 def setup_syslog(execname, facility, level):
     rootwrap_logger = logging.getLogger()