diff --git a/examples/simple_server.py b/examples/simple_server.py
index 24e3570f..a803feb8 100644
--- a/examples/simple_server.py
+++ b/examples/simple_server.py
@@ -9,4 +9,5 @@ async def test(request):
     return json({"test": True})
 
 
-app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000)
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000)
diff --git a/examples/try_everything.py b/examples/try_everything.py
index f7191ecc..da3cc515 100644
--- a/examples/try_everything.py
+++ b/examples/try_everything.py
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@ def query_string(request):
 # Run Server
 # ----------------------------------------------- #
 
+@app.listener('before_server_start')
+def before_start(app, loop):
+    log.info("SERVER STARTING")
+
+
 @app.listener('after_server_start')
 def after_start(app, loop):
     log.info("OH OH OH OH OHHHHHHHH")
@@ -77,7 +82,13 @@ def after_start(app, loop):
 
 @app.listener('before_server_stop')
 def before_stop(app, loop):
+    log.info("SERVER STOPPING")
+
+
+@app.listener('after_server_stop')
+def after_stop(app, loop):
     log.info("TRIED EVERYTHING")
 
 
-app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000, debug=True)
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000, debug=True)
diff --git a/sanic/server.py b/sanic/server.py
index 11601c00..ee45e81b 100644
--- a/sanic/server.py
+++ b/sanic/server.py
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ def serve(host, port, request_handler, error_handler, before_start=None,
           after_start=None, before_stop=None, after_stop=None, debug=False,
           request_timeout=60, ssl=None, sock=None, request_max_size=None,
           reuse_port=False, loop=None, protocol=HttpProtocol, backlog=100,
-          register_sys_signals=True, run_async=False):
+          register_sys_signals=True, run_async=False, connections=None):
     """Start asynchronous HTTP Server on an individual process.
 
     :param host: Address to host on
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ def serve(host, port, request_handler, error_handler, before_start=None,
 
     trigger_events(before_start, loop)
 
-    connections = set()
+    connections = connections or set()
     signal = Signal()
     server = partial(
         protocol,
diff --git a/sanic/worker.py b/sanic/worker.py
index e4906faf..cd1a6b9f 100644
--- a/sanic/worker.py
+++ b/sanic/worker.py
@@ -1,16 +1,29 @@
-import asyncio
 import os
+import asyncio
+import logging
+try:
+    import ssl
+except ImportError:
+    ssl = None
 
 import uvloop
 import gunicorn.workers.base as base
 
+from sanic.server import trigger_events, serve, HttpProtocol
+from sanic.websocket import WebSocketProtocol
+
 
 class GunicornWorker(base.Worker):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):  # pragma: no cover
         super().__init__(*args, **kw)
+        cfg = self.cfg
+        if cfg.is_ssl:
+            self.ssl_context = self._create_ssl_context(cfg)
+        else:
+            self.ssl_context = None
         self.servers = []
-        self.connections = {}
+        self.connections = set()
 
     def init_process(self):
         # create new event_loop after fork
@@ -28,20 +41,49 @@ class GunicornWorker(base.Worker):
         try:
             self.loop.run_until_complete(self._runner)
         finally:
+            trigger_events(self._server_settings.get('before_stop', []), self.loop)
             self.loop.close()
+            trigger_events(self._server_settings.get('after_stop', []), self.loop)
 
     async def close(self):
-        try:
-            if hasattr(self.wsgi, 'close'):
-                await self.wsgi.close()
-        except:
-            self.log.exception('Process shutdown exception')
+        if self.servers:
+            # stop accepting connections
+            self.log.info("Stopping server: %s, connections: %s",
+                          self.pid, len(self.connections))
+            for server in self.servers:
+                server.close()
+                await server.wait_closed()
+            self.servers.clear()
+
+            # prepare connections for closing
+            for conn in self.connections:
+                conn.close_if_idle()
+
+            while self.connections:
+                await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
 
     async def _run(self):
+        is_debug = self.log.loglevel == logging.DEBUG
+        protocol = (WebSocketProtocol if self.app.callable.websocket_enabled
+                    else HttpProtocol)
+        self._server_settings = self.app.callable._helper(
+            host=None,
+            port=None,
+            loop=self.loop,
+            debug=is_debug,
+            protocol=protocol,
+            ssl=self.ssl_context,
+            run_async=True
+        )
+        self._server_settings.pop('sock')
         for sock in self.sockets:
-            self.servers.append(await self.app.callable.create_server(
-                sock=sock, host=None, port=None, loop=self.loop))
+            self.servers.append(await serve(
+                sock=sock,
+                connections=self.connections,
+                **self._server_settings
+            ))
 
+        trigger_events(self._server_settings.get('after_start', []), self.loop)
         # If our parent changed then we shut down.
         pid = os.getpid()
         try:
@@ -56,8 +98,18 @@ class GunicornWorker(base.Worker):
         except (Exception, BaseException, GeneratorExit, KeyboardInterrupt):
             pass
 
-        if self.servers:
-            for server in self.servers:
-                server.close()
-
         await self.close()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _create_ssl_context(cfg):
+        """ Creates SSLContext instance for usage in asyncio.create_server.
+        See ssl.SSLSocket.__init__ for more details.
+        """
+        ctx = ssl.SSLContext(cfg.ssl_version)
+        ctx.load_cert_chain(cfg.certfile, cfg.keyfile)
+        ctx.verify_mode = cfg.cert_reqs
+        if cfg.ca_certs:
+            ctx.load_verify_locations(cfg.ca_certs)
+        if cfg.ciphers:
+            ctx.set_ciphers(cfg.ciphers)
+        return ctx