diff --git a/docs/blueprints.md b/docs/blueprints.md
index 7a4567ee..e80a125e 100644
--- a/docs/blueprints.md
+++ b/docs/blueprints.md
@@ -80,3 +80,26 @@ Exceptions can also be applied exclusively to blueprints globally.
 def ignore_404s(request, exception):
 	return text("Yep, I totally found the page: {}".format(request.url))
 ```
+
+## Start and Stop
+Blueprints and run functions during the start and stop process of the server.
+If running in multiprocessor mode (more than 1 worker), these are triggered
+Available events are:
+
+ * before_server_start - Executed before the server begins to accept connections
+ * after_server_start - Executed after the server begins to accept connections
+ * before_server_stop - Executed before the server stops accepting connections
+ * after_server_stop - Executed after the server is stopped and all requests are complete
+
+```python
+bp = Blueprint('my_blueprint')
+
+@bp.listen('before_server_start')
+async def setup_connection():
+    global database
+    database = mysql.connect(host='127.0.0.1'...)
+    
+@bp.listen('after_server_stop')
+async def close_connection():
+    await database.close()
+```
diff --git a/sanic/blueprints.py b/sanic/blueprints.py
index f1aa2afc..37cfa1c3 100644
--- a/sanic/blueprints.py
+++ b/sanic/blueprints.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+from collections import defaultdict
+
+
 class BlueprintSetup:
     """
     """
@@ -22,7 +25,7 @@ class BlueprintSetup:
         if self.url_prefix:
             uri = self.url_prefix + uri
 
-        self.app.router.add(uri, methods, handler)
+        self.app.route(uri=uri, methods=methods)(handler)
 
     def add_exception(self, handler, *args, **kwargs):
         """
@@ -42,9 +45,15 @@ class BlueprintSetup:
 
 class Blueprint:
     def __init__(self, name, url_prefix=None):
+        """
+        Creates a new blueprint
+        :param name: Unique name of the blueprint
+        :param url_prefix: URL to be prefixed before all route URLs
+        """
         self.name = name
         self.url_prefix = url_prefix
         self.deferred_functions = []
+        self.listeners = defaultdict(list)
 
     def record(self, func):
         """
@@ -73,6 +82,14 @@ class Blueprint:
             return handler
         return decorator
 
+    def listener(self, event):
+        """
+        """
+        def decorator(listener):
+            self.listeners[event].append(listener)
+            return listener
+        return decorator
+
     def middleware(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         """
diff --git a/sanic/sanic.py b/sanic/sanic.py
index 310a2175..f8189d77 100644
--- a/sanic/sanic.py
+++ b/sanic/sanic.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from asyncio import get_event_loop
+from functools import partial
 from inspect import isawaitable
 from multiprocessing import Process, Event
 from signal import signal, SIGTERM, SIGINT
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ class Sanic:
         self.response_middleware = []
         self.blueprints = {}
         self._blueprint_order = []
+        self.loop = None
+        self.debug = None
 
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------- #
     # Registration
@@ -71,7 +74,7 @@ class Sanic:
             if attach_to == 'request':
                 self.request_middleware.append(middleware)
             if attach_to == 'response':
-                self.response_middleware.append(middleware)
+                self.response_middleware.insert(0, middleware)
             return middleware
 
         # Detect which way this was called, @middleware or @middleware('AT')
@@ -102,6 +105,9 @@ class Sanic:
     # Request Handling
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 
+    def converted_response_type(self, response):
+        pass
+
     async def handle_request(self, request, response_callback):
         """
         Takes a request from the HTTP Server and returns a response object to
@@ -113,7 +119,10 @@ class Sanic:
         :return: Nothing
         """
         try:
-            # Middleware process_request
+            # -------------------------------------------- #
+            # Request Middleware
+            # -------------------------------------------- #
+
             response = False
             # The if improves speed.  I don't know why
             if self.request_middleware:
@@ -126,6 +135,10 @@ class Sanic:
 
             # No middleware results
             if not response:
+                # -------------------------------------------- #
+                # Execute Handler
+                # -------------------------------------------- #
+
                 # Fetch handler from router
                 handler, args, kwargs = self.router.get(request)
                 if handler is None:
@@ -138,7 +151,10 @@ class Sanic:
                 if isawaitable(response):
                     response = await response
 
-                # Middleware process_response
+                # -------------------------------------------- #
+                # Response Middleware
+                # -------------------------------------------- #
+
                 if self.response_middleware:
                     for middleware in self.response_middleware:
                         _response = middleware(request, response)
@@ -149,6 +165,10 @@ class Sanic:
                             break
 
         except Exception as e:
+            # -------------------------------------------- #
+            # Response Generation Failed
+            # -------------------------------------------- #
+
             try:
                 response = self.error_handler.response(request, e)
                 if isawaitable(response):
@@ -168,18 +188,23 @@ class Sanic:
     # Execution
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 
-    def run(self, host="127.0.0.1", port=8000, debug=False, after_start=None,
-            before_stop=None, sock=None, workers=1, loop=None):
+    def run(self, host="127.0.0.1", port=8000, debug=False, before_start=None,
+            after_start=None, before_stop=None, after_stop=None, sock=None,
+            workers=1, loop=None):
         """
         Runs the HTTP Server and listens until keyboard interrupt or term
         signal. On termination, drains connections before closing.
         :param host: Address to host on
         :param port: Port to host on
         :param debug: Enables debug output (slows server)
+        :param before_start: Function to be executed before the server starts
+        accepting connections
         :param after_start: Function to be executed after the server starts
-        listening
+        accepting connections
         :param before_stop: Function to be executed when a stop signal is
         received before it is respected
+        :param after_stop: Function to be executed when all requests are
+        complete
         :param sock: Socket for the server to accept connections from
         :param workers: Number of processes
         received before it is respected
@@ -188,6 +213,7 @@ class Sanic:
         """
         self.error_handler.debug = True
         self.debug = debug
+        self.loop = loop
 
         server_settings = {
             'host': host,
@@ -197,11 +223,32 @@ class Sanic:
             'request_handler': self.handle_request,
             'request_timeout': self.config.REQUEST_TIMEOUT,
             'request_max_size': self.config.REQUEST_MAX_SIZE,
-            'after_start': after_start,
-            'before_stop': before_stop,
             'loop': loop
         }
 
+        # -------------------------------------------- #
+        # Register start/stop events
+        # -------------------------------------------- #
+
+        for event_name, settings_name, args, reverse in (
+                ("before_server_start", "before_start", before_start, False),
+                ("after_server_start", "after_start", after_start, False),
+                ("before_server_stop", "before_stop", before_stop, True),
+                ("after_server_stop", "after_stop", after_stop, True),
+                ):
+            listeners = []
+            for blueprint in self.blueprints.values():
+                listeners += blueprint.listeners[event_name]
+            if args:
+                if type(args) is not list:
+                    args = [args]
+                listeners += args
+            if reverse:
+                listeners.reverse()
+            # Prepend sanic to the arguments when listeners are triggered
+            listeners = [partial(listener, self) for listener in listeners]
+            server_settings[settings_name] = listeners
+
         if debug:
             log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
         log.debug(self.config.LOGO)
diff --git a/sanic/server.py b/sanic/server.py
index 63563269..eddff48c 100644
--- a/sanic/server.py
+++ b/sanic/server.py
@@ -157,7 +157,22 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         return False
 
 
-def serve(host, port, request_handler, after_start=None, before_stop=None,
+def trigger_events(events, loop):
+    """
+    :param events: one or more sync or async functions to execute
+    :param loop: event loop
+    """
+    if events:
+        if type(events) is not list:
+            events = [events]
+        for event in events:
+            result = event(loop)
+            if isawaitable(result):
+                loop.run_until_complete(result)
+
+
+def serve(host, port, request_handler, before_start=None, after_start=None,
+          before_stop=None, after_stop=None,
           debug=False, request_timeout=60, sock=None,
           request_max_size=None, reuse_port=False, loop=None):
     """
@@ -183,6 +198,8 @@ def serve(host, port, request_handler, after_start=None, before_stop=None,
     if debug:
         loop.set_debug(debug)
 
+    trigger_events(before_start, loop)
+
     connections = {}
     signal = Signal()
     server_coroutine = loop.create_server(lambda: HttpProtocol(
@@ -193,17 +210,14 @@ def serve(host, port, request_handler, after_start=None, before_stop=None,
         request_timeout=request_timeout,
         request_max_size=request_max_size,
     ), host, port, reuse_port=reuse_port, sock=sock)
+
     try:
         http_server = loop.run_until_complete(server_coroutine)
     except Exception as e:
         log.exception("Unable to start server")
         return
 
-    # Run the on_start function if provided
-    if after_start:
-        result = after_start(loop)
-        if isawaitable(result):
-            loop.run_until_complete(result)
+    trigger_events(after_start, loop)
 
     # Register signals for graceful termination
     for _signal in (SIGINT, SIGTERM):
@@ -215,10 +229,7 @@ def serve(host, port, request_handler, after_start=None, before_stop=None,
         log.info("Stop requested, draining connections...")
 
         # Run the on_stop function if provided
-        if before_stop:
-            result = before_stop(loop)
-            if isawaitable(result):
-                loop.run_until_complete(result)
+        trigger_events(before_stop, loop)
 
         # Wait for event loop to finish and all connections to drain
         http_server.close()
@@ -232,4 +243,6 @@ def serve(host, port, request_handler, after_start=None, before_stop=None,
         while connections:
             loop.run_until_complete(asyncio.sleep(0.1))
 
+        trigger_events(after_stop, loop)
+
         loop.close()
diff --git a/sanic/utils.py b/sanic/utils.py
index c39f03ab..e731112e 100644
--- a/sanic/utils.py
+++ b/sanic/utils.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def sanic_endpoint_test(app, method='get', uri='/', gather_request=True,
         def _collect_request(request):
             results.append(request)
 
-    async def _collect_response(loop):
+    async def _collect_response(sanic, loop):
         try:
             response = await local_request(method, uri, *request_args,
                                            **request_kwargs)
diff --git a/tests/test_blueprints.py b/tests/test_blueprints.py
index 8068160f..1b88795d 100644
--- a/tests/test_blueprints.py
+++ b/tests/test_blueprints.py
@@ -108,4 +108,40 @@ def test_bp_exception_handler():
     assert response.text == 'OK'
 
     request, response = sanic_endpoint_test(app, uri='/3')
-    assert response.status == 200
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert response.status == 200
+
+def test_bp_listeners():
+    app = Sanic('test_middleware')
+    blueprint = Blueprint('test_middleware')
+
+    order = []
+
+    @blueprint.listener('before_server_start')
+    def handler_1(sanic, loop):
+        order.append(1)
+
+    @blueprint.listener('after_server_start')
+    def handler_2(sanic, loop):
+        order.append(2)
+
+    @blueprint.listener('after_server_start')
+    def handler_3(sanic, loop):
+        order.append(3)
+
+    @blueprint.listener('before_server_stop')
+    def handler_4(sanic, loop):
+        order.append(5)
+
+    @blueprint.listener('before_server_stop')
+    def handler_5(sanic, loop):
+        order.append(4)
+
+    @blueprint.listener('after_server_stop')
+    def handler_6(sanic, loop):
+        order.append(6)
+
+    app.register_blueprint(blueprint)
+
+    request, response = sanic_endpoint_test(app, uri='/')
+
+    assert order == [1,2,3,4,5,6]
\ No newline at end of file