diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Aggregation.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Aggregation.scala
index 57b7c8c4f..60e9b64bb 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Aggregation.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Aggregation.scala
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ final object Aggregation
 		import extracted.structure
 		val toRun = ts map { case KeyValue(k,t) => t.map(v => KeyValue(k,v)) } join;
 		val roots = ts map { case KeyValue(k,_) => k }
-		val config = extractedConfig(extracted, structure, s)
+		val config = extractedTaskConfig(extracted, structure, s)
 
 		val start = System.currentTimeMillis
 		val (newS, result) = withStreams(structure, s){ str =>
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Defaults.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Defaults.scala
index 04b73d5ed..d08c1e95b 100755
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Defaults.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Defaults.scala
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ object Defaults extends BuildCommon
 		trapExit :== true,
 		connectInput :== false,
 		cancelable :== false,
+		taskCancelStrategy := { state: State => 
+			if(cancelable.value) TaskCancellationStrategy.Signal
+			else TaskCancellationStrategy.Null
+		},
 		envVars :== Map.empty,
 		sbtVersion := appConfiguration.value.provider.id.version,
 		sbtBinaryVersion := binarySbtVersion(sbtVersion.value),
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala
index 4c8fe8756..60e0a44ad 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala
@@ -14,7 +14,101 @@ package sbt
 	import std.Transform.{DummyTaskMap,TaskAndValue}
 	import TaskName._
 
+@deprecated("Use EvaluateTaskConfig instead.", "0.13.5")
 final case class EvaluateConfig(cancelable: Boolean, restrictions: Seq[Tags.Rule], checkCycles: Boolean = false, progress: ExecuteProgress[Task] = EvaluateTask.defaultProgress)
+
+
+
+/** An API that allows you to cancel executing tasks upon some signal.
+ *
+ *  For example, this is implemented by the TaskEngine; invoking `cancel()` allows you
+ *  to cancel the current task exeuction.   A `TaskCancel` is passed to the 
+ *  [[TaskEvalautionCancelHandler]] which is responsible for calling `cancel()` when
+ *  appropriate.
+ */
+trait RunningTaskEngine {
+	/** Attempts to kill and shutdown the running task engine.*/
+	def cancelAndShutdown(): Unit
+}
+/** 
+ * A startegy for being able to cancle tasks.
+ *
+ * Implementations of this trait determine what will trigger `cancel()` for
+ * the task engine, providing in the `start` method.
+ *
+ * All methods on this API are expected to be called from the same thread.
+ */
+trait TaskCancellationStrategy {
+  /** The state used by this task. */
+  type State
+  /** Called when task evaluation starts.
+   *
+   * @param canceller An object that can cancel the current task evaluation session.
+   * @return Whatever state you need to cleanup in your finish method.
+   */
+  def onTaskEngineStart(canceller: RunningTaskEngine): State
+  /** Called when task evaluation completes, either in success or failure. */
+  def onTaskEngineFinish(state: State): Unit
+}
+object TaskCancellationStrategy {
+   /** An empty handler that does not cancel tasks. */
+   object Null extends TaskCancellationStrategy {
+   	  type State = Unit
+   	  def onTaskEngineStart(canceller: RunningTaskEngine): Unit = ()
+      def onTaskEngineFinish(state: Unit): Unit = ()
+   }
+   /** Cancel handler which registers for SIGINT and cancels tasks when it is received. */
+   object Signal extends TaskCancellationStrategy {
+   	type State = Signals.Registration
+   	 def onTaskEngineStart(canceller: RunningTaskEngine): Signals.Registration = {
+   	 	Signals.register(() => canceller.cancelAndShutdown())
+   	 }
+   	 def onTaskEngineFinish(registration: Signals.Registration): Unit =
+   	   registration.remove()
+   }
+}
+
+
+/** The new API for running tasks.  
+ *
+ * This represents all the hooks possible when running the task engine.
+ * We expose this trait so that we can, in a binary compatible way, modify what is used
+ * inside this configuration and how to construct it.
+ */
+sealed trait EvaluateTaskConfig {
+	def restrictions: Seq[Tags.Rule]
+	def checkCycles: Boolean
+	def progressReporter: ExecuteProgress[Task]
+	def cancelStrategy: TaskCancellationStrategy
+}
+final object EvaluateTaskConfig {
+	/** Pulls in the old configuration format. */
+	def apply(old: EvaluateConfig): EvaluateTaskConfig = {
+	  object AdaptedTaskConfig extends EvaluateTaskConfig {
+        def restrictions: Seq[Tags.Rule] = old.restrictions
+        def checkCycles: Boolean = old.checkCycles
+        def progressReporter: ExecuteProgress[Task] = old.progress
+        def cancelStrategy: TaskCancellationStrategy =
+          if(old.cancelable) TaskCancellationStrategy.Signal
+          else TaskCancellationStrategy.Null
+	  }
+	  AdaptedTaskConfig
+	}
+	/** Raw constructor for EvaluateTaskConfig. */
+	def apply(restrictions: Seq[Tags.Rule],
+	          checkCycles: Boolean,
+	          progressReporter: ExecuteProgress[Task],
+	          cancelStrategy: TaskCancellationStrategy): EvaluateTaskConfig = {
+		object SimpleEvaluateTaskConfig extends EvaluateTaskConfig {
+			def restrictions = restrictions
+			def checkCycles = checkCycles
+			def progressReporter = progressReporter
+			def cancelStrategy = cancelStrategy
+		}
+		SimpleEvaluateTaskConfig
+	}
+}
+
 final case class PluginData(dependencyClasspath: Seq[Attributed[File]], definitionClasspath: Seq[Attributed[File]], resolvers: Option[Seq[Resolver]], report: Option[UpdateReport], scalacOptions: Seq[String])
 {
 	val classpath: Seq[Attributed[File]] = definitionClasspath ++ dependencyClasspath
@@ -40,24 +134,25 @@ object EvaluateTask
 
 	val SystemProcessors = Runtime.getRuntime.availableProcessors
 
-	@deprecated("Use extractedConfig.", "0.13.0")
+	@deprecated("Use extractedTaskConfig.", "0.13.0")
 	def defaultConfig(state: State): EvaluateConfig =
 	{
 		val extracted = Project.extract(state)
 		extractedConfig(extracted, extracted.structure, state)
 	}
 
-	@deprecated("Use extractedConfig.", "0.13.0")
+	@deprecated("Use extractedTaskConfig.", "0.13.0")
 	def defaultConfig(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure) =
 		EvaluateConfig(false, restrictions(extracted, structure), progress = defaultProgress)
 
-  @deprecated("Use other extractedConfig", "0.13.2")
+    @deprecated("Use other extractedTaskConfig", "0.13.2")
 	def extractedConfig(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure): EvaluateConfig =
 	{
 		val workers = restrictions(extracted, structure)
 		val canCancel = cancelable(extracted, structure)
 		EvaluateConfig(cancelable = canCancel, restrictions = workers, progress = defaultProgress)
 	}
+	@deprecated("Use other extractedTaskConfig", "0.13.5")
 	def extractedConfig(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure, state: State): EvaluateConfig =
 	{
 		val workers = restrictions(extracted, structure)
@@ -65,6 +160,13 @@ object EvaluateTask
 		val progress = executeProgress(extracted, structure, state)
 		EvaluateConfig(cancelable = canCancel, restrictions = workers, progress = progress)
 	}
+	def extractedTaskConfig(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure, state: State): EvaluateTaskConfig =
+	{
+		val rs = restrictions(extracted, structure)
+		val canceller = cancelStrategy(extracted, structure, state)
+		val progress = executeProgress(extracted, structure, state)
+		EvaluateTaskConfig(rs, false, progress, canceller)
+	}
 
 	def defaultRestrictions(maxWorkers: Int) = Tags.limitAll(maxWorkers) :: Nil
 	def defaultRestrictions(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure): Seq[Tags.Rule] =
@@ -84,11 +186,13 @@ object EvaluateTask
 			1
 	def cancelable(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure): Boolean =
 		getSetting(Keys.cancelable, false, extracted, structure)
+    def cancelStrategy(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure, state: State): TaskCancellationStrategy =
+   	  getSetting(Keys.taskCancelStrategy, {(_: State) => TaskCancellationStrategy.Null}, extracted, structure)(state)
 
 	private[sbt] def executeProgress(extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure, state: State): ExecuteProgress[Task] = {
 		import Types.const
-		 val maker: State => Keys.TaskProgress = getSetting(Keys.executeProgress, const(new Keys.TaskProgress(defaultProgress)), extracted, structure)
-		 maker(state).progress
+		val maker: State => Keys.TaskProgress = getSetting(Keys.executeProgress, const(new Keys.TaskProgress(defaultProgress)), extracted, structure)
+		maker(state).progress
    }
 
 	def getSetting[T](key: SettingKey[T], default: T, extracted: Extracted, structure: BuildStructure): T =
@@ -119,16 +223,20 @@ object EvaluateTask
 	* If the task is not defined, None is returned.  The provided task key is resolved against the current project `ref`.
 	* Task execution is configured according to settings defined in the loaded project.*/
 	def apply[T](structure: BuildStructure, taskKey: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, ref: ProjectRef): Option[(State, Result[T])] =
-		apply[T](structure, taskKey, state, ref, extractedConfig(Project.extract(state), structure))
+		apply[T](structure, taskKey, state, ref, extractedTaskConfig(Project.extract(state), structure, state))
 
 	/** Evaluates `taskKey` and returns the new State and the result of the task wrapped in Some.
 	* If the task is not defined, None is returned.  The provided task key is resolved against the current project `ref`.
 	* `config` configures concurrency and canceling of task execution.  */
+	@deprecated("Use EvalauteTaskConfig option instead.", "0.13.5")
 	def apply[T](structure: BuildStructure, taskKey: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, ref: ProjectRef, config: EvaluateConfig): Option[(State, Result[T])] =
+		apply(structure, taskKey, state, ref, EvaluateTaskConfig(config))
+	def apply[T](structure: BuildStructure, taskKey: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, ref: ProjectRef, config: EvaluateTaskConfig): Option[(State, Result[T])] = {
 		withStreams(structure, state) { str =>
 			for( (task, toNode) <- getTask(structure, taskKey, state, str, ref) ) yield
 				runTask(task, state, str, structure.index.triggers, config)(toNode)
 		}
+	}
 	def logIncResult(result: Result[_], state: State, streams: Streams) = result match { case Inc(i) => logIncomplete(i, state, streams); case _ => () }
 	def logIncomplete(result: Incomplete, state: State, streams: Streams)
 	{
@@ -176,12 +284,18 @@ object EvaluateTask
 	def nodeView[HL <: HList](state: State, streams: Streams, roots: Seq[ScopedKey[_]], dummies: DummyTaskMap = DummyTaskMap(Nil)): NodeView[Task] =
 		Transform((dummyRoots, roots) :: (dummyStreamsManager, streams) :: (dummyState, state) :: dummies )
 
-	def runTask[T](root: Task[T], state: State, streams: Streams, triggers: Triggers[Task], config: EvaluateConfig)(implicit taskToNode: NodeView[Task]): (State, Result[T]) =
+	@deprecated("Use new EvalauteTaskConfig option to runTask", "0.13.5")
+    def runTask[T](root: Task[T], state: State, streams: Streams, triggers: Triggers[Task], config: EvaluateConfig)(implicit taskToNode: NodeView[Task]): (State, Result[T]) =
+    {
+    	val newConfig = EvaluateTaskConfig(config)
+    	runTask(root, state, streams, triggers, config)(taskToNode)
+    }
+	def runTask[T](root: Task[T], state: State, streams: Streams, triggers: Triggers[Task], config: EvaluateTaskConfig)(implicit taskToNode: NodeView[Task]): (State, Result[T]) =
 	{
-			import ConcurrentRestrictions.{completionService, TagMap, Tag, tagged, tagsKey}
+		import ConcurrentRestrictions.{completionService, TagMap, Tag, tagged, tagsKey}
 
 		val log = state.log
-		log.debug("Running task... Cancelable: " + config.cancelable + ", check cycles: " + config.checkCycles)
+		log.debug("Running task... Cancel: " + config.cancelStrategy + ", check cycles: " + config.checkCycles)
 		val tags = tagged[Task[_]](_.info get tagsKey getOrElse Map.empty, Tags.predicate(config.restrictions))
 		val (service, shutdown) = completionService[Task[_], Completed](tags, (s: String) => log.warn(s))
 
@@ -191,7 +305,7 @@ object EvaluateTask
 			case _ => true
 		}
 		def run() = {
-			val x = new Execute[Task]( Execute.config(config.checkCycles, overwriteNode), triggers, config.progress)(taskToNode)
+			val x = new Execute[Task]( Execute.config(config.checkCycles, overwriteNode), triggers, config.progressReporter)(taskToNode)
 			val (newState, result) =
 				try {
 					val results = x.runKeep(root)(service)
@@ -203,15 +317,18 @@ object EvaluateTask
 			logIncResult(replaced, state, streams)
 			(newState, replaced)
 		}
-		val cancel = () => {
-			println("")
-			log.warn("Canceling execution...")
-			shutdown()
+		object runningEngine extends RunningTaskEngine { 
+			def cancelAndShutdown(): Unit = {
+			  println("")
+			  log.warn("Canceling execution...")
+			  shutdown()
+			}
 		}
-		if(config.cancelable)
-			Signals.withHandler(cancel) { run }
-		else
-			run()
+		// Register with our cancel handler we're about to start.
+		val strat = config.cancelStrategy
+		val cancelState = strat.onTaskEngineStart(runningEngine)
+		try run()
+		finally strat.onTaskEngineFinish(cancelState)
 	}
 
 	private[this] def storeValuesForPrevious(results: RMap[Task, Result], state: State, streams: Streams): Unit =
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala
index 53ccdfc97..16294ef80 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ object Keys
 	// wrapper to work around SI-2915
 	private[sbt] final class TaskProgress(val progress: ExecuteProgress[Task])
 	private[sbt] val executeProgress = SettingKey[State => TaskProgress]("executeProgress", "Experimental task execution listener.", DTask)
+    private[sbt] val taskCancelStrategy = SettingKey[State => TaskCancellationStrategy]("taskCancelStrategy", "Experimental task cancellation handler.", DTask)	
 
 	// Experimental in sbt 0.13.2 to enable grabing semantic compile failures.
 	private[sbt] val compilerReporter = TaskKey[Option[xsbti.Reporter]]("compilerReporter", "Experimental hook to listen (or send) compilation failure messages.", DTask)
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
index faea25e13..06420cf84 100755
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
@@ -498,13 +498,25 @@ object Project extends ProjectExtra
 	@deprecated("This method does not apply state changes requested during task execution.  Use 'runTask' instead, which does.", "0.11.1")
 	def evaluateTask[T](taskKey: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, checkCycles: Boolean = false, maxWorkers: Int = EvaluateTask.SystemProcessors): Option[Result[T]] =
 		runTask(taskKey, state, EvaluateConfig(true, EvaluateTask.defaultRestrictions(maxWorkers), checkCycles)).map(_._2)
+
 	def runTask[T](taskKey: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, checkCycles: Boolean = false): Option[(State, Result[T])] =
-		runTask(taskKey, state, EvaluateConfig(true, EvaluateTask.restrictions(state), checkCycles))
+	{
+		val extracted = Project.extract(state)
+		val ch = EvaluateTask.cancelStrategy(extracted, extracted.structure, state)
+		val p = EvaluateTask.executeProgress(extracted, extracted.structure, state)
+		val r = EvaluateTask.restrictions(state)
+		runTask(taskKey, state, EvaluateTaskConfig(r, checkCycles, p, ch))
+	}
+    @deprecated("Use EvalauteTaskConfig option instead.", "0.13.5")
 	def runTask[T](taskKey: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, config: EvaluateConfig): Option[(State, Result[T])] =
 	{
 		val extracted = Project.extract(state)
 		EvaluateTask(extracted.structure, taskKey, state, extracted.currentRef, config)
 	}
+	def runTask[T](taskKey: ScopedKey[Task[T]], state: State, config: EvaluateTaskConfig): Option[(State, Result[T])] = {
+		val extracted = Project.extract(state)
+		EvaluateTask(extracted.structure, taskKey, state, extracted.currentRef, config)	
+	}
 
 	implicit def projectToRef(p: Project): ProjectReference = LocalProject(p.id)
 
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/build.sbt b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/build.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..149e93163
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/build.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import sbt.ExposeYourself._
+
+taskCancelHandler := { (state: State) =>
+  new TaskEvaluationCancelHandler {
+    type State = Unit
+    override def onTaskEngineStart(canceller: TaskCancel): Unit = canceller.cancel()
+    override def finish(result: Unit): Unit = ()
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/project/Build.scala b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/project/Build.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd7055cf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/project/Build.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package sbt  // this API is private[sbt], so only exposed for trusted clients and folks who like breaking.
+
+object ExposeYourself {
+	val taskCancelHandler = sbt.Keys.taskCancelHandler
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/src/main/scala/test.scala b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/src/main/scala/test.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3853a565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/src/main/scala/test.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import scala
+
+object Foo {
+	val x = "this should be long to compile or the test may fail."
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/test b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..87501cf8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/test
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# All tasks should fail.
+-> compile
+-> test
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Signal.scala b/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Signal.scala
index 8bad472cd..0069e4b53 100644
--- a/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Signal.scala
+++ b/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Signal.scala
@@ -19,6 +19,38 @@ object Signals
 			case Right(v) => v
 		}
 	}
+
+	/** Helper interface so we can expose internals of signal-isms to others. */
+	sealed trait Registration {
+		def remove(): Unit
+	}
+    /** Register a signal handler that can be removed later. 
+     * NOTE: Does not stack with other signal handlers!!!!
+     */
+    def register(handler: () => Unit, signal: String = INT): Registration =
+    	// TODO - Maybe we can just ignore things if not is-supported.
+    	if(supported(signal)) {
+	    	import sun.misc.{Signal,SignalHandler}
+	    	val intSignal = new Signal(signal)
+	    	val newHandler = new SignalHandler {
+				def handle(sig: Signal) { handler() }
+			}
+			val oldHandler = Signal.handle(intSignal, newHandler)
+			object unregisterNewHandler extends Registration {
+				override def remove(): Unit = {
+					Signal.handle(intSignal, oldHandler)
+				}
+			}
+			unregisterNewHandler
+		} else {
+			// TODO - Maybe we should just throw an exception if we don't support signals...
+			object NullUnregisterNewHandler extends Registration {
+				override def remove(): Unit = ()
+			}
+			NullUnregisterNewHandler
+		}
+
+
 	def supported(signal: String): Boolean =
 		try
 		{