diff --git a/src/reactor/mod.rs b/src/reactor/mod.rs
index b913748f1..4c50d3b13 100644
--- a/src/reactor/mod.rs
+++ b/src/reactor/mod.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 //! futures, schedule tasks, issue I/O requests, etc.
 
 use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::cmp;
 use std::io::{self, ErrorKind};
 use std::mem;
 use std::rc::{Rc, Weak};
@@ -226,6 +227,18 @@ impl Core {
         res.expect("run should not return until future is done")
     }
 
+    /// Performs one iteration of the event loop, blocking on waiting for events
+    /// for at most `max_wait` (forever if `None`).
+    ///
+    /// It only makes sense to call this method if you've previously spawned
+    /// a future onto this event loop.
+    ///
+    /// `loop { lp.turn(None) }` is equivalent to calling `run` with an
+    /// empty future (one that never finishes).
+    pub fn turn(&mut self, max_wait: Option<Duration>) {
+        self.poll_internal(max_wait, &mut || true).expect("Error in event loop turn");
+    }
+
     fn _run(&mut self, done: &mut FnMut() -> bool) {
         // Check to see if we're done immediately, if so we shouldn't do any
         // work.
@@ -235,60 +248,70 @@ impl Core {
 
         let mut finished = false;
         while !finished {
-            let amt;
-            // On Linux, Poll::poll is epoll_wait, which may return EINTR if a
-            // ptracer attaches. This retry loop prevents crashing when
-            // attaching strace, or similar.
-            let start = Instant::now();
-            loop {
-                let inner = self.inner.borrow_mut();
-                let timeout = inner.timer_heap.peek().map(|t| {
-                    if t.0 < start {
-                        Duration::new(0, 0)
-                    } else {
-                        t.0 - start
-                    }
-                });
-                match inner.io.poll(&mut self.events, timeout) {
-                    Ok(a) => {
-                        amt = a;
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    Err(ref e) if e.kind() == ErrorKind::Interrupted => {}
-                    err @ Err(_) => {
-                        err.unwrap();
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-            debug!("loop poll - {:?}", start.elapsed());
-            debug!("loop time - {:?}", Instant::now());
-
-            // First up, process all timeouts that may have just occurred.
-            let start = Instant::now();
-            self.consume_timeouts(start);
-
-            // Next, process all the events that came in.
-            for i in 0..self.events.len() {
-                let event = self.events.get(i).unwrap();
-                let token = event.token();
-                trace!("event {:?} {:?}", event.kind(), event.token());
-
-                if token == TOKEN_MESSAGES {
-                    CURRENT_LOOP.set(&self, || self.consume_queue());
-                } else if token == TOKEN_FUTURE {
-                    self.future_readiness.0.set_readiness(mio::Ready::none()).unwrap();
-                    if !finished && CURRENT_LOOP.set(self, || done()) {
-                        finished = true;
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    self.dispatch(token, event.kind());
-                }
-            }
-
-            debug!("loop process - {} events, {:?}", amt, start.elapsed());
+            finished = self.poll_internal(None, done).expect("Error in event loop")
         }
     }
 
+    fn poll_internal(&mut self, max_wait: Option<Duration>, done: &mut FnMut() -> bool) -> io::Result<bool> {
+        let amt;
+        let start = Instant::now();
+        {
+            let inner = self.inner.borrow_mut();
+            let timeout = inner.timer_heap.peek().map(|t| {
+                if t.0 < start {
+                    Duration::new(0, 0)
+                } else {
+                    t.0 - start
+                }
+            });
+            let timeout = if let (Some(d1), Some(d2)) = (max_wait, timeout) {
+                Some(cmp::min(d1, d2))
+            } else {
+                max_wait.or(timeout)
+            };
+            match inner.io.poll(&mut self.events, timeout) {
+                Ok(a) => {
+                    amt = a;
+                }
+                // On Linux, Poll::poll is epoll_wait, which may return EINTR if a
+                // ptracer attaches.
+                Err(ref e) if e.kind() == ErrorKind::Interrupted => {
+                    return Ok(false)
+                },
+                Err(e) => {
+                    return Err(e)
+                },
+            }
+        }
+        debug!("loop poll - {:?}", start.elapsed());
+        debug!("loop time - {:?}", Instant::now());
+
+        // First up, process all timeouts that may have just occurred.
+        let start = Instant::now();
+        self.consume_timeouts(start);
+
+        // Next, process all the events that came in.
+        let mut finished = false;
+        for i in 0..self.events.len() {
+            let event = self.events.get(i).unwrap();
+            let token = event.token();
+            trace!("event {:?} {:?}", event.kind(), event.token());
+
+            if token == TOKEN_MESSAGES {
+                CURRENT_LOOP.set(&self, || self.consume_queue());
+            } else if token == TOKEN_FUTURE {
+                self.future_readiness.0.set_readiness(mio::Ready::none()).unwrap();
+                if !finished && CURRENT_LOOP.set(self, || done()) {
+                    finished = true;
+                }
+            } else {
+                self.dispatch(token, event.kind());
+            }
+        }
+        debug!("loop process - {} events, {:?}", amt, start.elapsed());
+        Ok(finished)
+    }
+
     fn dispatch(&mut self, token: mio::Token, ready: mio::Ready) {
         let token = usize::from(token) - TOKEN_START;
         if token % 2 == 0 {
diff --git a/tests/spawn.rs b/tests/spawn.rs
index 1d39543d5..8fd4599d5 100644
--- a/tests/spawn.rs
+++ b/tests/spawn.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ extern crate tokio_core;
 extern crate env_logger;
 extern crate futures;
 
+use std::time::Duration;
+use std::sync::mpsc;
+
 use futures::Future;
 use tokio_core::reactor::Core;
 
@@ -26,6 +29,30 @@ fn simple() {
     assert_eq!(lp.run(rx1.join(rx2)).unwrap(), (1, 2));
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn simple_core_poll() {
+    drop(env_logger::init());
+    let mut lp = Core::new().unwrap();
+
+    let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel();
+    let (tx1, tx2) = (tx.clone(), tx.clone());
+
+    lp.turn(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+    lp.handle().spawn(futures::lazy(move || {
+        tx1.send(1).unwrap();
+        Ok(())
+    }));
+    lp.turn(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+    lp.handle().spawn(futures::lazy(move || {
+        tx2.send(2).unwrap();
+        Ok(())
+    }));
+    assert_eq!(rx.try_recv().unwrap(), 1);
+    assert!(rx.try_recv().is_err());
+    lp.turn(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+    assert_eq!(rx.try_recv().unwrap(), 2);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn spawn_in_poll() {
     drop(env_logger::init());