diff --git a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/agent.go b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/agent.go
index 346ce563c..4d04c923e 100644
--- a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/agent.go
+++ b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/agent.go
@@ -73,12 +73,12 @@ func (a *Agent) start(args ...string) error {
 }
 
 // stop stops the existing etcd process the agent started.
-func (a *Agent) stop() error {
+func (a *Agent) stopWithSig(sig os.Signal) error {
 	if a.state != stateStarted {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	err := sigtermAndWait(a.cmd)
+	err := stopWithSig(a.cmd, sig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ func (a *Agent) stop() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func sigtermAndWait(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
-	err := cmd.Process.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM)
+func stopWithSig(cmd *exec.Cmd, sig os.Signal) error {
+	err := cmd.Process.Signal(sig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -125,7 +125,8 @@ func (a *Agent) restart() error {
 }
 
 func (a *Agent) cleanup() error {
-	if err := a.stop(); err != nil {
+	// exit with stackstrace
+	if err := a.stopWithSig(syscall.SIGQUIT); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	a.state = stateUninitialized
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ func (a *Agent) cleanup() error {
 // terminate stops the exiting etcd process the agent started
 // and removes the data dir.
 func (a *Agent) terminate() error {
-	err := a.stop()
+	err := a.stopWithSig(syscall.SIGTERM)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/rpc.go b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/rpc.go
index 122f64085..c9cc7a390 100644
--- a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/rpc.go
+++ b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/rpc.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/rpc"
+	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/tools/functional-tester/etcd-agent/client"
 )
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ func (a *Agent) RPCStart(args []string, pid *int) error {
 
 func (a *Agent) RPCStop(args struct{}, reply *struct{}) error {
 	plog.Printf("stop etcd")
-	err := a.stop()
+	err := a.stopWithSig(syscall.SIGTERM)
 	if err != nil {
 		plog.Println("error stopping etcd", err)
 		return err