diff --git a/src/libopensc/ctx.c b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
index 4670008..26f8bf5 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/ctx.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
@@ -791,19 +791,21 @@ int sc_wait_for_event(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned int event_mask, sc_reader_t **
 }
 
 
-int sc_release_context(sc_context_t *ctx)
+static
+int __sc_release_context(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned after_fork)
 {
 	unsigned int i;
 
 	assert(ctx != NULL);
 	SC_FUNC_CALLED(ctx, SC_LOG_DEBUG_VERBOSE);
+
 	while (list_size(&ctx->readers)) {
 		sc_reader_t *rdr = (sc_reader_t *) list_get_at(&ctx->readers, 0);
 		_sc_delete_reader(ctx, rdr);
 	}
 
 	if (ctx->reader_driver->ops->finish != NULL)
-		ctx->reader_driver->ops->finish(ctx);
+		ctx->reader_driver->ops->finish(ctx, after_fork);
 
 	for (i = 0; ctx->card_drivers[i]; i++) {
 		struct sc_card_driver *drv = ctx->card_drivers[i];
@@ -836,6 +838,16 @@ int sc_release_context(sc_context_t *ctx)
 	return SC_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+int sc_release_context(sc_context_t *ctx)
+{
+	return __sc_release_context(ctx, 0);
+}
+
+int sc_terminate_context(sc_context_t *ctx)
+{
+	return __sc_release_context(ctx, 1);
+}
+
 int sc_set_card_driver(sc_context_t *ctx, const char *short_name)
 {
 	int i = 0, match = 0;
diff --git a/src/libopensc/libopensc.exports b/src/libopensc/libopensc.exports
index cea8d42..ed84ffe 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/libopensc.exports
+++ b/src/libopensc/libopensc.exports
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ sc_put_data
 sc_read_binary
 sc_read_record
 sc_release_context
+sc_terminate_context
 sc_reset
 sc_reset_retry_counter
 sc_restore_security_env
diff --git a/src/libopensc/opensc.h b/src/libopensc/opensc.h
index ad5405d..437a14d 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/opensc.h
+++ b/src/libopensc/opensc.h
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ struct sc_reader_operations {
 	int (*init)(struct sc_context *ctx);
 	/* Called when the driver is being unloaded.  finish() has to
 	 * release any resources. */
-	int (*finish)(struct sc_context *ctx);
+	int (*finish)(struct sc_context *ctx, unsigned after_fork);
 	/* Called when library wish to detect new readers
 	 * should add only new readers. */
 	int (*detect_readers)(struct sc_context *ctx);
@@ -752,6 +752,12 @@ int sc_context_create(sc_context_t **ctx, const sc_context_param_t *parm);
 int sc_release_context(sc_context_t *ctx);
 
 /**
+ * Releases an established OpenSC context without releasing any state that is shared with parent process
+ * @param ctx A pointer to the context structure to be released
+ */
+int sc_terminate_context(sc_context_t *ctx);
+
+/**
  * Detect new readers available on system.
  * @param  ctx  OpenSC context
  * @return SC_SUCCESS on success and an error code otherwise.
diff --git a/src/libopensc/reader-ctapi.c b/src/libopensc/reader-ctapi.c
index 919c3f0..e252a42 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/reader-ctapi.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/reader-ctapi.c
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ static int ctapi_init(sc_context_t *ctx)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int ctapi_finish(sc_context_t *ctx)
+static int ctapi_finish(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned after_fork)
 {
 	struct ctapi_global_private_data *priv = (struct ctapi_global_private_data *) ctx->reader_drv_data;
 
diff --git a/src/libopensc/reader-openct.c b/src/libopensc/reader-openct.c
index a276d52..32871d0 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/reader-openct.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/reader-openct.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 /* function declarations */
 static int openct_reader_init(sc_context_t *ctx);
 static int openct_add_reader(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned int num, ct_info_t *info);
-static int openct_reader_finish(sc_context_t *ctx);
+static int openct_reader_finish(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned after_fork);
 static int openct_reader_release(sc_reader_t *reader);
 static int openct_reader_detect_card_presence(sc_reader_t *reader);
 static int openct_reader_connect(sc_reader_t *reader);
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ openct_add_reader(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned int num, ct_info_t *info)
  * Called when the driver is being unloaded.  finish() has to
  * deallocate the private data and any resources.
  */
-static int openct_reader_finish(sc_context_t *ctx)
+static int openct_reader_finish(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned after_fork)
 {
 	SC_FUNC_CALLED(ctx, SC_LOG_DEBUG_VERBOSE);
 	return SC_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/src/libopensc/reader-pcsc.c b/src/libopensc/reader-pcsc.c
index 7382452..cf5890d 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/reader-pcsc.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/reader-pcsc.c
@@ -740,14 +740,14 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int pcsc_finish(sc_context_t *ctx)
+static int pcsc_finish(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned after_fork)
 {
 	struct pcsc_global_private_data *gpriv = (struct pcsc_global_private_data *) ctx->reader_drv_data;
 
 	SC_FUNC_CALLED(ctx, SC_LOG_DEBUG_NORMAL);
 
 	if (gpriv) {
-		if (gpriv->pcsc_ctx != -1)
+		if (!after_fork && gpriv->pcsc_ctx != -1)
 			gpriv->SCardReleaseContext(gpriv->pcsc_ctx);
 		if (gpriv->dlhandle != NULL)
 			sc_dlclose(gpriv->dlhandle);
@@ -2096,7 +2096,7 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int cardmod_finish(sc_context_t *ctx)
+static int cardmod_finish(sc_context_t *ctx, unsigned after_fork)
 {
 	struct pcsc_global_private_data *gpriv = (struct pcsc_global_private_data *) ctx->reader_drv_data;
 
diff --git a/src/pkcs11/pkcs11-global.c b/src/pkcs11/pkcs11-global.c
index ee6cf7c..886476e 100644
--- a/src/pkcs11/pkcs11-global.c
+++ b/src/pkcs11/pkcs11-global.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ list_t virtual_slots;
 pid_t initialized_pid = (pid_t)-1;
 #endif
 static int in_finalize = 0;
+static CK_RV __sc_pkcs11_finalize(CK_VOID_PTR pReserved, unsigned after_fork);
 extern CK_FUNCTION_LIST pkcs11_function_list;
 
 #if defined(HAVE_PTHREAD) && defined(PKCS11_THREAD_LOCKING)
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ CK_RV C_Initialize(CK_VOID_PTR pInitArgs)
 	/* Handle fork() exception */
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
 	if (current_pid != initialized_pid) {
-		C_Finalize(NULL_PTR);
+		__sc_pkcs11_finalize(NULL_PTR, 1);
 	}
 	initialized_pid = current_pid;
 	in_finalize = 0;
@@ -271,7 +272,8 @@ out:
 	return rv;
 }
 
-CK_RV C_Finalize(CK_VOID_PTR pReserved)
+static
+CK_RV __sc_pkcs11_finalize(CK_VOID_PTR pReserved, unsigned after_fork)
 {
 	int i;
 	void *p;
@@ -292,10 +294,14 @@ CK_RV C_Finalize(CK_VOID_PTR pReserved)
 
 	/* cancel pending calls */
 	in_finalize = 1;
-	sc_cancel(context);
-	/* remove all cards from readers */
-	for (i=0; i < (int)sc_ctx_get_reader_count(context); i++)
-		card_removed(sc_ctx_get_reader(context, i));
+
+	if (!after_fork) {
+		sc_cancel(context);
+
+		/* remove all cards from readers */
+		for (i=0; i < (int)sc_ctx_get_reader_count(context); i++)
+			card_removed(sc_ctx_get_reader(context, i));
+	}
 
 	while ((p = list_fetch(&sessions)))
 		free(p);
@@ -307,7 +313,10 @@ CK_RV C_Finalize(CK_VOID_PTR pReserved)
 	}
 	list_destroy(&virtual_slots);
 
-	sc_release_context(context);
+	if (after_fork)
+		sc_terminate_context(context);
+	else
+		sc_release_context(context);
 	context = NULL;
 
 	/* Release and destroy the mutex */
@@ -316,6 +325,17 @@ CK_RV C_Finalize(CK_VOID_PTR pReserved)
 	return rv;
 }
 
+CK_RV C_Finalize(CK_VOID_PTR pReserved)
+{
+#if !defined(_WIN32)
+	pid_t current_pid = getpid();
+	if (current_pid != initialized_pid) {
+		return __sc_pkcs11_finalize(NULL_PTR, 1);
+	}
+#endif
+	return __sc_pkcs11_finalize(pReserved, 0);
+}
+
 CK_RV C_GetInfo(CK_INFO_PTR pInfo)
 {
 	CK_RV rv = CKR_OK;