diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 68e96e1..94fef34 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+# 0.2.1 (30. September, 2024)
+
+Expose a signal that can be awaited on without awaiting the configured
+delay first. If no delay is used this API is equivalent to the already
+existing `cancelled` function.
+
+This can be used for scenarios where you do not need a graceful buffer and would like to
+cancel as soon as a signal is received.
+
 # 0.2.0 (29. September, 2024)
 
 This is usability wise not a breaking release,
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 19af849..648230e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 categories = ["asynchronous", "network-programming"]
 edition = "2021"
 name = "tokio-graceful"
-version = "0.2.0"
+version = "0.2.1"
 description = "util for graceful shutdown of tokio applications"
 homepage = "https://github.com/plabayo/tokio-graceful"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/src/guard.rs b/src/guard.rs
index f8cc248..43922a8 100644
--- a/src/guard.rs
+++ b/src/guard.rs
@@ -26,20 +26,33 @@ pub struct ShutdownGuard(ManuallyDrop<WeakShutdownGuard>);
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct WeakShutdownGuard {
     pub(crate) trigger_rx: Receiver,
+    pub(crate) shutdown_signal_trigger_rx: Option<Receiver>,
     pub(crate) zero_tx: Sender,
     pub(crate) ref_count: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
 }
 
 impl ShutdownGuard {
-    pub(crate) fn new(trigger_rx: Receiver, zero_tx: Sender, ref_count: Arc<AtomicUsize>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn new(
+        trigger_rx: Receiver,
+        shutdown_signal_trigger_rx: Option<Receiver>,
+        zero_tx: Sender,
+        ref_count: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
+    ) -> Self {
         let value = ref_count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
         tracing::trace!("new shutdown guard: ref_count+1: {}", value + 1);
         Self(ManuallyDrop::new(WeakShutdownGuard::new(
-            trigger_rx, zero_tx, ref_count,
+            trigger_rx,
+            shutdown_signal_trigger_rx,
+            zero_tx,
+            ref_count,
         )))
     }
 
-    /// Returns a Future that gets fulfilled when cancellation (shutdown) is requested.
+    /// Returns a Future that gets fulfilled when cancellation (shutdown) is requested
+    /// and the delay (if any) duration has been awaited.
+    ///
+    /// Use [`Self::shutdown_signal_triggered`] for tasks that do not
+    /// require this opt-in delay buffer duration.
     ///
     /// The future will complete immediately if the token is already cancelled when this method is called.
     ///
@@ -56,6 +69,29 @@ impl ShutdownGuard {
         self.0.cancelled().await
     }
 
+    /// Returns a Future that gets fulfilled when cancellation (shutdown) is requested.
+    ///
+    /// Use [`Self::cancelled`] if you want to make sure the future
+    /// only completes when the buffer delay has been awaited.
+    ///
+    /// In case no delay has been configured for the parent `Shutdown`,
+    /// this function will be equal in behaviour to [`Self::cancelled`].
+    ///
+    /// The future will complete immediately if the token is already cancelled when this method is called.
+    ///
+    /// # Cancel safety
+    ///
+    /// This method is cancel safe.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// This method panics if the iternal mutex
+    /// is poisoned while being used.
+    #[inline]
+    pub async fn shutdown_signal_triggered(&self) {
+        self.0.shutdown_signal_triggered().await
+    }
+
     /// Returns a [`crate::sync::JoinHandle`] that can be awaited on
     /// to wait for the spawned task to complete. See
     /// [`crate::sync::spawn`] for more information.
@@ -166,15 +202,26 @@ impl Drop for ShutdownGuard {
 }
 
 impl WeakShutdownGuard {
-    pub(crate) fn new(trigger_rx: Receiver, zero_tx: Sender, ref_count: Arc<AtomicUsize>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn new(
+        trigger_rx: Receiver,
+        shutdown_signal_trigger_rx: Option<Receiver>,
+        zero_tx: Sender,
+        ref_count: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
+    ) -> Self {
         Self {
             trigger_rx,
+            shutdown_signal_trigger_rx,
             zero_tx,
             ref_count,
         }
     }
 
-    /// Returns a Future that gets fulfilled when cancellation (shutdown) is requested.
+    /// Returns a Future that gets fulfilled when cancellation (shutdown) is requested
+    /// and the delay (buffer) duration has been awaited on.
+    ///
+    /// Use [`Self::shutdown_signal_triggered`] in case you want to get
+    /// a future which is triggered immediately when the shutdown signal is received,
+    /// without waiting for the delay duration first.
     ///
     /// The future will complete immediately if the token is already cancelled when this method is called.
     ///
@@ -191,6 +238,34 @@ impl WeakShutdownGuard {
         self.trigger_rx.clone().await;
     }
 
+    /// Returns a Future that gets fulfilled when cancellation (shutdown) is requested
+    /// without awaiting the delay duration first, if one is set.
+    ///
+    /// In case no delay has been configured for the parent `Shutdown`,
+    /// this function will be equal in behaviour to [`Self::cancelled`].
+    ///
+    /// Use [`Self::cancelled`] in case you want to get
+    /// a future which is triggered when the shutdown signal is received
+    /// and thethe delay duration is awaited.
+    ///
+    /// The future will complete immediately if the token is already cancelled when this method is called.
+    ///
+    /// # Cancel safety
+    ///
+    /// This method is cancel safe.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// This method panics if the iternal mutex
+    /// is poisoned while being used.
+    #[inline]
+    pub async fn shutdown_signal_triggered(&self) {
+        self.shutdown_signal_trigger_rx
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| self.trigger_rx.clone())
+            .await
+    }
+
     /// Returns a Future that gets fulfilled when cancellation (shutdown) is requested.
     ///
     /// In contrast to [`ShutdownGuard::cancelled`] this method consumes the guard,
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 4aafd71..3c1f0a2 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -224,6 +224,30 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(result.is_err(), "{result:?}");
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_shutdown_cancelled_vs_shutdown_signal_triggered() {
+        let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel::<()>();
+        let shutdown = Shutdown::builder()
+            .with_delay(Duration::from_secs(5))
+            .with_signal(rx)
+            .build();
+        tx.send(()).unwrap();
+
+        let weak_guard = shutdown.guard_weak();
+
+        // will fail because delay is still being awaited
+        let result = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_micros(100), weak_guard.cancelled()).await;
+        assert!(result.is_err(), "{result:?}");
+
+        // this will succeed however, as it does not await the delay
+        let result = tokio::time::timeout(
+            Duration::from_millis(100),
+            weak_guard.shutdown_signal_triggered(),
+        )
+        .await;
+        assert!(result.is_ok(), "{result:?}");
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_shutdown_nested_guards() {
         let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel::<()>();
diff --git a/src/shutdown.rs b/src/shutdown.rs
index e784f9b..61603a1 100644
--- a/src/shutdown.rs
+++ b/src/shutdown.rs
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ impl ShutdownBuilder<sealed::WithoutSignal> {
     pub fn build(self) -> Shutdown {
         let (zero_tx, zero_rx) = trigger();
 
-        let guard = ShutdownGuard::new(Receiver::closed(), zero_tx, Default::default());
+        let guard = ShutdownGuard::new(Receiver::closed(), None, zero_tx, Default::default());
 
         Shutdown {
             guard,
@@ -173,16 +173,29 @@ impl<I: sealed::IntoFuture> ShutdownBuilder<sealed::WithSignal<I>> {
     /// all jobs are complete.
     pub fn build(self) -> Shutdown {
         let trigger_signal = self.data.signal.into_future();
-        let delay = self.data.delay;
+
+        let (delay_tuple, maybe_shutdown_signal_rx) = match self.data.delay {
+            Some(delay) => {
+                let (shutdown_signal_tx, shutdown_signal_rx) = trigger();
+                (Some((delay, shutdown_signal_tx)), Some(shutdown_signal_rx))
+            }
+            None => (None, None),
+        };
 
         let (signal_tx, signal_rx) = trigger();
         let (zero_tx, zero_rx) = trigger();
 
-        let guard = ShutdownGuard::new(signal_rx, zero_tx, Default::default());
+        let guard = ShutdownGuard::new(
+            signal_rx,
+            maybe_shutdown_signal_rx,
+            zero_tx,
+            Default::default(),
+        );
 
         crate::sync::spawn(async move {
             let _ = trigger_signal.await;
-            if let Some(delay) = delay {
+            if let Some((delay, shutdown_signal_tx)) = delay_tuple {
+                shutdown_signal_tx.trigger();
                 tracing::trace!(
                     "::trigger signal recieved: delay buffer activated: {:?}",
                     delay
@@ -213,13 +226,25 @@ where
     pub fn build(self) -> Shutdown {
         let trigger_signal = self.data.signal.into_future();
         let overwrite_fn = self.data.overwrite_fn;
-        let delay = self.data.delay;
+
+        let (delay_tuple, maybe_shutdown_signal_rx) = match self.data.delay {
+            Some(delay) => {
+                let (shutdown_signal_tx, shutdown_signal_rx) = trigger();
+                (Some((delay, shutdown_signal_tx)), Some(shutdown_signal_rx))
+            }
+            None => (None, None),
+        };
 
         let (signal_tx, signal_rx) = trigger();
         let (zero_tx, zero_rx) = trigger();
         let (zero_overwrite_tx, zero_overwrite_rx) = trigger();
 
-        let guard = ShutdownGuard::new(signal_rx, zero_tx, Default::default());
+        let guard = ShutdownGuard::new(
+            signal_rx,
+            maybe_shutdown_signal_rx,
+            zero_tx,
+            Default::default(),
+        );
 
         crate::sync::spawn(async move {
             let _ = trigger_signal.await;
@@ -228,7 +253,8 @@ where
                 let _ = overwrite_signal.await;
                 zero_overwrite_tx.trigger();
             });
-            if let Some(delay) = delay {
+            if let Some((delay, shutdown_signal_tx)) = delay_tuple {
+                shutdown_signal_tx.trigger();
                 tracing::trace!(
                     "::trigger signal recieved: delay buffer activated: {:?}",
                     delay