diff --git a/Doc/library/multiprocessing.rst b/Doc/library/multiprocessing.rst
--- a/Doc/library/multiprocessing.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/multiprocessing.rst
@@ -411,6 +411,20 @@ The :mod:`multiprocessing` package mostl
 
       See :ref:`multiprocessing-auth-keys`.
 
+   .. attribute:: sentinel
+
+      A numeric handle of a system object which will become "ready" when
+      the process ends.
+
+      On Windows, this is an OS handle usable with the ``WaitForSingleObject``
+      and ``WaitForMultipleObjects`` family of API calls.  On Unix, this is
+      a file descriptor usable with primitives from the :mod:`select` module.
+
+      You can use this value if you want to wait on several events at once.
+      Otherwise calling :meth:`join()` is simpler.
+
+      .. versionadded:: 3.3
+
    .. method:: terminate()
 
       Terminate the process.  On Unix this is done using the ``SIGTERM`` signal;
diff --git a/Lib/multiprocessing/forking.py b/Lib/multiprocessing/forking.py
--- a/Lib/multiprocessing/forking.py
+++ b/Lib/multiprocessing/forking.py
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ else:
 
 if sys.platform != 'win32':
     import time
+    import select
 
     exit = os._exit
     duplicate = os.dup
@@ -118,8 +119,12 @@ if sys.platform != 'win32':
             sys.stderr.flush()
             self.returncode = None
 
+            r, w = os.pipe()
+            self.sentinel = r
+
             self.pid = os.fork()
             if self.pid == 0:
+                os.close(r)
                 if 'random' in sys.modules:
                     import random
                     random.seed()
@@ -128,6 +133,11 @@ if sys.platform != 'win32':
                 sys.stderr.flush()
                 os._exit(code)
 
+            # `w` will be closed when the child exits, at which point `r`
+            # will become ready for reading (using e.g. select()).
+            os.close(w)
+            util.Finalize(self, os.close, (r,))
+
         def poll(self, flag=os.WNOHANG):
             if self.returncode is None:
                 try:
@@ -145,20 +155,14 @@ if sys.platform != 'win32':
             return self.returncode
 
         def wait(self, timeout=None):
-            if timeout is None:
-                return self.poll(0)
-            deadline = time.time() + timeout
-            delay = 0.0005
-            while 1:
-                res = self.poll()
-                if res is not None:
-                    break
-                remaining = deadline - time.time()
-                if remaining <= 0:
-                    break
-                delay = min(delay * 2, remaining, 0.05)
-                time.sleep(delay)
-            return res
+            if self.returncode is None:
+                if timeout is not None:
+                    r = select.select([self.sentinel], [], [], timeout)[0]
+                    if not r:
+                        return None
+                # This shouldn't block if select() returned successfully.
+                return self.poll(os.WNOHANG if timeout == 0.0 else 0)
+            return self.returncode
 
         def terminate(self):
             if self.returncode is None:
@@ -258,6 +262,7 @@ else:
             self.pid = pid
             self.returncode = None
             self._handle = hp
+            self.sentinel = int(hp)
 
             # send information to child
             prep_data = get_preparation_data(process_obj._name)
diff --git a/Lib/multiprocessing/process.py b/Lib/multiprocessing/process.py
--- a/Lib/multiprocessing/process.py
+++ b/Lib/multiprocessing/process.py
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ class Process(object):
         else:
             from .forking import Popen
         self._popen = Popen(self)
+        self._sentinel = self._popen.sentinel
         _current_process._children.add(self)
 
     def terminate(self):
@@ -218,6 +219,17 @@ class Process(object):
 
     pid = ident
 
+    @property
+    def sentinel(self):
+        '''
+        Return a file descriptor (Unix) or handle (Windows) suitable for
+        waiting for process termination.
+        '''
+        try:
+            return self._sentinel
+        except AttributeError:
+            raise ValueError("process not started")
+
     def __repr__(self):
         if self is _current_process:
             status = 'started'
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_multiprocessing.py b/Lib/test/test_multiprocessing.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_multiprocessing.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_multiprocessing.py
@@ -71,6 +71,22 @@ HAVE_GETVALUE = not getattr(_multiproces
                             'HAVE_BROKEN_SEM_GETVALUE', False)
 
 WIN32 = (sys.platform == "win32")
+if WIN32:
+    from _subprocess import WaitForSingleObject, INFINITE, WAIT_OBJECT_0
+
+    def wait_for_handle(handle, timeout):
+        if timeout is None or timeout < 0.0:
+            timeout = INFINITE
+        else:
+            timeout = int(1000 * timeout)
+        return WaitForSingleObject(handle, timeout) == WAIT_OBJECT_0
+else:
+    from select import select
+
+    def wait_for_handle(handle, timeout):
+        if timeout is not None and timeout < 0.0:
+            timeout = None
+        return handle in select([handle], [], [], timeout)[0]
 
 #
 # Some tests require ctypes
@@ -307,6 +323,26 @@ class _TestProcess(BaseTestCase):
             ]
         self.assertEqual(result, expected)
 
+    @classmethod
+    def _test_sentinel(cls, event):
+        event.wait(10.0)
+
+    def test_sentinel(self):
+        if self.TYPE == "threads":
+            return
+        event = self.Event()
+        p = self.Process(target=self._test_sentinel, args=(event,))
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            p.sentinel
+        p.start()
+        self.addCleanup(p.join)
+        sentinel = p.sentinel
+        self.assertIsInstance(sentinel, int)
+        self.assertFalse(wait_for_handle(sentinel, timeout=0.0))
+        event.set()
+        p.join()
+        self.assertTrue(wait_for_handle(sentinel, timeout=DELTA))
+
 #
 #
 #