diff --git a/examples/http_server.v b/examples/http_server.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ffcc299dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/http_server.v
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+module main
+
+import net.http { CommonHeader, Request, Response, Server }
+
+struct ExampleHandler {}
+
+fn (h ExampleHandler) handle(req Request) Response {
+	mut res := Response{
+		header: http.new_header_from_map({
+			CommonHeader.content_type: 'text/plain'
+		})
+	}
+	res.text = match req.url {
+		'/foo' { 'bar\n' }
+		'/hello' { 'world\n' }
+		'/' { 'foo\nhello\n' }
+		else { 'Not found\n' }
+	}
+	res.status_code = if res.text == 'Not found' { 404 } else { 200 }
+	return res
+}
+
+fn main() {
+	mut server := Server{
+		handler: ExampleHandler{}
+	}
+	server.listen_and_serve() ?
+}
diff --git a/vlib/net/http/server.v b/vlib/net/http/server.v
index 0194be1baf..7a9660da7a 100644
--- a/vlib/net/http/server.v
+++ b/vlib/net/http/server.v
@@ -7,12 +7,24 @@ import io
 import net
 import time
 
+// ServerStatus is the current status of the server.
+// .running means that the server is active and serving.
+// .stopped means that the server is not active but still listening.
+// .closed means that the server is completely inactive.
+pub enum ServerStatus {
+	running
+	stopped
+	closed
+}
+
 interface Handler {
 	handle(Request) Response
 }
 
 pub struct Server {
-	stop_signal chan bool = chan bool{cap: 1}
+mut:
+	state    ServerStatus = .closed
+	listener net.TcpListener
 pub mut:
 	port           int           = 8080
 	handler        Handler       = DebugHandler{}
@@ -21,22 +33,20 @@ pub mut:
 	accept_timeout time.Duration = 30 * time.second
 }
 
-pub fn (s &Server) listen_and_serve() ? {
+pub fn (mut s Server) listen_and_serve() ? {
 	if s.handler is DebugHandler {
 		eprintln('Server handler not set, using debug handler')
 	}
-	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.ip6, ':$s.port') ?
-	l.set_accept_timeout(s.accept_timeout)
+	s.listener = net.listen_tcp(.ip6, ':$s.port') ?
+	s.listener.set_accept_timeout(s.accept_timeout)
 	eprintln('Listening on :$s.port')
+	s.state = .running
 	for {
-		// break if we have a stop signal (non-blocking check)
-		select {
-			_ := <-s.stop_signal {
-				break
-			}
-			else {}
+		// break if we have a stop signal
+		if s.state != .running {
+			break
 		}
-		mut conn := l.accept() or {
+		mut conn := s.listener.accept() or {
 			if err.msg != 'net: op timed out' {
 				eprintln('accept() failed: $err; skipping')
 			}
@@ -47,10 +57,27 @@ pub fn (s &Server) listen_and_serve() ? {
 		// TODO: make concurrent
 		s.parse_and_respond(mut conn)
 	}
+	if s.state == .stopped {
+		s.close()
+	}
 }
 
-pub fn (s Server) stop() {
-	s.stop_signal <- true
+// stop signals the server that it should not respond anymore
+[inline]
+pub fn (mut s Server) stop() {
+	s.state = .stopped
+}
+
+// close immediatly closes the port and signals the server that it has been closed
+[inline]
+pub fn (mut s Server) close() {
+	s.state = .closed
+	s.listener.close() or { return }
+}
+
+[inline]
+pub fn (s &Server) status() ServerStatus {
+	return s.state
 }
 
 fn (s &Server) parse_and_respond(mut conn net.TcpConn) {
diff --git a/vlib/net/http/server_test.v b/vlib/net/http/server_test.v
index 9a4437ced6..790da30b56 100644
--- a/vlib/net/http/server_test.v
+++ b/vlib/net/http/server_test.v
@@ -1,16 +1,90 @@
-module http
-
+import net.http
 import time
 
 fn test_server_stop() ? {
-	server := &Server{
+	mut server := &http.Server{
 		accept_timeout: 1 * time.second
 	}
 	t := go server.listen_and_serve()
 	time.sleep(250 * time.millisecond)
 	mut watch := time.new_stopwatch()
 	server.stop()
+	assert server.status() == .stopped
 	assert watch.elapsed() < 100 * time.millisecond
 	t.wait() ?
 	assert watch.elapsed() < 999 * time.millisecond
 }
+
+fn test_server_close() ? {
+	mut server := &http.Server{
+		accept_timeout: 1 * time.second
+		handler: MyHttpHandler{}
+	}
+	t := go server.listen_and_serve()
+	time.sleep(250 * time.millisecond)
+	mut watch := time.new_stopwatch()
+	server.close()
+	assert server.status() == .closed
+	assert watch.elapsed() < 100 * time.millisecond
+	t.wait() ?
+	assert watch.elapsed() < 999 * time.millisecond
+}
+
+struct MyHttpHandler {
+mut:
+	counter    int
+	oks        int
+	not_founds int
+}
+
+fn (mut handler MyHttpHandler) handle(req http.Request) http.Response {
+	handler.counter++
+	// eprintln('$time.now() | counter: $handler.counter | $req.method $req.url\n$req.header\n$req.data - 200 OK\n')
+	mut r := http.Response{
+		text: req.data + ', $req.url'
+		header: req.header
+	}
+	match req.url.all_before('?') {
+		'/endpoint', '/another/endpoint' {
+			r.set_status(.ok)
+			handler.oks++
+		}
+		else {
+			r.set_status(.not_found)
+			handler.not_founds++
+		}
+	}
+	r.set_version(req.version)
+	return r
+}
+
+const cport = 8198
+
+fn test_server_custom_handler() ? {
+	mut handler := MyHttpHandler{}
+	mut server := &http.Server{
+		accept_timeout: 1 * time.second
+		handler: handler
+		port: cport
+	}
+	t := go server.listen_and_serve()
+	for server.status() != .running {
+		time.sleep(10 * time.millisecond)
+	}
+	x := http.fetch(url: 'http://localhost:$cport/endpoint?abc=xyz', data: 'my data') ?
+	assert x.text == 'my data, /endpoint?abc=xyz'
+	assert x.status_code == 200
+	assert x.http_version == '1.1'
+	y := http.fetch(url: 'http://localhost:$cport/another/endpoint', data: 'abcde') ?
+	assert y.text == 'abcde, /another/endpoint'
+	assert y.status_code == 200
+	assert y.status() == .ok
+	assert y.http_version == '1.1'
+	//
+	http.fetch(url: 'http://localhost:$cport/something/else') ?
+	server.stop()
+	t.wait() ?
+	assert handler.counter == 3
+	assert handler.oks == 2
+	assert handler.not_founds == 1
+}