diff --git a/sys/shell/shell.c b/sys/shell/shell.c
index f7915253942d..6111a80ab1f4 100644
--- a/sys/shell/shell.c
+++ b/sys/shell/shell.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #include "shell_commands.h"
 
 #define ETX '\x03'  /** ASCII "End-of-Text", or ctrl-C */
+#define EOT '\x04'  /** ASCII "End-of-Transmission", or ctrl-D */
+
 #if !defined(SHELL_NO_ECHO) || !defined(SHELL_NO_PROMPT)
 #ifdef MODULE_NEWLIB
 /* use local copy of putchar, as it seems to be inlined,
@@ -237,7 +239,7 @@ static int readline(char *buf, size_t size)
         }
 
         int c = getchar();
-        if (c < 0) {
+        if (c < 0 || c == EOT) {
             return EOF;
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/shell/main.c b/tests/shell/main.c
index 8f2cf7cc342c..2217fa45c0e1 100644
--- a/tests/shell/main.c
+++ b/tests/shell/main.c
@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@ int main(void)
     /* define own shell commands */
     shell_run(shell_commands, line_buf, SHELL_DEFAULT_BUFSIZE);
 
+    puts("shell exited (1)");
+
+    /* Restart the shell after the previous one exits, so that we can test
+     * ctrl-D exit */
+    shell_run(shell_commands, line_buf, SHELL_DEFAULT_BUFSIZE);
+
+    puts("shell exited (2)");
+
     /* or use only system shell commands */
     /*
     shell_run(NULL, line_buf, SHELL_DEFAULT_BUFSIZE);
diff --git a/tests/shell/tests/01-run.py b/tests/shell/tests/01-run.py
index be99c9bbab38..ea962a932b6e 100755
--- a/tests/shell/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/shell/tests/01-run.py
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@
     ('help', EXPECTED_HELP),
     ('echo a string', ('\"echo\"\"a\"\"string\"')),
     ('ps', EXPECTED_PS),
+    ('reboot', ('test_shell.')),
+    (CONTROL_D, ('shell exited (1)')),
     ('garbage1234'+CONTROL_C, ('>')),  # test cancelling a line
     ('help', EXPECTED_HELP),
     ('reboot', ('test_shell.'))