diff --git a/substrate/bin/node-template/node/src/service.rs b/substrate/bin/node-template/node/src/service.rs
index e8578ab5b5..e330c17b24 100644
--- a/substrate/bin/node-template/node/src/service.rs
+++ b/substrate/bin/node-template/node/src/service.rs
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ pub fn new_full(config: Configuration) -> Result<impl AbstractService, ServiceEr
 
 		// the AURA authoring task is considered essential, i.e. if it
 		// fails we take down the service with it.
-		service.spawn_essential_task("aura", aura);
+		service.spawn_essential_task_handle().spawn_blocking("aura", aura);
 	}
 
 	// if the node isn't actively participating in consensus then it doesn't
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ pub fn new_full(config: Configuration) -> Result<impl AbstractService, ServiceEr
 
 		// the GRANDPA voter task is considered infallible, i.e.
 		// if it fails we take down the service with it.
-		service.spawn_essential_task(
+		service.spawn_essential_task_handle().spawn_blocking(
 			"grandpa-voter",
 			sc_finality_grandpa::run_grandpa_voter(grandpa_config)?
 		);
diff --git a/substrate/bin/node/cli/src/service.rs b/substrate/bin/node/cli/src/service.rs
index e087186d54..afc9e23d68 100644
--- a/substrate/bin/node/cli/src/service.rs
+++ b/substrate/bin/node/cli/src/service.rs
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ macro_rules! new_full {
 			};
 
 			let babe = sc_consensus_babe::start_babe(babe_config)?;
-			service.spawn_essential_task("babe-proposer", babe);
+			service.spawn_essential_task_handle().spawn_blocking("babe-proposer", babe);
 		}
 
 		// Spawn authority discovery module.
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ macro_rules! new_full {
 				service.prometheus_registry(),
 			);
 
-			service.spawn_task("authority-discovery", authority_discovery);
+			service.spawn_task_handle().spawn("authority-discovery", authority_discovery);
 		}
 
 		// if the node isn't actively participating in consensus then it doesn't
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ macro_rules! new_full {
 
 			// the GRANDPA voter task is considered infallible, i.e.
 			// if it fails we take down the service with it.
-			service.spawn_essential_task(
+			service.spawn_essential_task_handle().spawn_blocking(
 				"grandpa-voter",
 				grandpa::run_grandpa_voter(grandpa_config)?
 			);
diff --git a/substrate/client/service/src/lib.rs b/substrate/client/service/src/lib.rs
index 5184886efd..bfd048c759 100644
--- a/substrate/client/service/src/lib.rs
+++ b/substrate/client/service/src/lib.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ pub use sc_network::config::{
 	TransactionImportFuture,
 };
 pub use sc_tracing::TracingReceiver;
-pub use task_manager::SpawnTaskHandle;
+pub use task_manager::{SpawnEssentialTaskHandle, SpawnTaskHandle};
 use task_manager::TaskManager;
 use sp_blockchain::{HeaderBackend, HeaderMetadata};
 use sp_api::{ApiExt, ConstructRuntimeApi, ApiErrorExt};
@@ -166,13 +166,19 @@ pub trait AbstractService: Future<Output = Result<(), Error>> + Send + Unpin + S
 	/// The task name is a `&'static str` as opposed to a `String`. The reason for that is that
 	/// in order to avoid memory consumption issues with the Prometheus metrics, the set of
 	/// possible task names has to be bounded.
+	#[deprecated(note = "Use `spawn_task_handle().spawn() instead.")]
 	fn spawn_task(&self, name: &'static str, task: impl Future<Output = ()> + Send + 'static);
 
 	/// Spawns a task in the background that runs the future passed as
 	/// parameter. The given task is considered essential, i.e. if it errors we
 	/// trigger a service exit.
+	#[deprecated(note = "Use `spawn_essential_task_handle().spawn() instead.")]
 	fn spawn_essential_task(&self, name: &'static str, task: impl Future<Output = ()> + Send + 'static);
 
+	/// Returns a handle for spawning essential tasks. Any task spawned through this handle is
+	/// considered essential, i.e. if it errors we trigger a service exit.
+	fn spawn_essential_task_handle(&self) -> SpawnEssentialTaskHandle;
+
 	/// Returns a handle for spawning tasks.
 	fn spawn_task_handle(&self) -> SpawnTaskHandle;
 
@@ -269,13 +275,20 @@ where
 				let _ = essential_failed.send(());
 			});
 
-		let _ = self.spawn_task(name, essential_task);
+		let _ = self.spawn_task_handle().spawn(name, essential_task);
 	}
 
 	fn spawn_task_handle(&self) -> SpawnTaskHandle {
 		self.task_manager.spawn_handle()
 	}
 
+	fn spawn_essential_task_handle(&self) -> SpawnEssentialTaskHandle {
+		SpawnEssentialTaskHandle::new(
+			self.essential_failed_tx.clone(),
+			self.task_manager.spawn_handle(),
+		)
+	}
+
 	fn rpc_query(&self, mem: &RpcSession, request: &str) -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Option<String>> + Send>> {
 		Box::pin(
 			self.rpc_handlers.handle_request(request, mem.metadata.clone())
diff --git a/substrate/client/service/src/task_manager.rs b/substrate/client/service/src/task_manager.rs
index 9cd92538e3..5a400f70df 100644
--- a/substrate/client/service/src/task_manager.rs
+++ b/substrate/client/service/src/task_manager.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ use prometheus_endpoint::{
 	CounterVec, HistogramOpts, HistogramVec, Opts, Registry, U64
 };
 use sc_client_api::CloneableSpawn;
+use sp_utils::mpsc::TracingUnboundedSender;
 use crate::config::TaskType;
 
 mod prometheus_future;
@@ -149,6 +150,64 @@ impl futures01::future::Executor<Boxed01Future01> for SpawnTaskHandle {
 	}
 }
 
+/// A wrapper over `SpawnTaskHandle` that will notify a receiver whenever any
+/// task spawned through it fails. The service should be on the receiver side
+/// and will shut itself down whenever it receives any message, i.e. an
+/// essential task has failed.
+pub struct SpawnEssentialTaskHandle {
+	essential_failed_tx: TracingUnboundedSender<()>,
+	inner: SpawnTaskHandle,
+}
+
+impl SpawnEssentialTaskHandle {
+	/// Creates a new `SpawnEssentialTaskHandle`.
+	pub fn new(
+		essential_failed_tx: TracingUnboundedSender<()>,
+		spawn_task_handle: SpawnTaskHandle,
+	) -> SpawnEssentialTaskHandle {
+		SpawnEssentialTaskHandle {
+			essential_failed_tx,
+			inner: spawn_task_handle,
+		}
+	}
+
+	/// Spawns the given task with the given name.
+	///
+	/// See also [`SpawnTaskHandle::spawn`].
+	pub fn spawn(&self, name: &'static str, task: impl Future<Output = ()> + Send + 'static) {
+		self.spawn_inner(name, task, TaskType::Async)
+	}
+
+	/// Spawns the blocking task with the given name.
+	///
+	/// See also [`SpawnTaskHandle::spawn_blocking`].
+	pub fn spawn_blocking(
+		&self,
+		name: &'static str,
+		task: impl Future<Output = ()> + Send + 'static,
+	) {
+		self.spawn_inner(name, task, TaskType::Blocking)
+	}
+
+	fn spawn_inner(
+		&self,
+		name: &'static str,
+		task: impl Future<Output = ()> + Send + 'static,
+		task_type: TaskType,
+	) {
+		use futures::sink::SinkExt;
+		let mut essential_failed = self.essential_failed_tx.clone();
+		let essential_task = std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(task)
+			.catch_unwind()
+			.map(move |_| {
+				log::error!("Essential task `{}` failed. Shutting down service.", name);
+				let _ = essential_failed.send(());
+			});
+
+		let _ = self.inner.spawn_inner(name, essential_task, task_type);
+	}
+}
+
 /// Helper struct to manage background/async tasks in Service.
 pub struct TaskManager {
 	/// A future that resolves when the service has exited, this is useful to