diff --git a/guides/intro/intro.md b/guides/intro/intro.md
index d96e8e310..5b25b3a26 100644
--- a/guides/intro/intro.md
+++ b/guides/intro/intro.md
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ Apart from the `token` field mentioned above, the following fields are also supp
     should contain the total amount of shards that your bot is expected to have.
     Useful for splitting a single bot across multiple servers, but see also [the
     multi-node documentation](../advanced/multi_node.md).
+  - `:manual`: nostrum does not automatically spawn shards. You should use
+    `Nostrum.Shard.Supervisor.connect/2` to spawn shards instead.
 - `gateway_intents` - a list of atoms representing gateway intents for Nostrum
   to subscribe to from the Discord API. More information can be found in the
   [gateway intents](./gateway_intents.md) documentation page.
diff --git a/lib/nostrum/shard.ex b/lib/nostrum/shard.ex
index 7f77ad2c7..fca655188 100644
--- a/lib/nostrum/shard.ex
+++ b/lib/nostrum/shard.ex
@@ -1,14 +1,33 @@
 defmodule Nostrum.Shard do
   @moduledoc false
 
-  use Supervisor
+  use Supervisor, restart: :transient
 
   alias Nostrum.Shard.Session
 
-  def start_link([_, shard_num, _total] = opts) do
+  def start_link({:connect, [_, shard_num, _total]} = opts) do
     Supervisor.start_link(__MODULE__, opts, name: :"Nostrum.Shard-#{shard_num}")
   end
 
+  def start_link(
+        {:reconnect,
+         %{
+           shard_num: shard_num,
+           total_shards: _total_shards,
+           gateway: _gateway,
+           resume_gateway: _resume_gateway,
+           seq: _seq,
+           session: _session
+         }} =
+          opts
+      ) do
+    Supervisor.start_link(__MODULE__, opts, name: :"Nostrum.Shard-#{shard_num}")
+  end
+
+  def start_link([_, _shard_num, _total] = opts) do
+    start_link({:connect, opts})
+  end
+
   def init(opts) do
     children = [
       {Session, opts}
@@ -16,6 +35,11 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard do
       # TODO: Add per shard cache
     ]
 
-    Supervisor.init(children, strategy: :one_for_all, max_restarts: 3, max_seconds: 60)
+    Supervisor.init(children,
+      strategy: :one_for_all,
+      max_restarts: 3,
+      max_seconds: 60,
+      auto_shutdown: :any_significant
+    )
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/nostrum/shard/session.ex b/lib/nostrum/shard/session.ex
index 6e3de6243..d882ca1c3 100644
--- a/lib/nostrum/shard/session.ex
+++ b/lib/nostrum/shard/session.ex
@@ -107,17 +107,45 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard.Session do
     :gen_statem.cast(pid, {:request_guild_members, payload})
   end
 
+  def disconnect(pid) do
+    :gen_statem.call(pid, {:disconnect, nil})
+  end
+
+  def disconnect(pid, timeout) do
+    :gen_statem.call(pid, {:disconnect, nil}, timeout)
+  end
+
   def get_ws_state(pid) do
     :sys.get_state(pid)
   end
 
   # State machine API
 
+  def start_link({:connect, [_gateway, _shard_num, _total]} = opts, statem_opts) do
+    :gen_statem.start_link(__MODULE__, opts, statem_opts)
+  end
+
+  def start_link(
+        {:reconnect,
+         %{
+           shard_num: _shard_num,
+           total_shards: _total_shards,
+           gateway: _gateway,
+           resume_gateway: _resume_gateway,
+           seq: _seq,
+           session: _session
+         }} =
+          opts,
+        statem_opts
+      ) do
+    :gen_statem.start_link(__MODULE__, opts, statem_opts)
+  end
+
   def start_link([_gateway, _shard_num, _total] = shard_opts, statem_opts) do
     :gen_statem.start_link(__MODULE__, shard_opts, statem_opts)
   end
 
-  def init([gateway, shard_num, total]) do
+  def init({:connect, [gateway, shard_num, total]}) do
     Logger.metadata(shard: shard_num)
 
     state = %WSState{
@@ -131,6 +159,37 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard.Session do
     {:ok, :disconnected, state, connect}
   end
 
+  def init(
+        {:reconnect,
+         %{
+           shard_num: shard_num,
+           total_shards: total_shards,
+           gateway: gateway,
+           resume_gateway: resume_gateway,
+           seq: seq,
+           session: session
+         }}
+      ) do
+    Logger.metadata(shard: shard_num)
+
+    state = %WSState{
+      conn_pid: self(),
+      shard_num: shard_num,
+      total_shards: total_shards,
+      gateway: gateway,
+      resume_gateway: resume_gateway,
+      session: session,
+      seq: seq
+    }
+
+    connect = {:next_event, :internal, :connect}
+    {:ok, :disconnected, state, connect}
+  end
+
+  def init([gateway, shard_num, total]) do
+    init({:connect, [gateway, shard_num, total]})
+  end
+
   def callback_mode, do: [:state_functions, :state_enter]
 
   def child_spec(opts) do
@@ -138,7 +197,8 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard.Session do
       id: __MODULE__,
       start: {__MODULE__, :start_link, [opts, []]},
       type: :worker,
-      restart: :permanent,
+      restart: :transient,
+      significant: true,
       shutdown: 500
     }
   end
@@ -334,6 +394,30 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard.Session do
     :keep_state_and_data
   end
 
+  def connected({:call, from}, {:disconnect, nil}, %{
+        conn: conn,
+        shard_num: shard_num,
+        total_shards: total,
+        gateway: gateway,
+        resume_gateway: resume_gateway,
+        seq: seq,
+        session: session
+      }) do
+    :ok = :gun.close(conn)
+    :ok = :gun.flush(conn)
+
+    {:stop_and_reply, :normal,
+     {:reply, from,
+      %{
+        shard_num: shard_num,
+        total_shards: total,
+        gateway: gateway,
+        resume_gateway: resume_gateway,
+        session: session,
+        seq: seq
+      }}}
+  end
+
   def connected(
         :state_timeout,
         :send_heartbeat = request,
diff --git a/lib/nostrum/shard/supervisor.ex b/lib/nostrum/shard/supervisor.ex
index c3c9d7b7b..1a2afc70e 100644
--- a/lib/nostrum/shard/supervisor.ex
+++ b/lib/nostrum/shard/supervisor.ex
@@ -34,7 +34,26 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard.Supervisor do
      handle yet, thus growing the message queue and the memory usage.
   """
 
-  use Supervisor
+  @typedoc """
+  Shard number(`shard_id`). Range is `0..total_shards-1`.
+  """
+  @type shard_num :: non_neg_integer()
+  @typedoc """
+  Total shard count(`num_shards`).
+  """
+  @type total_shards :: pos_integer()
+  @typedoc """
+  Represents gateway resume information.
+  """
+  @type resume_information :: %{
+          shard_num: shard_num(),
+          total_shards: total_shards(),
+          gateway: String.t(),
+          resume_gateway: String.t() | nil,
+          session: String.t(),
+          seq: pos_integer()
+        }
+  use DynamicSupervisor
 
   alias Nostrum.Error.CacheError
   alias Nostrum.Shard
@@ -64,21 +83,33 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard.Supervisor do
   end
 
   def start_link(_args) do
-    {url, gateway_shard_count} = Util.gateway()
+    {_url, gateway_shard_count} = Util.gateway()
 
-    value = Application.get_env(:nostrum, :num_shards, :auto)
-    shard_range = cast_shard_range(gateway_shard_count, value)
+    on_start =
+      DynamicSupervisor.start_link(
+        __MODULE__,
+        nil,
+        name: __MODULE__
+      )
 
-    Supervisor.start_link(
-      __MODULE__,
-      [url, shard_range],
-      name: __MODULE__
-    )
+    case Application.get_env(:nostrum, :num_shards, :auto) do
+      :manual ->
+        on_start
+
+      value ->
+        {lowest, highest, total} = cast_shard_range(gateway_shard_count, value)
+
+        shard_range = lowest..highest
+
+        for num <- shard_range, do: connect(num - 1, total)
+    end
+
+    on_start
   end
 
   def update_status(status, game, stream, type) do
     __MODULE__
-    |> Supervisor.which_children()
+    |> DynamicSupervisor.which_children()
     |> Enum.filter(fn {_id, _pid, _type, [modules]} -> modules == Nostrum.Shard end)
     |> Enum.map(fn {_id, pid, _type, _modules} -> Supervisor.which_children(pid) end)
     |> List.flatten()
@@ -102,18 +133,55 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Shard.Supervisor do
   end
 
   @doc false
-  def init([url, {lowest, highest, total}]) do
-    shard_range = lowest..highest
-    children = for num <- shard_range, do: create_worker(url, num - 1, total)
-
-    Supervisor.init(children, strategy: :one_for_one, max_restarts: 3, max_seconds: 60)
+  def init(_) do
+    DynamicSupervisor.init(strategy: :one_for_one, max_restarts: 3, max_seconds: 60)
   end
 
   @doc false
-  def create_worker(gateway, shard_num, total) do
-    Supervisor.child_spec(
-      {Shard, [gateway, shard_num, total]},
-      id: shard_num
+  def create_worker(shard_num, total) do
+    {gateway, _gateway_shard_count} = Util.gateway()
+    {Shard, [gateway, shard_num, total]}
+  end
+
+  @doc """
+  Disconnects the shard with the given shard number from the Gateway.
+  This function returns `resume_information` given to `Nostrum.Shard.Supervisor.reconnect/1`.
+  """
+  @spec disconnect(shard_num()) :: resume_information()
+  def disconnect(shard_num) do
+    :"Nostrum.Shard-#{shard_num}"
+    |> Supervisor.which_children()
+    |> Enum.find(fn {id, _pid, _type, _modules} -> id == Nostrum.Shard.Session end)
+    |> elem(1)
+    |> Session.disconnect()
+  end
+
+  @doc """
+  Spawns a shard with the specified number and connects it to the discord gateway.
+  """
+  @spec connect(shard_num(), total_shards()) :: DynamicSupervisor.on_start_child()
+  def connect(shard_num, total_shards) do
+    DynamicSupervisor.start_child(__MODULE__, create_worker(shard_num, total_shards))
+  end
+
+  @doc """
+  Reconnect to the gateway using the given `resume_information`.
+  For more information about resume, please visit [the Discord Developer Portal](https://discord.com/developers/docs/topics/gateway#resuming).
+  """
+  @spec reconnect(resume_information()) :: DynamicSupervisor.on_start_child()
+  def reconnect(
+        %{
+          shard_num: _shard_num,
+          total_shards: _total_shards,
+          gateway: _gateway,
+          resume_gateway: _resume_gateway,
+          seq: _seq,
+          session: _session
+        } = opts
+      ) do
+    DynamicSupervisor.start_child(
+      __MODULE__,
+      {Shard, {:reconnect, opts}}
     )
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/nostrum/util.ex b/lib/nostrum/util.ex
index 92fd235cb..435c27494 100644
--- a/lib/nostrum/util.ex
+++ b/lib/nostrum/util.ex
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ defmodule Nostrum.Util do
 
     case num do
       {_lowest, _highest, total} -> total
+      :manual -> 0
       nil -> 1
     end
   end