diff --git a/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Entity.scala b/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Entity.scala
index 540c3e5..6186947 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Entity.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Entity.scala
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package zio.akka.cluster.sharding
 
+import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
 import zio.{ Ref, Task, UIO }
 
 trait Entity[State] {
@@ -7,4 +8,6 @@ trait Entity[State] {
   def id: String
   def state: Ref[Option[State]]
   def stop: UIO[Unit]
+  def passivate: UIO[Unit]
+  def passivateAfter(duration: Duration): UIO[Unit]
 }
diff --git a/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/SetTimeout.scala b/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/SetTimeout.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07698ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/SetTimeout.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package zio.akka.cluster.sharding
+
+import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
+
+case class SetTimeout(duration: Duration)
diff --git a/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Sharding.scala b/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Sharding.scala
index e23bf88..b8d5198 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Sharding.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/Sharding.scala
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package zio.akka.cluster.sharding
 
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
-import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorContext, ActorRef, ActorSystem, PoisonPill, Props }
+import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorContext, ActorRef, ActorSystem, PoisonPill, Props, ReceiveTimeout }
 import akka.cluster.sharding.ShardRegion.Passivate
 import akka.cluster.sharding.{ ClusterSharding, ClusterShardingSettings }
 import akka.pattern.{ ask => askPattern }
@@ -136,13 +136,19 @@ object Sharding {
     val ref: Ref[Option[State]]    = rts.unsafeRun(Ref.make[Option[State]](None))
     val actorContext: ActorContext = context
     val entity: Entity[State] = new Entity[State] {
-      override def id: String                           = context.self.path.name
-      override def state: Ref[Option[State]]            = ref
-      override def stop: UIO[Unit]                      = UIO(actorContext.stop(self))
-      override def replyToSender[R](msg: R): Task[Unit] = Task(context.sender() ! msg)
+      override def id: String                                    = actorContext.self.path.name
+      override def state: Ref[Option[State]]                     = ref
+      override def stop: UIO[Unit]                               = UIO(actorContext.stop(self))
+      override def passivate: UIO[Unit]                          = UIO(actorContext.parent ! Passivate(PoisonPill))
+      override def passivateAfter(duration: Duration): UIO[Unit] = UIO(actorContext.self ! SetTimeout(duration))
+      override def replyToSender[R](msg: R): Task[Unit]          = Task(actorContext.sender() ! msg)
     }
 
     def receive: Receive = {
+      case SetTimeout(duration) =>
+        actorContext.setReceiveTimeout(duration)
+      case ReceiveTimeout =>
+        actorContext.parent ! Passivate(PoisonPill)
       case p: Passivate =>
         actorContext.parent ! p
       case MessagePayload(msg) =>
diff --git a/src/test/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/ShardingSpec.scala b/src/test/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/ShardingSpec.scala
index a4e9239..c36d73e 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/ShardingSpec.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/zio/akka/cluster/sharding/ShardingSpec.scala
@@ -152,6 +152,29 @@ object ShardingSpec extends DefaultRunnableSpec {
           } yield res
         )(isNone).provideLayer(actorSystem)
       },
+      testM("passivateAfter") {
+        assertM(
+          for {
+            p <- Promise.make[Nothing, Option[Unit]]
+            onMessage = (msg: String) =>
+              msg match {
+                case "set"     => ZIO.accessM[Entity[Unit]](_.state.set(Some(())))
+                case "get"     => ZIO.accessM[Entity[Unit]](_.state.get.flatMap(s => p.succeed(s).unit))
+                case "timeout" => ZIO.accessM[Entity[Unit]](_.passivateAfter((1 millisecond).asScala))
+              }
+            sharding <- Sharding.start(shardName, onMessage)
+            _        <- sharding.send(shardId, "set")
+            _        <- sharding.send(shardId, "timeout")
+            _ <- ZIO
+                  .sleep(3 seconds)
+                  .provideLayer(
+                    Clock.live
+                  ) // give time to the ShardCoordinator to notice the death of the actor and recreate one
+            _   <- sharding.send(shardId, "get")
+            res <- p.await
+          } yield res
+        )(isNone).provideLayer(actorSystem)
+      },
       testM("work with 2 actor systems") {
         assertM(
           actorSystem.build.use(a1 =>