diff --git a/launch/launch/actions/execute_local.py b/launch/launch/actions/execute_local.py
index 107d86c30..b3cfe0e1c 100644
--- a/launch/launch/actions/execute_local.py
+++ b/launch/launch/actions/execute_local.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 from osrf_pycommon.process_utils import async_execute_process  # type: ignore
 from osrf_pycommon.process_utils import AsyncSubprocessProtocol
 
+import psutil
+
 from .emit_event import EmitEvent
 from .opaque_function import OpaqueFunction
 from .timer_action import TimerAction
@@ -64,9 +66,8 @@
 from ..launch_description_entity import LaunchDescriptionEntity
 from ..some_entities_type import SomeEntitiesType
 from ..some_substitutions_type import SomeSubstitutionsType
-from ..substitution import Substitution  # noqa: F401
+from ..substitution import Substitution
 from ..substitutions import LaunchConfiguration
-from ..substitutions import PythonExpression
 from ..utilities import is_a_subclass
 from ..utilities import normalize_to_list_of_substitutions
 from ..utilities import perform_substitutions
@@ -86,6 +87,8 @@ def __init__(
             'sigterm_timeout', default=5),
         sigkill_timeout: SomeSubstitutionsType = LaunchConfiguration(
             'sigkill_timeout', default=5),
+        signal_lingering_subprocesses: SomeSubstitutionsType = LaunchConfiguration(
+            'signal_lingering_subprocesses', default=True),
         emulate_tty: bool = False,
         output: SomeSubstitutionsType = 'log',
         output_format: Text = '[{this.process_description.final_name}] {line}',
@@ -158,6 +161,11 @@ def __init__(
             as a string or a list of strings and Substitutions to be resolved
             at runtime, defaults to the LaunchConfiguration called
             'sigkill_timeout'
+        :param: signal_lingering_subprocesses if `True`, all subprocesses spawned by the process
+            will be signaled to make sure they finish.
+            The sequence of signals used is the same SIGINT/SIGTERM/SIGKILL sequence
+            used to kill the main process.
+            Subprocesses start being signaled when the main process completes.
         :param: emulate_tty emulate a tty (terminal), defaults to False, but can
             be overridden with the LaunchConfiguration called 'emulate_tty',
             the value of which is evaluated as true or false according to
@@ -190,6 +198,8 @@ def __init__(
         self.__shell = shell
         self.__sigterm_timeout = normalize_to_list_of_substitutions(sigterm_timeout)
         self.__sigkill_timeout = normalize_to_list_of_substitutions(sigkill_timeout)
+        self.__signal_lingering_subprocesses = normalize_to_list_of_substitutions(
+            signal_lingering_subprocesses)
         self.__emulate_tty = emulate_tty
         # Note: we need to use a temporary here so that we don't assign values with different types
         # to the same variable
@@ -219,6 +229,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.__shutdown_future = None  # type: Optional[asyncio.Future[None]]
         self.__sigterm_timer = None  # type: Optional[TimerAction]
         self.__sigkill_timer = None  # type: Optional[TimerAction]
+        self.__children: List[psutil.Process] = []
         self.__stdout_buffer = io.StringIO()
         self.__stderr_buffer = io.StringIO()
 
@@ -292,7 +303,11 @@ def _shutdown_process(self, context: LaunchContext, *, send_sigint: bool
         self.__shutdown_future.set_result(None)
 
         # Otherwise process is still running, start the shutdown procedures.
-        context.extend_locals({'process_name': self.process_details['name']})
+        context.extend_locals(
+            {
+                'process_name': self.process_details['name'],
+                'process_pid': self.process_details['pid'],
+            })
         actions_to_return = self.__get_shutdown_timer_actions()
         if send_sigint:
             actions_to_return.append(self.__get_sigint_event())
@@ -453,23 +468,17 @@ def __get_shutdown_timer_actions(self) -> List[Action]:
         base_msg = \
             "process[{}] failed to terminate '{}' seconds after receiving '{}', escalating to '{}'"
 
-        def printer(context, msg, timeout_substitutions):
-            self.__logger.error(msg.format(
-                context.locals.process_name,
-                perform_substitutions(context, timeout_substitutions),
-            ))
+        def printer(context, msg):
+            self.__logger.error(msg.format(context.locals.process_name))
 
-        sigterm_timeout = self.__sigterm_timeout
-        sigkill_timeout = [PythonExpression(
-            ('float(', *self.__sigterm_timeout, ') + float(', *self.__sigkill_timeout, ')')
-        )]
         # Setup a timer to send us a SIGTERM if we don't shutdown quickly.
+        sigterm_timeout = self.__sigterm_timeout_value
         self.__sigterm_timer = TimerAction(
             period=sigterm_timeout,
             actions=[
                 OpaqueFunction(
                     function=printer,
-                    args=(base_msg.format('{}', '{}', 'SIGINT', 'SIGTERM'), sigterm_timeout)
+                    args=(base_msg.format('{}', sigterm_timeout, 'SIGINT', 'SIGTERM'), )
                 ),
                 EmitEvent(event=SignalProcess(
                     signal_number=signal.SIGTERM,
@@ -478,13 +487,14 @@ def printer(context, msg, timeout_substitutions):
             ],
             cancel_on_shutdown=False,
         )
+        sigkill_timeout = self.__sigterm_timeout_value + self.__sigkill_timeout_value
         # Setup a timer to send us a SIGKILL if we don't shutdown after SIGTERM.
         self.__sigkill_timer = TimerAction(
             period=sigkill_timeout,
             actions=[
                 OpaqueFunction(
                     function=printer,
-                    args=(base_msg.format('{}', '{}', 'SIGTERM', 'SIGKILL'), sigkill_timeout)
+                    args=(base_msg.format('{}', sigkill_timeout, 'SIGTERM', 'SIGKILL'), )
                 ),
                 EmitEvent(event=SignalProcess(
                     signal_number='SIGKILL',
@@ -493,6 +503,13 @@ def printer(context, msg, timeout_substitutions):
             ],
             cancel_on_shutdown=False,
         )
+        self.__children = []
+        pid = self._subprocess_transport.get_pid()
+        if pid is not None:
+            try:
+                self.__children = psutil.Process(pid).children(recursive=True)
+            except psutil.NoSuchProcess:
+                pass
         return [
             cast(Action, self.__sigterm_timer),
             cast(Action, self.__sigkill_timer),
@@ -504,12 +521,15 @@ def __get_sigint_event(self) -> EmitEvent:
             process_matcher=matches_action(self),
         ))
 
-    def __cleanup(self) -> None:
-        # Cancel any pending timers we started.
+    def __cleanup_timers(self):
         if self.__sigterm_timer is not None:
             self.__sigterm_timer.cancel()
         if self.__sigkill_timer is not None:
             self.__sigkill_timer.cancel()
+
+    def __cleanup(self):
+        # Cancel any pending timers we started.
+        self.__cleanup_timers()
         # Close subprocess transport if any.
         if self._subprocess_transport is not None:
             self._subprocess_transport.close()
@@ -543,6 +563,48 @@ def on_stdout_received(self, data: bytes) -> None:
         def on_stderr_received(self, data: bytes) -> None:
             self.__context.emit_event_sync(ProcessStderr(text=data, **self.__process_event_args))
 
+    async def _signal_subprocesses(self, context):
+        to_signal = self.__children
+        signaled = []
+        sig = signal.SIGINT
+        start_time = context.asyncio_loop.time()
+        sigterm_timeout = self.__sigterm_timeout_value
+        sigkill_timeout = self.__sigterm_timeout_value + self.__sigkill_timeout_value
+        process_pid = self.process_details['pid']
+        process_name = self.process_details['name']
+        log_prefix_format = (
+            'subprocess[pid={}] of process['
+            f'{process_name}, pid={process_pid}]: ')
+        next_signals = iter(((signal.SIGTERM, sigterm_timeout), (signal.SIGKILL, sigkill_timeout)))
+        while True:
+            for p in to_signal:
+                try:
+                    p.send_signal(sig)
+                except psutil.NoSuchProcess:
+                    continue
+                log_prefix = log_prefix_format.format(p.pid)
+                self.__logger.info(
+                    f'{log_prefix}sending {sig.name} to subprocess directly.'
+                )
+                signaled.append(p)
+            try:
+                sig, timeout = next(next_signals)
+            except StopIteration:
+                return
+            current_time = context.asyncio_loop.time()
+            while current_time < start_time + timeout:
+                await asyncio.sleep(min(0.5, start_time + timeout - current_time))
+                for p in list(signaled):
+                    if not p.is_running():
+                        log_prefix = log_prefix_format.format(p.pid)
+                        self.__logger.info(f'{log_prefix}exited')
+                        signaled.remove(p)
+                if not signaled:
+                    return
+                current_time = context.asyncio_loop.time()
+            to_signal = signaled
+            signaled = []
+
     async def __execute_process(self, context: LaunchContext) -> None:
         process_event_args = self.__process_event_args
         if process_event_args is None:
@@ -619,8 +681,13 @@ async def __execute_process(self, context: LaunchContext) -> None:
                     timeout=self.__respawn_delay
                 )
             if not self.__shutdown_future.done():
+                if self.__signal_lingering_subprocesses_value:
+                    await self._signal_subprocesses(context)
                 context.asyncio_loop.create_task(self.__execute_process(context))
                 return
+        self.__cleanup_timers()
+        if self.__signal_lingering_subprocesses_value:
+            await self._signal_subprocesses(context)
         self.__cleanup()
 
     def prepare(self, context: LaunchContext) -> None:
@@ -703,6 +770,12 @@ def execute(self, context: LaunchContext) -> None:
         ]
         for event_handler in event_handlers:
             context.register_event_handler(event_handler)
+        self.__sigterm_timeout_value = perform_typed_substitution(
+            context, self.__sigterm_timeout, float)
+        self.__sigkill_timeout_value = perform_typed_substitution(
+            context, self.__sigkill_timeout, float)
+        self.__signal_lingering_subprocesses_value = perform_typed_substitution(
+            context, self.__signal_lingering_subprocesses, bool)
 
         try:
             self.__completed_future = context.asyncio_loop.create_future()
diff --git a/launch/package.xml b/launch/package.xml
index 548b18e51..4d4ed23ae 100644
--- a/launch/package.xml
+++ b/launch/package.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
   <exec_depend>python3-importlib-metadata</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>python3-lark-parser</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>python3-osrf-pycommon</exec_depend>
+  <exec_depend>python3-psutil</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>python3-yaml</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>python3-typing-extensions</exec_depend>
 
diff --git a/launch/test/launch/test_execute_local.py b/launch/test/launch/test_execute_local.py
index af515630c..10c8341e3 100644
--- a/launch/test/launch/test_execute_local.py
+++ b/launch/test/launch/test_execute_local.py
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@
 
 """Tests for the ExecuteLocal Action."""
 
+import asyncio
 import os
+import signal
 import sys
+import time
 
 from launch import LaunchDescription
 from launch import LaunchService
@@ -28,6 +31,8 @@
 from launch.actions import TimerAction
 from launch.descriptions import Executable
 
+import psutil
+
 import pytest
 
 
@@ -178,3 +183,39 @@ def test_execute_process_with_output_dictionary():
     ls = LaunchService()
     ls.include_launch_description(ld)
     assert 0 == ls.run()
+
+
+PYTHON_SCRIPT = """\
+import time
+
+while 1:
+    time.sleep(0.5)
+"""
+
+
+def test_kill_subprocesses():
+    """Test launching a process with an environment variable."""
+    executable = ExecuteLocal(
+        process_description=Executable(
+            cmd=['python3', '-c', f'"{PYTHON_SCRIPT}"'],
+        ),
+        shell=True,
+        output='screen',
+    )
+    ld = LaunchDescription([executable])
+    ls = LaunchService()
+    ls.include_launch_description(ld)
+    loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+    asyncio.set_event_loop(loop)
+    run_async_task = loop.create_task(ls.run_async())
+
+    async def wait_for_subprocesses():
+        start = time.time()
+        while len(psutil.Process().children(recursive=True)) != 2:
+            await asyncio.sleep(0.5)
+            assert time.time() < start + 5., 'timed out waiting for processes to setup'
+    wait_for_subprocesses_task = loop.create_task(wait_for_subprocesses())
+    loop.run_until_complete(wait_for_subprocesses_task)
+    os.kill(executable.process_details['pid'], signal.SIGTERM)
+    loop.run_until_complete(run_async_task)
+    assert len(psutil.Process().children(recursive=True)) == 0