diff --git a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp
index d1eafaf0f4..c07cc24635 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2018-2020 Canonical, Ltd.
+ * Copyright (C) 2018-2021 Canonical, Ltd.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -312,13 +312,27 @@ void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::start()
     monitor->on_resume();
 }
 
-void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::stop()
+void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::stop(bool force)
 {
-    shutdown();
+    shutdown(force);
 }
 
-void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::shutdown()
+void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::shutdown(bool force)
 {
+    if (force)
+    {
+        auto domain = domain_by_name_for(vm_name, open_libvirt_connection(libvirt_wrapper).get(), libvirt_wrapper);
+        state = refresh_instance_state_for_domain(domain.get(), state, libvirt_wrapper);
+
+        if (state != State::stopped && state != State::off)
+        {
+            libvirt_wrapper->virDomainDestroy(domain.get());
+            update_state();
+        }
+
+        return;
+    }
+
     std::unique_lock<decltype(state_mutex)> lock{state_mutex};
     auto domain = domain_by_name_for(vm_name, open_libvirt_connection(libvirt_wrapper).get(), libvirt_wrapper);
     state = refresh_instance_state_for_domain(domain.get(), state, libvirt_wrapper);
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h
index aa932cfe5c..3e79f34f6a 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h
+++ b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2018-2020 Canonical, Ltd.
+ * Copyright (C) 2018-2021 Canonical, Ltd.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ class LibVirtVirtualMachine final : public VirtualMachine
     ~LibVirtVirtualMachine();
 
     void start() override;
-    void stop() override;
-    void shutdown() override;
+    void stop(bool force = false) override;
+    void shutdown(bool force = false) override;
     void suspend() override;
     State current_state() override;
     int ssh_port() override;
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.cpp b/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.cpp
index 2d7a8a27e1..acb8b44f2b 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.cpp
@@ -222,8 +222,35 @@ void mp::LXDVirtualMachine::start()
     update_state();
 }
 
-void mp::LXDVirtualMachine::stop()
+void mp::LXDVirtualMachine::stop(bool force)
 {
+    if (force)
+    {
+        auto present_state = current_state();
+
+        if (present_state != State::stopped && present_state != State::off)
+        {
+            const QJsonObject state_json{{"action", "stop"}, {"force", true}};
+
+            auto state_task = lxd_request(manager, "PUT", state_url(), state_json, 5000);
+
+            try
+            {
+                lxd_wait(manager, base_url, state_task, 60000);
+            }
+            catch (const LXDNotFoundException&)
+            {
+            }
+
+            state = State::stopped;
+        }
+
+        if (update_shutdown_status)
+            update_state();
+
+        return;
+    }
+
     std::unique_lock<decltype(state_mutex)> lock{state_mutex};
     auto present_state = current_state();
 
@@ -254,9 +281,9 @@ void mp::LXDVirtualMachine::stop()
         update_state();
 }
 
-void mp::LXDVirtualMachine::shutdown()
+void mp::LXDVirtualMachine::shutdown(bool force)
 {
-    stop();
+    stop(force);
 }
 
 void mp::LXDVirtualMachine::suspend()
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.h b/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.h
index 25f37b0509..5f52418216 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.h
+++ b/src/platform/backends/lxd/lxd_virtual_machine.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2019-2020 Canonical, Ltd.
+ * Copyright (C) 2019-2021 Canonical, Ltd.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ class LXDVirtualMachine final : public VirtualMachine
     LXDVirtualMachine(const VirtualMachineDescription& desc, VMStatusMonitor& monitor, NetworkAccessManager* manager,
                       const QUrl& base_url, const QString& bridge_name);
     ~LXDVirtualMachine() override;
-    void stop() override;
+    void stop(bool force = false) override;
     void start() override;
-    void shutdown() override;
+    void shutdown(bool force = false) override;
     void suspend() override;
     State current_state() override;
     int ssh_port() override;
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp
index 2407fdba88..4debc8f5f8 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2017-2020 Canonical, Ltd.
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2021 Canonical, Ltd.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -279,13 +279,25 @@ void mp::QemuVirtualMachine::start()
     vm_process->write(qmp_execute_json("qmp_capabilities"));
 }
 
-void mp::QemuVirtualMachine::stop()
+void mp::QemuVirtualMachine::stop(bool force)
 {
-    shutdown();
+    shutdown(force);
 }
 
-void mp::QemuVirtualMachine::shutdown()
+void mp::QemuVirtualMachine::shutdown(bool force)
 {
+    if (force)
+    {
+        if (state != State::off && state != State::stopped && vm_process)
+            vm_process->kill();
+        else
+            mpl::log(mpl::Level::info, vm_name, fmt::format("Ignoring forced stop"));
+
+        return;
+    }
+
+    update_shutdown_status = false;
+
     if (state == State::suspended)
     {
         mpl::log(mpl::Level::info, vm_name, fmt::format("Ignoring shutdown issued while suspended"));
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h
index e9f835119c..205b2eed81 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h
+++ b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2017-2020 Canonical, Ltd.
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2021 Canonical, Ltd.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ class QemuVirtualMachine final : public QObject, public VirtualMachine
     ~QemuVirtualMachine();
 
     void start() override;
-    void stop() override;
-    void shutdown() override;
+    void stop(bool force = false) override;
+    void shutdown(bool force = false) override;
     void suspend() override;
     State current_state() override;
     int ssh_port() override;