diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 92d18a8..da2b4a1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -346,6 +346,8 @@ Options:
       --shadow  Applies migrations to shadow DB.      [boolean] [default: false]
       --erase   This is your double opt-in to make it clear this DELETES
                 EVERYTHING.                           [boolean] [default: false]
+      --force   Terminate all existing connections to the database.
+                                                      [boolean] [default: false]
 ```
 
 
diff --git a/__tests__/reset.test.ts b/__tests__/reset.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dff0f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/reset.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { reset } from "../src/commands/reset";
+import { withClient } from "../src/pgReal";
+
+jest.mock("../src/commands/migrate");
+
+jest.mock("../src/pgReal", () => {
+  const actual = jest.requireActual("../src/pgReal");
+  const allAutoMocked = jest.createMockFromModule<any>("../src/pgReal");
+
+  return {
+    ...allAutoMocked,
+    withClient: jest.fn(),
+    escapeIdentifier: actual.escapeIdentifier,
+  };
+});
+
+let mockPgClient: {
+  query: jest.Mock<any, any, any>;
+};
+
+describe("reset", () => {
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    mockPgClient = {
+      query: jest.fn(),
+    };
+
+    (withClient as any).mockImplementation(
+      async (_connString: any, _settings: any, callback: any) => {
+        await callback(mockPgClient);
+      },
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("calls DROP DATABASE without FORCE when force is false", async () => {
+    await reset(
+      {
+        connectionString: "test_db",
+      },
+      false,
+      false,
+    );
+
+    expect(mockPgClient.query).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      1,
+      'DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS "test_db";',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("calls DROP DATABASE with FORCE when force is true", async () => {
+    await reset(
+      {
+        connectionString: "test_db",
+      },
+      false,
+      true,
+    );
+
+    expect(mockPgClient.query).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      1,
+      'DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS "test_db" WITH (FORCE);',
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/commands/commit.ts b/src/commands/commit.ts
index 41bede9..770eecc 100644
--- a/src/commands/commit.ts
+++ b/src/commands/commit.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export async function _commit(
     Message: message ? message : undefined,
     ...omit(headers, ["Previous", "Hash", "Message"]),
   });
-  await _reset(parsedSettings, true);
+  await _reset(parsedSettings, true, false);
   const newMigrationFilepath = `${committedMigrationsFolder}/${newMigrationFilename}`;
   await fsp.writeFile(newMigrationFilepath, finalBody);
   await fsp.chmod(newMigrationFilepath, "440");
diff --git a/src/commands/reset.ts b/src/commands/reset.ts
index e70d69d..d49df25 100644
--- a/src/commands/reset.ts
+++ b/src/commands/reset.ts
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ import { _migrate } from "./migrate";
 interface ResetArgv extends CommonArgv {
   shadow: boolean;
   erase: boolean;
+  force: boolean;
 }
 
 export async function _reset(
   parsedSettings: ParsedSettings,
   shadow: boolean,
+  force: boolean,
 ): Promise<void> {
   const connectionString = shadow
     ? parsedSettings.shadowConnectionString
@@ -34,9 +36,15 @@ export async function _reset(
       }
       const databaseOwner = parsedSettings.databaseOwner;
       const logSuffix = shadow ? "[shadow]" : "";
-      await pgClient.query(
-        `DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS ${escapeIdentifier(databaseName)};`,
-      );
+      if (force) {
+        await pgClient.query(
+          `DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS ${escapeIdentifier(databaseName)} WITH (FORCE);`,
+        );
+      } else {
+        await pgClient.query(
+          `DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS ${escapeIdentifier(databaseName)};`,
+        );
+      }
       parsedSettings.logger.info(
         `graphile-migrate${logSuffix}: dropped database '${databaseName}'`,
       );
@@ -63,9 +71,13 @@ export async function _reset(
   await _migrate(parsedSettings, shadow);
 }
 
-export async function reset(settings: Settings, shadow = false): Promise<void> {
+export async function reset(
+  settings: Settings,
+  shadow = false,
+  force = false,
+): Promise<void> {
   const parsedSettings = await parseSettings(settings, shadow);
-  return _reset(parsedSettings, shadow);
+  return _reset(parsedSettings, shadow, force);
 }
 
 export const resetCommand: CommandModule<Record<string, never>, ResetArgv> = {
@@ -85,6 +97,11 @@ export const resetCommand: CommandModule<Record<string, never>, ResetArgv> = {
       description:
         "This is your double opt-in to make it clear this DELETES EVERYTHING.",
     },
+    force: {
+      type: "boolean",
+      default: false,
+      description: "Terminate all existing connections to the database.",
+    },
   },
   handler: async (argv) => {
     if (!argv.erase) {
@@ -94,6 +111,10 @@ export const resetCommand: CommandModule<Record<string, never>, ResetArgv> = {
       );
       process.exit(2);
     }
-    await reset(await getSettings({ configFile: argv.config }), argv.shadow);
+    await reset(
+      await getSettings({ configFile: argv.config }),
+      argv.shadow,
+      argv.force,
+    );
   },
 };
diff --git a/src/commands/uncommit.ts b/src/commands/uncommit.ts
index 01fd188..97f535b 100644
--- a/src/commands/uncommit.ts
+++ b/src/commands/uncommit.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export async function _uncommit(parsedSettings: ParsedSettings): Promise<void> {
   );
 
   // Reset shadow
-  await _reset(parsedSettings, true);
+  await _reset(parsedSettings, true, false);
   await _migrate(parsedSettings, true, true);
 }