diff --git a/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/tests/extensions/spring/test/context/support/CloseApplicationContextAfterTestClassTestExecutionListener.java b/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/tests/extensions/spring/test/context/support/CloseApplicationContextAfterTestClassTestExecutionListener.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eca88db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/tests/extensions/spring/test/context/support/CloseApplicationContextAfterTestClassTestExecutionListener.java
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/*
+ *  Copyright 2019 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *       https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ *  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ *  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express
+ *  or implied. See the License for the specific language governing
+ *  permissions and limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.springframework.data.gemfire.tests.extensions.spring.test.context.support;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.core.SpringProperties;
+import org.springframework.lang.NonNull;
+import org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestContext;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestExecutionListener;
+
+/**
+ * Spring {@link TestContext} framework {@link org.springframework.test.context.TestExecutionListener} used to
+ * close the {@link org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext} after test class execution.
+ *
+ * This {@link TestExecutionListener} is configurable via {@link SpringProperties}
+ * or by declaring Java {@link System#getProperties() System properties}.
+ *
+ * @author John Blum
+ * @see org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext
+ * @see org.springframework.core.SpringProperties
+ * @see org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext
+ * @see org.springframework.test.context.TestContext
+ * @see org.springframework.test.context.TestExecutionListener
+ * @since 1.0.0
+ */
+@SuppressWarnings("all")
+public class CloseApplicationContextAfterTestClassTestExecutionListener implements TestExecutionListener {
+
+	protected static final boolean DEFAULT_SPRING_TEST_CONTEXT_CLOSED = false;
+
+	protected static final String SPRING_TEST_CONTEXT_CLOSE_PROPERTY = "spring.test.context.close";
+
+	protected static final DirtiesContext.HierarchyMode DEFAULT_HIERARCHY_MODE =
+		DirtiesContext.HierarchyMode.CURRENT_LEVEL;
+
+	private final AtomicReference<Boolean> springTestContextCloseEnabled = new AtomicReference<>();
+
+	protected boolean isSpringTestContextCloseEnabled() {
+		return this.springTestContextCloseEnabled.updateAndGet(closeEnabled -> closeEnabled != null ? closeEnabled
+			: getSpringTestContextCloseEnabledResolvingFunction().apply(DEFAULT_SPRING_TEST_CONTEXT_CLOSED));
+	}
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("all")
+	protected Function<Boolean, Boolean> getSpringTestContextCloseEnabledResolvingFunction() {
+
+		return defaultCloseEnabled -> {
+
+			String closeEnabledProperty = SpringProperties.getProperty(SPRING_TEST_CONTEXT_CLOSE_PROPERTY);
+
+			boolean resolvedCloseEnabled = Boolean.parseBoolean(closeEnabledProperty) || defaultCloseEnabled;
+
+			return resolvedCloseEnabled;
+		};
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Closes the {@link ApplicationContext} associated with the given, required {@link TestContext}
+	 * after the test class instance executes.
+	 *
+	 * This operation is implemented by marking the {@link ApplicationContext} as dirty.
+	 *
+	 * @param testContext Spring {@link TestContext}
+	 * @throws Exception if the {@link ApplicationContext} close operation fails.
+	 * @see org.springframework.test.context.TestContext#markApplicationContextDirty(DirtiesContext.HierarchyMode)
+	 * @see #isSpringTestContextCloseEnabled()
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public void afterTestClass(@NonNull TestContext testContext) throws Exception {
+
+		if (isSpringTestContextCloseEnabled()) {
+			TestExecutionListener.super.afterTestClass(testContext);
+			testContext.markApplicationContextDirty(DEFAULT_HIERARCHY_MODE);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/META-INF/spring.factories b/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/META-INF/spring.factories
index c6d543a..a0018e1 100644
--- a/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/META-INF/spring.factories
+++ b/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/META-INF/spring.factories
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 # Spring Test for Apache Geode (STDG) framework configuration for the Spring TestContext Framework.
 
-org.springframework.test.context.ContextCustomizerFactory=\
+org.springframework.test.context.ContextCustomizerFactory = \
 	org.springframework.data.gemfire.tests.extensions.spring.test.context.DependencyOfAnnotationContextCustomizerFactory
+
+org.springframework.test.context.TestExecutionListener = \
+  org.springframework.data.gemfire.tests.extensions.spring.test.context.support.CloseApplicationContextAfterTestClassTestExecutionListener
diff --git a/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/spring.properties b/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/spring.properties
index 6ef528a..1e024a5 100644
--- a/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/spring.properties
+++ b/spring-data-geode-test/src/main/resources/spring.properties
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # Spring Test for Apache Geode (STDG) framework configuration for the Spring Framework.
 
-spring.test.context.default.CacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate=\
+spring.test.context.default.CacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate = \
   org.springframework.data.gemfire.tests.extensions.spring.test.context.cache.ConfigurableCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate