diff --git a/Data/Pool.hs b/Data/Pool.hs
--- a/Data/Pool.hs
+++ b/Data/Pool.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP, NamedFieldPuns, RecordWildCards, ScopedTypeVariables #-}
 
+#if !MIN_VERSION_base(4,3,0)
+{-# LANGUAGE Rank2Types #-}
+#endif
+
 -- |
 -- Module:      Data.Pool
 -- Copyright:   (c) 2011 MailRank, Inc.
@@ -21,8 +25,12 @@
 module Data.Pool
     (
       Pool(idleTime, maxResources, numStripes)
+    , LocalPool
     , createPool
     , withResource
+    , takeResource
+    , destroyResource
+    , putResource
     ) where
 
 import Control.Applicative ((<$>))
@@ -142,7 +150,7 @@
         writeTVar entries fresh
         modifyTVar_ inUse (subtract (length stale))
       return (map entry stale)
-    forM_ resources $ \resource -> do
+    forM_ resources $ \resource ->
       destroy resource `catch` \(_::SomeException) -> return ()
 
 -- | Temporarily take a resource from a 'Pool', perform an action with
@@ -166,9 +174,27 @@
 -- an exception.
 withResource :: MonadCatchIO m => Pool a -> (a -> m b) -> m b
 {-# SPECIALIZE withResource :: Pool a -> (a -> IO b) -> IO b #-}
-withResource Pool{..} act = do
+withResource pool act = block $ do
+  (resource, local) <- liftIO $ takeResource pool
+  ret <- unblock (act resource) `onException`
+            liftIO (destroyResource pool local resource)
+  liftIO $ putResource local resource
+  return ret
+#if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 700
+{-# INLINABLE withResource #-}
+#endif
+
+-- | Take a resource from the pool, following the same results as
+-- 'withResource'. Note that this function should be used with caution, as
+-- improper exception handling can lead to leaked resources.
+--
+-- This function returns both a resource and the @LocalPool@ it came from so
+-- that it may either be destroyed (via 'destroyResource') or returned to the
+-- pool (via 'putResource').
+takeResource :: Pool a -> IO (a, LocalPool a)
+takeResource Pool{..} = do
   i <- liftIO $ ((`mod` numStripes) . hash) <$> myThreadId
-  let LocalPool{..} = localPools V.! i
+  let pool@LocalPool{..} = localPools V.! i
   resource <- liftIO . join . atomically $ do
     ents <- readTVar entries
     case ents of
@@ -179,15 +205,28 @@
         writeTVar inUse $! used + 1
         return $
           create `onException` atomically (modifyTVar_ inUse (subtract 1))
-  ret <- (act resource) `onException` (do
-           liftIO $ destroy resource `catch` \(_::SomeException) -> return ()
-           liftIO $ atomically (modifyTVar_ inUse (subtract 1)))
-  liftIO $ do
+  return (resource, pool)
+#if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 700
+{-# INLINABLE takeResource #-}
+#endif
+
+-- | Destroy a resource. Note that this will ignore any exceptions in the
+-- destroy function.
+destroyResource :: Pool a -> LocalPool a -> a -> IO ()
+destroyResource Pool{..} LocalPool{..} resource = do
+   destroy resource `catch` \(_::SomeException) -> return ()
+   atomically (modifyTVar_ inUse (subtract 1))
+#if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 700
+{-# INLINABLE destroyResource #-}
+#endif
+
+-- | Return a resource to the given 'LocalPool'.
+putResource :: LocalPool a -> a -> IO ()
+putResource LocalPool{..} resource = do
     now <- getCurrentTime
     atomically $ modifyTVar_ entries (Entry resource now:)
-  return ret
 #if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 700
-{-# INLINABLE withResource #-}
+{-# INLINABLE putResource #-}
 #endif
 
 modifyTVar_ :: TVar a -> (a -> a) -> STM ()
diff --git a/resource-pool-catchio.cabal b/resource-pool-catchio.cabal
--- a/resource-pool-catchio.cabal
+++ b/resource-pool-catchio.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                resource-pool-catchio
-version:             0.2.0.3
+version:             0.2.1.0
 synopsis:            Fork of resource-pool, with a MonadCatchIO constraint
 description:
   This is a fork of Bryan O'Sullivan's resource-pool package. The only