diff --git a/Control/Monad/Trans/Resource.hs b/Control/Monad/Trans/Resource.hs
--- a/Control/Monad/Trans/Resource.hs
+++ b/Control/Monad/Trans/Resource.hs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     , allocate
     , register
     , release
+    , unprotect 
     , resourceMask
       -- * Type class/associated types
     , MonadResource (..)
@@ -208,8 +209,18 @@
 --
 -- Since 0.3.0
 release :: MonadIO m => ReleaseKey -> m ()
-release (ReleaseKey istate rk) = liftIO $ release' istate rk
+release (ReleaseKey istate rk) = liftIO $ release' istate rk  
+    (maybe (return ()) id)
 
+-- | Unprotect resource from cleanup actions, this allowes you to send
+-- resource into another resourcet process and reregister it there.
+-- It returns an release action that should be run in order to clean 
+-- resource or Nothing in case if resource is already freed.
+--
+-- Since 0.4.5
+unprotect :: MonadIO m => ReleaseKey -> m (Maybe (IO ()))
+unprotect (ReleaseKey istate rk) = liftIO $ release' istate rk return
+
 -- | Perform some allocation, and automatically register a cleanup action.
 --
 -- This is almost identical to calling the allocation and then
@@ -298,10 +309,11 @@
 
 release' :: I.IORef ReleaseMap
          -> Int
-         -> IO ()
-release' istate key = E.mask $ \restore -> do
+         -> (Maybe (IO ()) -> IO a)
+         -> IO a
+release' istate key act = E.mask $ \restore -> do
     maction <- I.atomicModifyIORef istate lookupAction
-    maybe (return ()) restore maction
+    restore (act maction)
   where
     lookupAction rm@(ReleaseMap next rf m) =
         case IntMap.lookup key m of
diff --git a/resourcet.cabal b/resourcet.cabal
--- a/resourcet.cabal
+++ b/resourcet.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                resourcet
-Version:             0.4.4
+Version:             0.4.5
 Synopsis:            Deterministic allocation and freeing of scarce resources.
 Description:
 	This package was originally included with the conduit package, and has since been split off. For more information, please see <http://www.yesodweb.com/book/conduits>.
diff --git a/test/main.hs b/test/main.hs
--- a/test/main.hs
+++ b/test/main.hs
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@
     describe "forking" $ do
         forkHelper "resourceForkIO" resourceForkIO
         --forkHelper "lifted fork" fork
+    describe "unprotecting" $ do
+        it "unprotect keeps resource from being cleared" $ do
+            x <- newIORef 0
+            runResourceT $ do
+              key <- register $ writeIORef x 1
+              unprotect key
+            y <- readIORef x
+            y `shouldBe` 0
 
 forkHelper s fork' = describe s $ do
     it "waits for all threads" $ do