diff --git a/hot_reload.go b/hot_reload.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a72c5232
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hot_reload.go
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+// Copyright 2014 Manu Martinez-Almeida. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a MIT style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package gin
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"os/signal"
+	"strconv"
+	"syscall"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const hotReloadListenerEnv = "GIN_LISTENER_FD"
+
+// RunWithHotReload runs the engine and enables zero-downtime hot reload via
+// SIGHUP. On SIGHUP, a child process inherits the listening socket and begins
+// serving immediately while the parent drains in-flight requests (up to 30s)
+// and exits. The child handles subsequent SIGHUPs the same way.
+//
+// Send SIGINT or SIGTERM for a clean shutdown without spawning a replacement.
+//
+// Note: hot reload re-executes the same binary. Rebuilding must be handled
+// externally (e.g. with make or a file watcher) before sending SIGHUP.
+func (engine *Engine) RunWithHotReload(addr ...string) (err error) {
+	defer func() { debugPrintError(err) }()
+
+	if engine.isUnsafeTrustedProxies() {
+		debugPrint("[WARNING] You trusted all proxies, this is NOT safe. We recommend you to set a value.\n" +
+			"Please check https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/blob/master/docs/doc.md#dont-trust-all-proxies for details.")
+	}
+	engine.updateRouteTrees()
+
+	if fdStr := os.Getenv(hotReloadListenerEnv); fdStr != "" {
+		fd, parseErr := strconv.Atoi(fdStr)
+		if parseErr != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("gin: invalid %s=%q: %w", hotReloadListenerEnv, fdStr, parseErr)
+		}
+		return engine.runInherited(fd)
+	}
+
+	address := resolveAddress(addr)
+	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", address)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	debugPrint("Listening and serving HTTP on %s (hot reload enabled — send SIGHUP to reload)\n", address)
+	return engine.serveWithSignals(ln)
+}
+
+// runInherited is the child-process entry point: it reconstructs the listener
+// from an fd inherited via ExtraFiles and hands off to serveWithSignals.
+func (engine *Engine) runInherited(fd int) error {
+	f := os.NewFile(uintptr(fd), "gin-listener")
+	ln, err := net.FileListener(f)
+	f.Close() // net.FileListener dups the fd; our copy is no longer needed
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("gin: could not create listener from fd %d: %w", fd, err)
+	}
+	defer ln.Close()
+	debugPrint("Listening and serving HTTP on inherited socket (hot reload enabled — send SIGHUP to reload)\n")
+	return engine.serveWithSignals(ln)
+}
+
+// serveWithSignals starts the HTTP server on ln and blocks until a signal
+// arrives. SIGHUP forks a child then drains and exits; SIGINT/SIGTERM drain
+// and exit without spawning a replacement.
+func (engine *Engine) serveWithSignals(ln net.Listener) error {
+	srv := &http.Server{Handler: engine.Handler()}
+
+	sigCh := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(sigCh, syscall.SIGHUP, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
+	defer signal.Stop(sigCh)
+
+	go srv.Serve(ln) //nolint:errcheck
+
+	for sig := range sigCh {
+		switch sig {
+		case syscall.SIGHUP:
+			debugPrint("received SIGHUP — forking child for zero-downtime reload\n")
+			if err := spawnChild(ln); err != nil {
+				debugPrint("hot reload fork failed: %v\n", err)
+				continue
+			}
+			// Give the child a moment to call Accept before we stop.
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
+			err := srv.Shutdown(ctx)
+			cancel()
+			return err
+		case syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM:
+			debugPrint("received %v — shutting down gracefully\n", sig)
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
+			err := srv.Shutdown(ctx)
+			cancel()
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// spawnChild forks a new instance of the current binary, passing the listening
+// socket as fd 3 via ExtraFiles and advertising it through GIN_LISTENER_FD.
+func spawnChild(ln net.Listener) error {
+	tcpLn, ok := ln.(*net.TCPListener)
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("gin: hot reload requires a TCP listener, got %T", ln)
+	}
+
+	f, err := tcpLn.File()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("gin: could not duplicate listener fd: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	execPath, err := os.Executable()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("gin: could not resolve executable path: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(execPath, os.Args[1:]...)
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	cmd.Stdin = os.Stdin
+	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), fmt.Sprintf("%s=3", hotReloadListenerEnv))
+	cmd.ExtraFiles = []*os.File{f} // ExtraFiles[0] becomes fd 3 in the child
+
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("gin: failed to start child process: %w", err)
+	}
+	go cmd.Wait() //nolint:errcheck — best-effort zombie reap before parent exits
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/hot_reload_test.go b/hot_reload_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98a971f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hot_reload_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+// Copyright 2014 Manu Martinez-Almeida. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a MIT style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package gin
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestRunWithHotReload_InvalidFD(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(hotReloadListenerEnv, "not-a-number")
+	err := New().RunWithHotReload()
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "invalid")
+}
+
+// TestRunWithHotReload_GracefulShutdown starts the engine via RunWithHotReload
+// and verifies it shuts down cleanly on SIGTERM. signal.Notify inside
+// serveWithSignals captures SIGTERM before the default handler fires, so the
+// test process is not terminated.
+func TestRunWithHotReload_GracefulShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	// Reserve a free port then release it; there is a small TOCTOU window.
+	ln0, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	addr := ln0.Addr().String()
+	ln0.Close()
+
+	engine := New()
+	engine.GET("/ping", func(c *Context) { c.String(200, "pong") })
+
+	errCh := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { errCh <- engine.RunWithHotReload(addr) }()
+
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		conn, err := net.DialTimeout("tcp", addr, time.Second)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		conn.Close()
+		return true
+	}, 5*time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "server never became reachable")
+
+	proc, err := os.FindProcess(os.Getpid())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, proc.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-errCh:
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("server did not shut down within 10s")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRunWithHotReload_InheritedListener exercises the child-process path by
+// pre-opening a TCP socket, duplicating its fd, and advertising it via the
+// environment variable that runInherited reads.
+func TestRunWithHotReload_InheritedListener(t *testing.T) {
+	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer ln.Close()
+	addr := ln.Addr().String()
+
+	// tcpLn.File() dups the underlying fd; we then dup again so that
+	// runInherited's f.Close() doesn't affect our reference.
+	tcpLn := ln.(*net.TCPListener)
+	f, err := tcpLn.File()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	dupFD, err := syscall.Dup(int(f.Fd()))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	// dupFD is now owned by RunWithHotReload; do not close it here.
+
+	t.Setenv(hotReloadListenerEnv, fmt.Sprintf("%d", dupFD))
+
+	engine := New()
+	engine.GET("/ping", func(c *Context) { c.String(200, "pong") })
+
+	errCh := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { errCh <- engine.RunWithHotReload() }()
+
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		conn, err := net.DialTimeout("tcp", addr, time.Second)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		conn.Close()
+		return true
+	}, 5*time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "inherited server never became reachable")
+
+	proc, _ := os.FindProcess(os.Getpid())
+	proc.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM)
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-errCh:
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("inherited server did not shut down within 10s")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hot_reload_windows.go b/hot_reload_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..569db418
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hot_reload_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+//go:build windows
+
+// Copyright 2014 Manu Martinez-Almeida. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a MIT style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package gin
+
+import "errors"
+
+// RunWithHotReload is not supported on Windows because SIGHUP and fd
+// inheritance via ExtraFiles are Unix-only primitives. Use an external
+// hot-reload tool such as Air (https://github.com/air-verse/air) instead.
+func (engine *Engine) RunWithHotReload(addr ...string) error {
+	return errors.New("gin: RunWithHotReload is not supported on Windows")
+}