diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4475d21..0612fed 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -56,8 +56,10 @@ interactive selection list in the terminal.
   multiple items by hitting SPACE
 - `min_selection_count`: (optional) for multi select feature to
   dictate a minimum of selected items before continuing
-- `screen`: (optional), if you are using `pick` within an existing curses application set this to your existing `screen` object.  It is assumed this has initialised in the standard way (e.g. via `curses.wrapper()`, or `curses.noecho(); curses.cbreak(); screen.kepad(True)`)
+- `screen`: (optional), if you are using `pick` within an existing curses application set this to your existing `screen` object. It is assumed this has initialised in the standard way (e.g. via `curses.wrapper()`, or `curses.noecho(); curses.cbreak(); screen.kepad(True)`)
 - `position`: (optional), if you are using `pick` within an existing curses application use this to set the first position to write to. e.g., `position=pick.Position(y=1, x=1)`
+- `quit_keys`: (optional), if you want to quit early, you can pass a key codes.
+  If the corresponding key are pressed, it will quit the menu.
 
 ## Community Projects
 
diff --git a/example/basic.py b/example/basic.py
index e1db466..fad055d 100644
--- a/example/basic.py
+++ b/example/basic.py
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 from pick import pick
 
+KEY_CTRL_C = 3
+KEY_ESCAPE = 27
+QUIT_KEYS = (KEY_CTRL_C, KEY_ESCAPE, ord("q"))
+
 title = "Please choose your favorite programming language: "
 options = ["Java", "JavaScript", "Python", "PHP", "C++", "Erlang", "Haskell"]
-option, index = pick(options, title, indicator="=>", default_index=2)
+option, index = pick(
+    options, title, indicator="=>", default_index=2, quit_keys=QUIT_KEYS
+)
 print(f"You chose {option} at index {index}")
diff --git a/src/pick/__init__.py b/src/pick/__init__.py
index 0b67f07..294c03a 100644
--- a/src/pick/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pick/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import textwrap
 from collections import namedtuple
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from typing import Any, Generic, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, TypeVar, Union
+from typing import Any, Container, Generic, Iterable, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, TypeVar, Union
 
 __all__ = ["Picker", "pick", "Option"]
 
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class Picker(Generic[OPTION_T]):
     screen: Optional["curses._CursesWindow"] = None
     position: Position = Position(0, 0)
     clear_screen: bool = True
+    quit_keys: Optional[Union[Container[int], Iterable[int]]] = None
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         if len(self.options) == 0:
@@ -166,7 +167,12 @@ def run_loop(
         while True:
             self.draw(screen)
             c = screen.getch()
-            if c in KEYS_UP:
+            if self.quit_keys is not None and c in self.quit_keys:
+                if self.multiselect:
+                    return []
+                else:
+                    return None, -1
+            elif c in KEYS_UP:
                 self.move_up()
             elif c in KEYS_DOWN:
                 self.move_down()
@@ -215,7 +221,8 @@ def pick(
     min_selection_count: int = 0,
     screen: Optional["curses._CursesWindow"] = None,
     position: Position = Position(0, 0),
-    clear_screen = True,
+    clear_screen: bool = True,
+    quit_keys: Optional[Union[Container[int], Iterable[int]]] = None,
 ):
     picker: Picker = Picker(
         options,
@@ -227,5 +234,6 @@ def pick(
         screen,
         position,
         clear_screen,
+        quit_keys,
     )
     return picker.start()