diff --git a/Doc/lib/libsocket.tex b/Doc/lib/libsocket.tex
index de2f51d8916..09c4c8d63ad 100644
--- a/Doc/lib/libsocket.tex
+++ b/Doc/lib/libsocket.tex
@@ -638,8 +638,8 @@ structures as strings).
 
 \begin{methoddesc}[socket]{shutdown}{how}
 Shut down one or both halves of the connection.  If \var{how} is
-\code{0}, further receives are disallowed.  If \var{how} is \code{1},
-further sends are disallowed.  If \var{how} is \code{2}, further sends
+\constant{SHUT_RD}, further receives are disallowed.  If \var{how} is \constant{SHUT_WR},
+further sends are disallowed.  If \var{how} is \constant{SHUT_RDWR}, further sends
 and receives are disallowed.
 \end{methoddesc}
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index c9b7baa1c69..c523e65f7ae 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ Core and builtins
 Extension modules
 -----------------
 
+- socket.SHUT_{RD,WR,RDWR} was added.
+
 - os.getsid was added.
 
 - The pwd module incorrectly advertised its struct type as
diff --git a/Modules/socketmodule.c b/Modules/socketmodule.c
index f93da4ec076..6ca855f6695 100644
--- a/Modules/socketmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/socketmodule.c
@@ -2097,8 +2097,8 @@ sock_shutdown(PySocketSockObject *s, PyObject *arg)
 PyDoc_STRVAR(shutdown_doc,
 "shutdown(flag)\n\
 \n\
-Shut down the reading side of the socket (flag == 0), the writing side\n\
-of the socket (flag == 1), or both ends (flag == 2).");
+Shut down the reading side of the socket (flag == SHUT_RD), the writing side\n\
+of the socket (flag == SHUT_WR), or both ends (flag == SHUT_RDWR).");
 
 
 /* List of methods for socket objects */
@@ -4101,6 +4101,29 @@ init_socket(void)
 	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "NI_DGRAM", NI_DGRAM);
 #endif
 
+	/* shutdown() parameters */
+#ifdef SHUT_RD
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_RD", SHUT_RD);
+#elif defined(SD_RECEIVE)
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_RD", SD_RECEIVE);
+#else
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_RD", 0);
+#endif
+#ifdef SHUT_WR
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_WR", SHUT_WR);
+#elif defined(SD_SEND)
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_WR", SD_SEND);
+#else
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_WR", 1);
+#endif
+#ifdef SHUT_RDWR
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_RDWR", SHUT_RDWR);
+#elif defined(SD_BOTH)
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_RDWR", SD_BOTH);
+#else
+	PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHUT_RDWR", 2);
+#endif
+
 	/* Initialize gethostbyname lock */
 #if defined(USE_GETHOSTBYNAME_LOCK) || defined(USE_GETADDRINFO_LOCK)
 	netdb_lock = PyThread_allocate_lock();