diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7f50fac..35c6b67 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -503,6 +503,16 @@ The optional `options` object may contain:
 
 - `signal`: an [`AbortSignal`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/AbortSignal) to abort the deferred operation. When aborted (now or later) the `fn` function will not be called, and the promise returned by `deferAsync()` will be rejected with a [`LEVEL_ABORTED`](#level_aborted) error.
 
+### `db.attachResource(resource)`
+
+Keep track of the given `resource` in order to call its `close()` method when the database is closed. Once successfully closed, the resource will no longer be tracked, to the same effect as manually calling [`db.detachResource()`](#dbdetachresourceresource). When given multiple resources, the database will close them in parallel. Resources are kept in a [set](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Set) so that the same object will not be attached (and closed) twice.
+
+Intended for objects that rely on an open database. Used internally for built-in resources like iterators and sublevels, and is publicly exposed for custom resources.
+
+### `db.detachResource(resource)`
+
+Stop tracking the given `resource`.
+
 ### `iterator`
 
 An iterator allows one to lazily read a range of entries stored in the database. The entries will be sorted by keys in [lexicographic order](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexicographic_order) (in other words: byte order) which in short means key `'a'` comes before `'b'` and key `'10'` comes before `'2'`.
diff --git a/abstract-level.js b/abstract-level.js
index 496a9d6..32e1a62 100644
--- a/abstract-level.js
+++ b/abstract-level.js
@@ -973,7 +973,6 @@ class AbstractLevel extends EventEmitter {
     })
   }
 
-  // TODO: docs and types
   attachResource (resource) {
     if (typeof resource !== 'object' || resource === null ||
       typeof resource.close !== 'function') {
@@ -983,7 +982,6 @@ class AbstractLevel extends EventEmitter {
     this.#resources.add(resource)
   }
 
-  // TODO: docs and types
   detachResource (resource) {
     this.#resources.delete(resource)
   }
diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index ad07aa6..2e438dc 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ export {
 } from './types/abstract-snapshot'
 
 export {
-  AbstractReadOptions
+  AbstractReadOptions,
+  AbstractResource
 } from './types/interfaces'
 
 export * as Transcoder from 'level-transcoder'
diff --git a/types/abstract-chained-batch.d.ts b/types/abstract-chained-batch.d.ts
index ae6c8f6..613b9f5 100644
--- a/types/abstract-chained-batch.d.ts
+++ b/types/abstract-chained-batch.d.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import * as Transcoder from 'level-transcoder'
 import { AbstractSublevel } from './abstract-sublevel'
+import { AbstractResource } from './interfaces'
 
 export class AbstractChainedBatch<TDatabase, KDefault, VDefault>
-  implements AsyncDisposable {
+  implements AbstractResource {
   constructor (db: TDatabase)
 
   /**
diff --git a/types/abstract-iterator.d.ts b/types/abstract-iterator.d.ts
index 74316e8..ac81b42 100644
--- a/types/abstract-iterator.d.ts
+++ b/types/abstract-iterator.d.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as Transcoder from 'level-transcoder'
-import { AbstractReadOptions, RangeOptions } from './interfaces'
+import { AbstractReadOptions, AbstractResource, RangeOptions } from './interfaces'
 
 declare interface CommonIteratorOptions extends AbstractReadOptions {
   /**
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export interface AbstractValueIteratorOptions<K, V> extends RangeOptions<K>, Com
  * @template TDatabase Type of the database that created this iterator.
  * @template T Type of items yielded. Items can be entries, keys or values.
  */
-declare class CommonIterator<TDatabase, T> implements AsyncDisposable {
+declare class CommonIterator<TDatabase, T> implements AbstractResource {
   /**
    * A reference to the database that created this iterator.
    */
diff --git a/types/abstract-level.d.ts b/types/abstract-level.d.ts
index 597ec68..625d13b 100644
--- a/types/abstract-level.d.ts
+++ b/types/abstract-level.d.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
   AbstractValueIteratorOptions
 } from './abstract-iterator'
 
-import { AbstractReadOptions, RangeOptions } from './interfaces'
+import { AbstractReadOptions, AbstractResource, RangeOptions } from './interfaces'
 
 /**
  * Abstract class for a lexicographically sorted key-value database.
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import { AbstractReadOptions, RangeOptions } from './interfaces'
  * @template VDefault The default type of values if not overridden on operations.
  */
 declare class AbstractLevel<TFormat, KDefault = string, VDefault = string>
-  extends EventEmitter implements AsyncDisposable {
+  extends EventEmitter implements AbstractResource {
   /**
    * Private database constructor.
    *
@@ -307,6 +307,24 @@ declare class AbstractLevel<TFormat, KDefault = string, VDefault = string>
    * @returns A promise for the result of {@link fn}.
    */
   deferAsync<T> (fn: () => Promise<T>, options?: AbstractDeferOptions | undefined): Promise<T>
+
+  /**
+   * Keep track of the given {@link resource} in order to call its `close()` method when
+   * the database is closed. Once successfully closed, the resource will no longer be
+   * tracked, to the same effect as manually calling {@link detachResource}. When given
+   * multiple resources, the database will close them in parallel. Resources are kept in
+   * a {@link Set} so that the same object will not be attached (and closed) twice.
+   *
+   * Intended for objects that rely on an open database. Used internally for built-in
+   * resources like iterators and sublevels, and is publicly exposed for custom
+   * resources.
+   */
+  attachResource(resource: AbstractResource): void
+
+  /**
+   * Stop tracking the given {@link resource}.
+   */
+  detachResource(resource: AbstractResource): void
 }
 
 export { AbstractLevel }
diff --git a/types/abstract-snapshot.d.ts b/types/abstract-snapshot.d.ts
index 71299dc..a7df9dd 100644
--- a/types/abstract-snapshot.d.ts
+++ b/types/abstract-snapshot.d.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
+import { AbstractResource } from './interfaces'
+
 /**
  * A lightweight token that represents a version of a database at a particular point in
  * time.
  */
-export class AbstractSnapshot implements AsyncDisposable {
+export class AbstractSnapshot implements AbstractResource {
   /**
    * Increment reference count, to register work that should delay closing until
    * {@link unref} is called an equal amount of times. The promise that will be returned
diff --git a/types/interfaces.d.ts b/types/interfaces.d.ts
index 438b6a1..702037b 100644
--- a/types/interfaces.d.ts
+++ b/types/interfaces.d.ts
@@ -20,3 +20,23 @@ export interface AbstractReadOptions {
    */
   snapshot?: AbstractSnapshot | undefined
 }
+
+/**
+ * Represents a stateful resource that can be closed.
+ */
+export interface AbstractResource extends AsyncDisposable {
+  /**
+   * Close the resource.
+   *
+   * Note for implementors: if the resource is exposed to the user and can also be closed
+   * in an automated fashion - through `db.attachResource()` or other - then the
+   * `close()` method should be idempotent such that calling it twice will make no
+   * difference.
+   */
+  close (): Promise<void>
+
+  /**
+   * Close the resource. Identical in functionality to {@link close}.
+   */
+  [Symbol.asyncDispose](): Promise<void>
+}