diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-cognitoidentity-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp b/aws-cpp-sdk-cognitoidentity-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
index 73b7b5dc4e2..3bd087f35d2 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-cognitoidentity-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-cognitoidentity-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
@@ -29,11 +29,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
 
     options.loggingOptions.logLevel = Aws::Utils::Logging::LogLevel::Trace;
-    Aws::InitAPI(options);
+    Aws::APIWrapper api(options);
     ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
     int exitCode = RUN_ALL_TESTS();
-    Aws::ShutdownAPI(options);
-
 
     Aws::Testing::ShutdownPlatformTest(options);
     return exitCode;
diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-core-tests/RunTests.cpp b/aws-cpp-sdk-core-tests/RunTests.cpp
index ccbb446f329..6f80e02c11c 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-core-tests/RunTests.cpp
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-core-tests/RunTests.cpp
@@ -33,14 +33,15 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     Aws::Testing::InitPlatformTest(options);
 
 	options.loggingOptions.logLevel = Aws::Utils::Logging::LogLevel::Trace;
-
-    Aws::InitAPI(options);
-    ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
-    int retVal = RUN_ALL_TESTS();
-    Aws::ShutdownAPI(options);
-	EXPECT_EQ(memorySystem.GetCurrentOutstandingAllocations(), 0ULL);
-	EXPECT_EQ(memorySystem.GetCurrentBytesAllocated(), 0ULL);
-	EXPECT_TRUE(memorySystem.IsClean());
+    int retVal = 0;
+    {
+        Aws::APIWrapper wrapper(options);       
+        ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
+        retVal = RUN_ALL_TESTS();        
+    }
+    EXPECT_EQ(memorySystem.GetCurrentOutstandingAllocations(), 0ULL);
+    EXPECT_EQ(memorySystem.GetCurrentBytesAllocated(), 0ULL);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(memorySystem.IsClean());
 
     Aws::Testing::ShutdownPlatformTest(options);
 
diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-core/include/aws/core/Aws.h b/aws-cpp-sdk-core/include/aws/core/Aws.h
index 0dbe04fc7fe..183dba23f52 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-core/include/aws/core/Aws.h
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-core/include/aws/core/Aws.h
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 #include <aws/core/http/HttpClientFactory.h>
 #include <aws/core/Core_EXPORTS.h>
 
+#include <atomic>
+#include <mutex>
+
 namespace Aws
 {
     static const char* DEFAULT_LOG_PREFIX = "aws_sdk_";
@@ -238,5 +241,35 @@ namespace Aws
      * Do not call any other SDK methods after calling ShutdownAPI.
      */
     AWS_CORE_API void ShutdownAPI(const SDKOptions& options);
+
+    /**
+     * Ref counted RAII wrapper around SDK Init and Shutdown. The first one created will call InitAPI() and the last one to go out of scope
+     * will call ShutdownAPI(). This is intended for use cases, such as plugin frameworks where multiple modules depending on the SDK may be loaded
+     * without being aware of one another. This allows each module to safely init/shutdown the SDK as long as each module uses this wrapper.
+     *
+     * Note: whichever instance of SDKOptions is used to init the API, will be used for Shutdown(), and InitAPI will only be called with the first
+     * call to the Constructor. All other values will be ignored.
+     */
+    class AWS_CORE_API APIWrapper
+    {
+    public:
+        /**
+         * Initialize the SDK if it hasn't been already. Otherwise just increase the ref count.
+         */
+        APIWrapper(const SDKOptions& options);       
+        /**
+         * Shutsdown the SDK if no other instances of this class exist. Otherwise just decreases the ref count.
+         */
+        ~APIWrapper();
+
+        APIWrapper(const APIWrapper&) = delete;
+        APIWrapper& operator=(const APIWrapper) = delete;
+
+    private:
+        static std::atomic<unsigned> RefCount;
+        static std::mutex InitGuard;
+
+        SDKOptions m_sdkOptions;
+    };
 }
 
diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-core/source/Aws.cpp b/aws-cpp-sdk-core/source/Aws.cpp
index bb6fc18d65f..848c74b52c2 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-core/source/Aws.cpp
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-core/source/Aws.cpp
@@ -111,4 +111,45 @@ namespace Aws
         }
 #endif // USE_AWS_MEMORY_MANAGEMENT
     }
+
+    std::atomic<unsigned> APIWrapper::RefCount = 0;
+    std::mutex APIWrapper::InitGuard;
+
+    APIWrapper::APIWrapper(const SDKOptions& options)
+    {
+        if (RefCount.load() == 0u)
+        {
+            std::lock_guard<std::mutex> locker(InitGuard);
+
+            if (RefCount.load() == 0u)
+            {
+                m_sdkOptions = options;
+                Aws::InitAPI(m_sdkOptions);
+            }
+
+            RefCount++;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            RefCount++;
+        }
+    }
+
+    APIWrapper::~APIWrapper()
+    {
+        if (RefCount.load() == 1u)
+        {
+            std::lock_guard<std::mutex> locker(InitGuard);
+
+            if (RefCount.load() == 1u)
+            {
+                Aws::ShutdownAPI(m_sdkOptions);
+            }
+            RefCount--;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            RefCount--;
+        }
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-dynamodb-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp b/aws-cpp-sdk-dynamodb-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
index 3db7229adf3..3743eec9e7f 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-dynamodb-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-dynamodb-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         Aws::Testing::SetAwsResourcePrefix(argv[1]);
     }
 
-    Aws::InitAPI(options);
+    Aws::APIWrapper api(options);
+
     ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
     int exitCode = RUN_ALL_TESTS(); 
-    Aws::ShutdownAPI(options);
 
     Aws::Testing::ShutdownPlatformTest(options);
     return exitCode;
diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-s3-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp b/aws-cpp-sdk-s3-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
index 5419384bda3..166c3e4819f 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-s3-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-s3-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
@@ -28,10 +28,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         Aws::Testing::SetAwsResourcePrefix(argv[1]);
     }
 
-    Aws::InitAPI(options);
+    Aws::APIWrapper api(options);
     ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
     int exitCode = RUN_ALL_TESTS();
-    Aws::ShutdownAPI(options);
 
     Aws::Testing::ShutdownPlatformTest(options);
     return exitCode;
diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-sqs-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp b/aws-cpp-sdk-sqs-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
index d06e58ca3c2..a37b5e24edb 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-sqs-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-sqs-integration-tests/RunTests.cpp
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
 
     options.loggingOptions.logLevel = Aws::Utils::Logging::LogLevel::Trace;
-    Aws::InitAPI(options);
+    Aws::APIWrapper api(options);
     ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
     int exitCode = RUN_ALL_TESTS();
-    Aws::ShutdownAPI(options);
 
     Aws::Testing::ShutdownPlatformTest(options);
     return exitCode;
diff --git a/aws-cpp-sdk-transfer-tests/RunTests.cpp b/aws-cpp-sdk-transfer-tests/RunTests.cpp
index 666d8f9b893..d5655751c0c 100644
--- a/aws-cpp-sdk-transfer-tests/RunTests.cpp
+++ b/aws-cpp-sdk-transfer-tests/RunTests.cpp
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
 
     options.loggingOptions.logLevel = Aws::Utils::Logging::LogLevel::Trace;
-    Aws::InitAPI(options);
+    Aws::APIWrapper api(options);
     ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
     int exitCode = RUN_ALL_TESTS(); 
-    Aws::ShutdownAPI(options);
 
     Aws::Testing::ShutdownPlatformTest(options);
     return exitCode;