diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 86d7b4a..564b5f0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,6 +42,23 @@ echo $file->getFileName();
 echo $file->getTempDir();
 ```
 
+In some places you might be forced to pass the file path instead of the instance, leading to the situation that the 
+instance is no longer referenced. You can delay the automatic delete until the end of the request by calling
+`keepDuringRequest()`.
+
+```php
+<?php
+use mikehaertl\tmp\File;
+
+function getTemporaryFilePath() : string
+{
+    $file = new File('some content');
+    $file->keepDuringRequest();
+
+    return $file->getFileName();
+}
+```
+
 If you want to keep the temporary file, e.g. for debugging, you can set the `$delete` property to false:
 
 ```php
diff --git a/src/File.php b/src/File.php
index 2271260..d3b0c71 100644
--- a/src/File.php
+++ b/src/File.php
@@ -164,6 +164,21 @@ public static function getTempDir()
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Keep a reference for this object until the request ends.
+     * This allows to keep the file during a request, even if the object is not passed back.
+     *
+     * @return $this
+     */
+    public function keepDuringRequest()
+    {
+        register_shutdown_function(function () {
+            $this;
+        });
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return string the full file name
      */
diff --git a/tests/FileTest.php b/tests/FileTest.php
index d3d0616..0d0bd29 100644
--- a/tests/FileTest.php
+++ b/tests/FileTest.php
@@ -94,6 +94,18 @@ public function testCanKeepTempFile()
         unlink($out);
     }
 
+    public function testCanKeepTempFileEvenIfItsNotLongerReferenced()
+    {
+        $content = 'test content';
+        $tmp = new File($content);
+        $tmp->keepDuringRequest();
+        $fileName = $tmp->getFileName();
+
+        $this->assertFileExists($fileName);
+        unset($tmp);
+        $this->assertFileExists($fileName);
+    }
+
     public function testCanCastToFileName()
     {
         $content = 'test content';