diff --git a/pkg/util/contextutil.go b/pkg/util/contextutil.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..16e3a01dd06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/util/contextutil.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package util
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
+)
+
+// this is a decorator for a regular context that contains a custom error and returns the
+type contextWithCancellableReason struct {
+	context.Context
+	mtx sync.Mutex
+	err error
+}
+
+func (c *contextWithCancellableReason) Err() error {
+	c.mtx.Lock()
+	defer c.mtx.Unlock()
+	if c.err != nil {
+		return multierror.Append(c.Context.Err(), c.err)
+	}
+	return c.Context.Err()
+}
+
+type CancelCauseFunc func(error)
+
+// WithCancelCause creates a cancellable context that can be cancelled with a custom reason
+func WithCancelCause(parent context.Context) (context.Context, CancelCauseFunc) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(parent)
+	errOnce := sync.Once{}
+	result := &contextWithCancellableReason{
+		Context: ctx,
+	}
+	cancelFn := func(reason error) {
+		errOnce.Do(func() {
+			result.mtx.Lock()
+			result.err = reason
+			result.mtx.Unlock()
+			cancel()
+		})
+	}
+	return result, cancelFn
+}
diff --git a/pkg/util/contextutil_test.go b/pkg/util/contextutil_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e0d6e9736d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/util/contextutil_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package util
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestWithCancelWithReason(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("should add custom reason to the standard error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		expected := errors.New("test-err")
+		ctx, fn := WithCancelCause(context.Background())
+		fn(expected)
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+		default:
+			require.Fail(t, "the context was not cancelled")
+		}
+		require.ErrorIs(t, ctx.Err(), expected)
+		require.ErrorIs(t, ctx.Err(), context.Canceled)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("should return only the first reason if called multiple times", func(t *testing.T) {
+		expected := errors.New("test-err")
+		ctx, fn := WithCancelCause(context.Background())
+		fn(expected)
+		fn(errors.New("other error"))
+		require.ErrorIs(t, ctx.Err(), expected)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("should return only the first reason if called multiple times", func(t *testing.T) {
+		expected := errors.New("test-err")
+		ctx, fn := WithCancelCause(context.Background())
+		fn(expected)
+		fn(errors.New("other error"))
+		require.ErrorIs(t, ctx.Err(), expected)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("should return context.Canceled if no reason provided", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, fn := WithCancelCause(context.Background())
+		fn(nil)
+		require.Equal(t, ctx.Err(), context.Canceled)
+	})
+}