diff --git a/stop-app.sh b/stop-app.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fcc30e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stop-app.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+echo "[stop-app] Removing Task Manager from Kubernetes..."
+
+# Reverse order: Deployments and Services first, then StatefulSet+PV+PVC, then Namespace
+kubectl delete -f deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
+kubectl delete -f service.yaml --ignore-not-found
+kubectl delete -f statefulset.yaml --ignore-not-found
+kubectl delete -f namespace.yaml --ignore-not-found
+
+# The hostPath directory on the minikube node (/mnt/data/taskapp-db) is intentionally
+# NOT removed: PV ReclaimPolicy is Retain, so the data survives even after the PV
+# object is deleted. To wipe it manually, run:
+#   minikube ssh -- sudo rm -rf /mnt/data/taskapp-db
+
+echo "[stop-app] App stopped and removed."
+echo "[stop-app] (Persistent data on minikube node is retained at /mnt/data/taskapp-db.)"