diff --git a/examples/NavigationPlayground/js/SimpleStack.js b/examples/NavigationPlayground/js/SimpleStack.js
index 7d44f68..9a7d91c 100644
--- a/examples/NavigationPlayground/js/SimpleStack.js
+++ b/examples/NavigationPlayground/js/SimpleStack.js
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ class MyNavScreen extends React.Component<MyNavScreenProps> {
         />
         <Button onPress={() => navigation.popToTop()} title="Pop to top" />
         <Button onPress={() => navigation.pop()} title="Pop" />
-        <Button onPress={() => navigation.goBack(null)} title="Go back" />
+        <Button onPress={() => navigation.goBack()} title="Go back" />
+        <Button onPress={() => navigation.dismiss()} title="Dismiss" />
         <StatusBar barStyle="default" />
       </SafeAreaView>
     );
diff --git a/flow/react-navigation.js b/flow/react-navigation.js
index 025a9cd..11b232c 100644
--- a/flow/react-navigation.js
+++ b/flow/react-navigation.js
@@ -486,6 +486,7 @@ declare module 'react-navigation' {
     +state: S,
     dispatch: NavigationDispatch,
     goBack: (routeKey?: ?string) => boolean,
+    dismiss: () => boolean,
     navigate: (
       routeName: string,
       params?: NavigationParams,
diff --git a/src/__tests__/addNavigationHelpers-test.js b/src/__tests__/addNavigationHelpers-test.js
index b2877db..7e02aa9 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/addNavigationHelpers-test.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/addNavigationHelpers-test.js
@@ -6,6 +6,32 @@ const dummyEventSubscriber = (name: string, handler: (*) => void) => ({
 });
 
 describe('addNavigationHelpers', () => {
+  it('handles dismiss action', () => {
+    const mockedDispatch = jest
+      .fn(() => false)
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => true);
+    const child = { key: 'A', routeName: 'Home' };
+    expect(
+      addNavigationHelpers({
+        state: child,
+        dispatch: mockedDispatch,
+        addListener: dummyEventSubscriber,
+        carefullyGetParent: () => ({
+          state: {
+            key: 'P',
+            routeName: 'Parent',
+            routes: [child],
+          },
+        }),
+      }).dismiss()
+    ).toEqual(true);
+    expect(mockedDispatch).toBeCalledWith({
+      type: NavigationActions.BACK,
+      key: 'P',
+    });
+    expect(mockedDispatch.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
+  });
+
   it('handles Back action', () => {
     const mockedDispatch = jest
       .fn(() => false)
diff --git a/src/addNavigationHelpers.js b/src/addNavigationHelpers.js
index 8badaa6..3826c46 100644
--- a/src/addNavigationHelpers.js
+++ b/src/addNavigationHelpers.js
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 
 import NavigationActions from './NavigationActions';
 import invariant from './utils/invariant';
-
 export default function(navigation) {
   return {
     ...navigation,
+    // Go back from the given key, default to active key
     goBack: key => {
       let actualizedKey = key;
       if (key === undefined && navigation.state.key) {
@@ -19,6 +19,18 @@ export default function(navigation) {
         NavigationActions.back({ key: actualizedKey })
       );
     },
+    // Go back from the parent key. If this is a nested stack, the entire
+    // stack will be dismissed.
+    dismiss: () => {
+      let parent = navigation.carefullyGetParent();
+      if (parent && parent.state) {
+        return navigation.dispatch(
+          NavigationActions.back({ key: parent.state.key })
+        );
+      } else {
+        return false;
+      }
+    },
     navigate: (navigateTo, params, action) => {
       if (typeof navigateTo === 'string') {
         return navigation.dispatch(
diff --git a/src/navigators/createNavigator.js b/src/navigators/createNavigator.js
index 1343ee6..455c35a 100644
--- a/src/navigators/createNavigator.js
+++ b/src/navigators/createNavigator.js
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ function createNavigator(NavigatorView, router, navigationConfig) {
       return route === focusedRoute;
     };
 
+    _carefullyGetParent = () => {
+      return this.props.navigation;
+    };
+
     render() {
       const { navigation, screenProps } = this.props;
       const { dispatch, state, addListener } = navigation;
@@ -52,9 +56,11 @@ function createNavigator(NavigatorView, router, navigationConfig) {
         const childNavigation = addNavigationHelpers({
           dispatch,
           state: route,
+          carefullyGetParent: this._carefullyGetParent,
           addListener: this.childEventSubscribers[route.key].addListener,
           isFocused: () => this._isRouteFocused(route),
         });
+
         const options = router.getScreenOptions(childNavigation, screenProps);
         descriptors[route.key] = {
           key: route.key,