diff --git a/jupyterhub/spawner.py b/jupyterhub/spawner.py
index 2ac5c8c8..b0e8e60c 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/spawner.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/spawner.py
@@ -56,6 +56,18 @@ class Spawner(LoggingConfigurable):
     orm_spawner = Any()
     user = Any()
 
+    def __init_subclass__(cls, **kwargs):
+        super().__init_subclass__()
+
+        missing = []
+        for attr in ('start','stop', 'poll'):
+            if getattr(Spawner, attr) is getattr(cls, attr):
+                missing.append(attr)
+
+        if missing:
+            raise NotImplementedError("class `{}` needs to redefine the `start`,"
+                  "`stop` and `poll` methods. `{}` not redefined.".format(cls.__name__, '`, `'.join(missing)))
+
     @property
     def server(self):
         if self.orm_spawner and self.orm_spawner.server:
diff --git a/jupyterhub/tests/mocking.py b/jupyterhub/tests/mocking.py
index 11d6472c..9e753bb5 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/tests/mocking.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/tests/mocking.py
@@ -76,15 +76,23 @@ class SlowSpawner(MockSpawner):
 
 class NeverSpawner(MockSpawner):
     """A spawner that will never start"""
-    
+
     @default('start_timeout')
     def _start_timeout_default(self):
         return 1
-    
+
     def start(self):
         """Return a Future that will never finish"""
         return Future()
 
+    @gen.coroutine
+    def stop(self):
+        pass
+
+    @gen.coroutine
+    def poll(self):
+        return 0
+
 
 class FormSpawner(MockSpawner):
     """A spawner that has an options form defined"""
diff --git a/jupyterhub/tests/test_spawner.py b/jupyterhub/tests/test_spawner.py
index e2e01eb7..c062e3da 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/tests/test_spawner.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/tests/test_spawner.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from tornado import gen
 from ..user import User
 from ..objects import Hub
 from .. import spawner as spawnermod
-from ..spawner import LocalProcessSpawner
+from ..spawner import LocalProcessSpawner, Spawner
 from .. import orm
 from .utils import async_requests
 
@@ -246,3 +246,24 @@ def test_shell_cmd(db, tmpdir, request):
     r.raise_for_status()
     env = r.json()
     assert env['TESTVAR'] == 'foo'
+
+
+def test_inherit_overwrite():
+    """On 3.6+ we check things are overwritten at import time
+    """
+    if sys.version_info >= (3,6):
+        with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError):
+            class S(Spawner):
+                pass
+
+
+def test_inherit_ok():
+    class S(Spawner):
+        def start():
+            pass
+
+        def stop():
+            pass
+
+        def poll():
+            pass