diff --git a/src/interface.c b/src/interface.c
index 33e0a7c5..fca50cba 100644
--- a/src/interface.c
+++ b/src/interface.c
@@ -1270,7 +1270,6 @@ void c_interface_parameters()
                     if (ch == 'Y')
                     {
                         save_settings();
-
                         c_eject_6( 0 );
                         c_interface_print_screen( screen );
                         c_eject_6( 1 );
@@ -1278,13 +1277,9 @@ void c_interface_parameters()
 #ifdef __linux__
                         LOG("Back to Linux, w00t!\n");
 #endif
-#ifdef AUDIO_ENABLED
-                        speaker_destroy();
-                        MB_Destroy();
-#endif
-
                         video_shutdown();
-                        exit( 0 );
+                        c_interface_exit(ch);
+                        return;
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/keys.c b/src/keys.c
index 22667ed1..a19696b1 100644
--- a/src/keys.c
+++ b/src/keys.c
@@ -444,13 +444,14 @@ int c_mygetch(int block)
 {
     int retval;
 
-    if (block)
+    if (emulator_shutting_down) {
+        next_key = kESC;
+    }
+
+    while (next_key == -1 && block)
     {
-        while (next_key == -1)
-        {
-            static struct timespec ts = { .tv_sec=0, .tv_nsec=33333333 };
-            nanosleep(&ts, NULL); // 30Hz framerate
-        }
+        static struct timespec ts = { .tv_sec=0, .tv_nsec=33333333 };
+        nanosleep(&ts, NULL); // 30Hz framerate
     }
 
     retval = next_key;
diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index 359a1260..d7c90319 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 extern uint8_t apple_iie_rom[32768];
 
+bool emulator_shutting_down = false;
 bool do_logging = true; // also controlled by NDEBUG
 FILE *error_log = NULL;
 
@@ -604,6 +605,44 @@ void c_initialize_firsttime(void) {
 #if !TESTING && !defined(__APPLE__) && !defined(ANDROID)
 extern void *cpu_thread(void *dummyptr);
 
+static void _shutdown_threads(void) {
+    LOG("Emulator waiting for other threads to clean up...");
+#if !__linux__
+#warning FIXME TODO ideally we have a more deterministic thread waiting routine ...
+    sleep(2); // =P
+#else
+    do {
+        DIR *dir = opendir("/proc/self/task");
+        if (!dir) {
+            ERRLOG("Cannot open /proc/self/task !");
+            break;
+        }
+
+        int thread_count = 0;
+        struct dirent *d = NULL;
+        while ((d = readdir(dir)) != NULL) {
+            if (strncmp(".", d->d_name, 2) == 0) {
+                // ignore
+            } else if (strncmp("..", d->d_name, 3) == 0) {
+                // ignore
+            } else {
+                ++thread_count;
+            }
+        }
+
+        closedir(dir);
+
+        assert(thread_count >= 1 && "there must at least be one thread =P");
+        if (thread_count == 1) {
+            break;
+        }
+
+        static struct timespec ts = { .tv_sec=0, .tv_nsec=33333333 };
+        nanosleep(&ts, NULL); // 30Hz framerate
+    } while (1);
+#endif
+}
+
 int main(int _argc, char **_argv) {
     argc = _argc;
     argv = _argv;
@@ -618,6 +657,17 @@ int main(int _argc, char **_argv) {
     pthread_create(&cpu_thread_id, NULL, (void *)&cpu_thread, (void *)NULL);
 
     video_main_loop();
+
+    assert(emulator_shutting_down && "emulator is properly shutting down");
+
+    LOG("Emulator waiting for CPU thread clean up...");
+    if (pthread_join(cpu_thread_id, NULL)) {
+        ERRLOG("OOPS: pthread_join of CPU thread ...");
+    }
+
+    _shutdown_threads();
+
+    return 0;
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/misc.h b/src/misc.h
index 280ea164..fdc70aef 100644
--- a/src/misc.h
+++ b/src/misc.h
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ extern uint32_t softswitches;
     misc.c functions
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+extern bool emulator_shutting_down;
+
 void c_initialize_firsttime();
 void c_initialize_sound_hooks();
 void c_disable_sound_hooks();
diff --git a/src/timing.c b/src/timing.c
index ffc7ad42..e269c4e8 100644
--- a/src/timing.c
+++ b/src/timing.c
@@ -390,11 +390,29 @@ void *cpu_thread(void *dummyptr) {
                     }
                 }
             }
-        } while (!emul_reinitialize);
+
+            if (UNLIKELY(emul_reinitialize)) {
+                break;
+            }
+
+            if (UNLIKELY(emulator_shutting_down)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        } while (1);
+
+        if (UNLIKELY(emulator_shutting_down)) {
+            break;
+        }
 
         reinitialize();
     } while (1);
 
+#ifdef AUDIO_ENABLED
+    speaker_destroy();
+    MB_Destroy();
+    DSUninit();
+#endif
+
     return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/video/glvideo.c b/src/video/glvideo.c
index c7c75fa2..831cc5d4 100644
--- a/src/video/glvideo.c
+++ b/src/video/glvideo.c
@@ -619,11 +619,9 @@ static void gldriver_init_common(void) {
     }
 }
 
-static void gldriver_shutdown(void) {
-#if USE_GLUT
-    glutDestroyWindow(glutWindow);
-#endif
+static void _gldriver_shutdown(void) {
     // Cleanup all OpenGL objects
+    emulator_shutting_down = true;
     glDeleteTextures(1, &a2TextureName);
     a2TextureName = UNINITIALIZED_GL;
     _destroy_VAO(crtVAOName);
@@ -632,6 +630,15 @@ static void gldriver_shutdown(void) {
     glDeleteProgram(program);
     program = UNINITIALIZED_GL;
     glnode_shutdownNodes();
+    LOG("Completed GLDriver shutdown ...");
+}
+
+static void gldriver_shutdown(void) {
+#if USE_GLUT
+    glutLeaveMainLoop();
+#else
+    _gldriver_shutdown();
+#endif
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -876,7 +883,10 @@ static void gldriver_init(void *fbo) {
 
 static void gldriver_main_loop(void) {
 #if USE_GLUT
+    glutSetOption(GLUT_ACTION_ON_WINDOW_CLOSE, GLUT_ACTION_GLUTMAINLOOP_RETURNS);
     glutMainLoop();
+    LOG("GLUT main loop finished...");
+    _gldriver_shutdown();
 #endif
     // fall through if not GLUT
 }
diff --git a/valgrind.suppress b/valgrind.suppress
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..71c88e7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/valgrind.suppress
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+   IGNORE glutCreateWindow allocation
+   Memcheck:Leak
+   match-leak-kinds: definite
+   fun:malloc
+   obj:/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_dri.so
+   obj:/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGL.so.1.2.0
+   obj:/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGL.so.1.2.0
+   obj:/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGL.so.1.2.0
+   fun:glXMakeContextCurrent
+   fun:fgOpenWindow
+   fun:fgCreateWindow
+   fun:glutCreateWindow
+}