diff --git a/Timeline/Engine/Audio_Region.C b/Timeline/Engine/Audio_Region.C
index f83741c..2fb8932 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine/Audio_Region.C
+++ b/Timeline/Engine/Audio_Region.C
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ Audio_Region::write ( nframes_t nframes )
             ++W;
             Fl::lock();
             sequence()->damage( FL_DAMAGE_ALL, x() + w() - W, y(), W, h() );
-            Fl::awake();
+//            Fl::awake();
             Fl::unlock();
         }
     }
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ Audio_Region::write ( nframes_t nframes )
 bool
 Audio_Region::finalize ( nframes_t frame )
 {
+    DMESSAGE( "finalizing capture region" );
+
     _range.length = frame - _range.start;
 
     log_end();
diff --git a/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.C b/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.C
index c0c3e90..9099271 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.C
+++ b/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.C
@@ -76,9 +76,7 @@ Disk_Stream::~Disk_Stream ( )
 
     shutdown();
 
-    /* FIXME: we must wait on the thread to finish here!!! */
-
-    _track = NULL;
+     _track = NULL;
 
     sem_destroy( &_blocks );
 
@@ -126,6 +124,17 @@ Disk_Stream::base_flush ( bool is_output )
 
 }
 
+/** signal thread to terminate, then detach it */
+void
+Disk_Stream::detach ( void )
+{
+    _terminate = true;
+
+    block_processed();
+
+    pthread_detach( _thread );
+}
+
 /** stop the IO thread. */
 void
 Disk_Stream::shutdown ( void )
@@ -136,9 +145,7 @@ Disk_Stream::shutdown ( void )
     block_processed();
 
     if ( _thread )
-        pthread_detach( _thread );
-
-    _thread = 0;
+        pthread_join( _thread, NULL );
 }
 
 Track *
@@ -157,6 +164,8 @@ Disk_Stream::sequence ( void ) const
 void
 Disk_Stream::run ( void )
 {
+    ASSERT( ! _thread, "Thread is already running" );
+
     if ( pthread_create( &_thread, NULL, &Disk_Stream::disk_thread, this ) != 0 )
         FATAL( "Could not create IO thread!" );
 }
diff --git a/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.H b/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.H
index 1bacede..c12c13c 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.H
+++ b/Timeline/Engine/Disk_Stream.H
@@ -81,10 +81,7 @@ protected:
         {
             while ( ! sem_wait( &_blocks ) && errno == EINTR );
 
-            if ( _terminate )
-                return false;
-            else
-                return true;
+            return ! _terminate;
         }
 
     virtual void disk_thread ( void ) = 0;
@@ -92,6 +89,10 @@ protected:
     void base_flush ( bool is_output );
     virtual void flush ( void ) = 0;
 
+    void run ( void );
+    void shutdown ( void );
+    void detach ( void );
+
 public:
 
     /* must be set before any Disk_Streams are created */
@@ -109,9 +110,6 @@ public:
 /*     void seek ( nframes_t frame ); */
 /*     bool seek_pending ( void ); */
 
-    void run ( void );
-    void shutdown ( void );
-
     virtual nframes_t process ( nframes_t nframes ) = 0;
 
     int buffer_percent ( void );
diff --git a/Timeline/Engine/Playback_DS.C b/Timeline/Engine/Playback_DS.C
index 9ab8559..f7a6aea 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine/Playback_DS.C
+++ b/Timeline/Engine/Playback_DS.C
@@ -196,6 +196,9 @@ Playback_DS::disk_thread ( void )
 #ifndef AVOID_UNNECESSARY_COPYING
     delete[] cbuf;
 #endif
+
+    _terminate = false;
+    _thread = 0;
 }
 
 /* THREAD: RT */
diff --git a/Timeline/Engine/Record_DS.C b/Timeline/Engine/Record_DS.C
index b640228..3f94f1f 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine/Record_DS.C
+++ b/Timeline/Engine/Record_DS.C
@@ -191,13 +191,17 @@ Record_DS::disk_thread ( void )
     delete[] cbuf;
 #endif
 
+    DMESSAGE( "finalzing capture" );
+
     /* now finalize the recording */
     track()->finalize( _capture, _stop_frame );
 
     delete _capture;
     _capture = NULL;
 
+    _thread = 0;
     _terminate = false;
+    DMESSAGE( "capture thread gone" );
 }
 
 
@@ -241,7 +245,7 @@ Record_DS::stop ( nframes_t frame )
 
     _stop_frame = frame;
 
-    shutdown();
+    detach();
 
     DMESSAGE( "recording finished" );
 }
diff --git a/Timeline/Engine/Track.C b/Timeline/Engine/Track.C
index d234905..eae592b 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine/Track.C
+++ b/Timeline/Engine/Track.C
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ Track::configure_outputs ( int n )
         Playback_DS *ds = playback_ds;
         playback_ds = NULL;
 
-        ds->shutdown();
         delete ds;
     }
 
@@ -116,7 +115,6 @@ Track::configure_inputs ( int n )
         Record_DS *ds = record_ds;
         record_ds = NULL;
 
-        ds->shutdown();
         delete ds;
     }
 
@@ -250,6 +248,7 @@ void
 Track::finalize ( Capture *c, nframes_t frame )
 {
     c->region->finalize( frame );
+    DMESSAGE( "finalizing audio file" );
     c->audio_file->finalize();
 
     delete c->audio_file;