diff --git a/dssi-vst-server.cpp b/dssi-vst-server.cpp
index 8b45184..ff11a07 100644
--- a/dssi-vst-server.cpp
+++ b/dssi-vst-server.cpp
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ RemoteVSTServer::reset()
 void
 RemoteVSTServer::terminate()
 {
+    cerr << "RemoteVSTServer::terminate: setting exiting flag" << endl;
     exiting = true;
 }
 
@@ -701,6 +702,7 @@ AudioThreadMain(LPVOID parameter)
 	}
 
 	if (exiting) {
+	    cerr << "Remote VST plugin audio thread: returning" << endl;
 	    param.sched_priority = 0;
 	    (void)sched_setscheduler(0, SCHED_OTHER, &param);
 	    return 0;
@@ -977,9 +979,16 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrevInst, LPSTR cmdline, int cmdshow)
 
     MSG msg;
     exiting = false;
-    while (GetMessage(&msg, 0, 0, 0)) {
-	DispatchMessage(&msg);
-	if (exiting) break;
+    while (!exiting) {
+	if (PeekMessage(&msg, 0, 0, 0, PM_REMOVE)) {
+	    DispatchMessage(&msg);
+	} else {
+	    if (tryGui) {
+		usleep(10000);
+	    } else {
+		sleep(1);
+	    }
+	}
     }
 
     if (debugLevel > 0) {
diff --git a/dssi-vst.cpp b/dssi-vst.cpp
index a2858d8..99c88ac 100644
--- a/dssi-vst.cpp
+++ b/dssi-vst.cpp
@@ -342,8 +342,6 @@ DSSIVSTPluginInstance::runSynth(unsigned long sampleCount,
 
 		if (index >= MIDI_BUFFER_SIZE - 4) break;
 
-		std::cout << "DSSIVSTPluginInstance::runSynth: event at offset " << ev->time.tick << std::endl;
-
 		m_frameOffsetsBuffer[i] = ev->time.tick;
 		
 		long count = snd_midi_event_decode(m_alsaDecoder,
diff --git a/remotepluginclient.cpp b/remotepluginclient.cpp
index f16b6a4..eb2d4a2 100644
--- a/remotepluginclient.cpp
+++ b/remotepluginclient.cpp
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ RemotePluginClient::syncStartup()
     // for this and the process fd anyway.
 
     bool connected = false;
+    int timeout = 15;
 
-    for (int attempt = 0; attempt < 6; ++attempt) {
+    for (int attempt = 0; attempt < timeout; ++attempt) {
 
 	if ((m_controlRequestFd =
 	     open(m_controlRequestFileName, O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK)) >= 0) {
diff --git a/remotevstclient.cpp b/remotevstclient.cpp
index d60e6cf..7f81608 100644
--- a/remotevstclient.cpp
+++ b/remotevstclient.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 
 #include "rdwrops.h"
 #include "paths.h"
@@ -89,6 +91,10 @@ RemoteVSTClient::RemoteVSTClient(std::string dllName, bool showGUI) :
 
 RemoteVSTClient::~RemoteVSTClient()
 {
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+	if (waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG)) break;
+	sleep(1);
+    }
 }
 
 void
@@ -216,8 +222,9 @@ RemoteVSTClient::queryPlugins(std::vector<PluginRecord> &plugins)
     pfd.fd = fd;
     pfd.events = POLLIN;
     int sec;
+    int timeout = 15;
 
-    for (sec = 0; sec < 6; ++sec) {
+    for (sec = 0; sec < timeout; ++sec) {
 
 	int rv = poll(&pfd, 1, 1000);
 
@@ -236,7 +243,7 @@ RemoteVSTClient::queryPlugins(std::vector<PluginRecord> &plugins)
 	}
     }
 
-    if (sec >= 6) {
+    if (sec >= timeout) {
 	close(fd);
 	unlink(fifoFile);
 	throw ((std::string)"Plugin scanner timed out on startup.");
@@ -308,5 +315,10 @@ RemoteVSTClient::queryPlugins(std::vector<PluginRecord> &plugins)
 
     close(fd);
     unlink(fifoFile);
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+	if (waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG)) break;
+	sleep(1);
+    }
 }