diff --git a/gui/mainFrame.py b/gui/mainFrame.py
index 5883889343..e6263fccf7 100644
--- a/gui/mainFrame.py
+++ b/gui/mainFrame.py
@@ -99,12 +99,14 @@ def OnBkErase(self, event):
 
 
 class OpenFitsThread(threading.Thread):
+
     def __init__(self, fits, callback):
         threading.Thread.__init__(self)
         self.name = "LoadingOpenFits"
         self.mainFrame = MainFrame.getInstance()
         self.callback = callback
         self.fits = fits
+        self.running = True
         self.start()
 
     def run(self):
@@ -118,10 +120,15 @@ def run(self):
         # We use 1 for all fits except the last one where we use 2 so that we
         # have correct calculations displayed at startup
         for fitID in self.fits[:-1]:
-            wx.PostEvent(self.mainFrame, FitSelected(fitID=fitID, startup=1))
+            if self.running:
+                wx.PostEvent(self.mainFrame, FitSelected(fitID=fitID, startup=1))
+
+        if self.running:
+            wx.PostEvent(self.mainFrame, FitSelected(fitID=self.fits[-1], startup=2))
+            wx.CallAfter(self.callback)
 
-        wx.PostEvent(self.mainFrame, FitSelected(fitID=self.fits[-1], startup=2))
-        wx.CallAfter(self.callback)
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
 
 
 # todo: include IPortUser again
diff --git a/pyfa.py b/pyfa.py
index 8917d89de2..fbee4220b9 100755
--- a/pyfa.py
+++ b/pyfa.py
@@ -151,5 +151,18 @@ def _process_args(self, largs, rargs, values):
         else:
             pyfa.MainLoop()
 
-        # TODO: Add some thread cleanup code here. Right now we bail, and that can lead to orphaned threads or threads not properly exiting.
+        # When main loop is over, threads have 5 seconds to comply...
+        import threading
+        from utils.timer import CountdownTimer
+
+        timer = CountdownTimer(5)
+        stoppableThreads = []
+        for t in threading.enumerate():
+            if t is not threading.main_thread() and hasattr(t, 'stop'):
+                stoppableThreads.append(t)
+                t.stop()
+        for t in stoppableThreads:
+            t.join(timeout=timer.remainder())
+
+        # Nah, just kidding, no way to terminate threads - just try to exit
         sys.exit()
diff --git a/service/character.py b/service/character.py
index 6e8421468f..93434ae9a7 100644
--- a/service/character.py
+++ b/service/character.py
@@ -45,11 +45,13 @@
 
 
 class CharacterImportThread(threading.Thread):
+
     def __init__(self, paths, callback):
         threading.Thread.__init__(self)
         self.name = "CharacterImport"
         self.paths = paths
         self.callback = callback
+        self.running = True
 
     def run(self):
         paths = self.paths
@@ -61,6 +63,8 @@ def run(self):
             all_skill_ids.append(skill.itemID)
 
         for path in paths:
+            if not self.running:
+                break
             try:
                 charFile = open(path, mode='r').read()
                 doc = minidom.parseString(charFile)
@@ -95,6 +99,9 @@ def run(self):
 
         wx.CallAfter(self.callback)
 
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
+
 
 class SkillBackupThread(threading.Thread):
     def __init__(self, path, saveFmt, activeFit, callback):
@@ -104,25 +111,32 @@ def __init__(self, path, saveFmt, activeFit, callback):
         self.saveFmt = saveFmt
         self.activeFit = activeFit
         self.callback = callback
+        self.running = True
 
     def run(self):
         path = self.path
         sCharacter = Character.getInstance()
 
-        if self.saveFmt == "xml" or self.saveFmt == "emp":
-            backupData = sCharacter.exportXml()
-        else:
-            backupData = sCharacter.exportText()
+        backupData = None
+        if self.running:
+            if self.saveFmt == "xml" or self.saveFmt == "emp":
+                backupData = sCharacter.exportXml()
+            else:
+                backupData = sCharacter.exportText()
 
-        if self.saveFmt == "emp":
-            with gzip.open(path, mode='wb') as backupFile:
-                backupFile.write(backupData.encode())
-        else:
-            with open(path, mode='w', encoding='utf-8') as backupFile:
-                backupFile.write(backupData)
+        if self.running and backupData is not None:
+            if self.saveFmt == "emp":
+                with gzip.open(path, mode='wb') as backupFile:
+                    backupFile.write(backupData.encode())
+            else:
+                with open(path, mode='w', encoding='utf-8') as backupFile:
+                    backupFile.write(backupData)
 
         wx.CallAfter(self.callback)
 
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
+
 
 class Character:
     instance = None
@@ -474,12 +488,14 @@ def _checkRequirements(self, char, subThing, reqs):
 
 
 class UpdateAPIThread(threading.Thread):
+
     def __init__(self, charID, callback):
         threading.Thread.__init__(self)
 
         self.name = "CheckUpdate"
         self.callback = callback
         self.charID = charID
+        self.running = True
 
     def run(self):
         try:
@@ -488,20 +504,31 @@ def run(self):
             sEsi = Esi.getInstance()
             sChar = Character.getInstance()
             ssoChar = sChar.getSsoCharacter(char.ID)
+
+            if not self.running:
+                self.callback[0](self.callback[1])
+                return
             resp = sEsi.getSkills(ssoChar.ID)
 
+            if not self.running:
+                self.callback[0](self.callback[1])
+                return
             # todo: check if alpha. if so, pop up a question if they want to apply it as alpha. Use threading events to set the answer?
             char.clearSkills()
             for skillRow in resp["skills"]:
                 char.addSkill(Skill(char, skillRow["skill_id"], skillRow["trained_skill_level"]))
 
+            if not self.running:
+                self.callback[0](self.callback[1])
+                return
             resp = sEsi.getSecStatus(ssoChar.ID)
-
             char.secStatus = resp['security_status']
-
             self.callback[0](self.callback[1])
         except (KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit):
             raise
         except Exception as ex:
             pyfalog.warn(ex)
             self.callback[0](self.callback[1], sys.exc_info())
+
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
diff --git a/service/market.py b/service/market.py
index 4856a1a63c..d3a065d552 100644
--- a/service/market.py
+++ b/service/market.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         threading.Thread.__init__(self)
         pyfalog.debug("Initialize ShipBrowserWorkerThread.")
         self.name = "ShipBrowser"
+        self.running = True
 
     def run(self):
         self.queue = queue.Queue()
@@ -60,6 +61,8 @@ def processRequests(self):
         cache = self.cache
         sMkt = Market.getInstance()
         while True:
+            if not self.running:
+                break
             try:
                 id_, callback = queue.get()
                 set_ = cache.get(id_)
@@ -82,6 +85,9 @@ def processRequests(self):
                     pyfalog.critical("Queue task done failed.")
                     pyfalog.critical(e)
 
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
+
 
 class SearchWorkerThread(threading.Thread):
     def __init__(self):
@@ -91,6 +97,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         # load the jargon while in an out-of-thread context, to spot any problems while in the main thread
         self.jargonLoader.get_jargon()
         self.jargonLoader.get_jargon().apply('test string')
+        self.running = True
 
     def run(self):
         self.cv = threading.Condition()
@@ -101,6 +108,8 @@ def processSearches(self):
         cv = self.cv
 
         while True:
+            if not self.running:
+                break
             cv.acquire()
             while self.searchRequest is None:
                 cv.wait()
@@ -161,6 +170,8 @@ def scheduleSearch(self, text, callback, filterName=None):
         self.cv.notify()
         self.cv.release()
 
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
 
 class Market:
     instance = None
diff --git a/service/price.py b/service/price.py
index d444025408..fdc31a3e50 100644
--- a/service/price.py
+++ b/service/price.py
@@ -235,11 +235,14 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.name = "PriceWorker"
         self.queue = queue.Queue()
         self.wait = {}
+        self.running = True
         pyfalog.debug("Initialize PriceWorkerThread.")
 
     def run(self):
         queue = self.queue
         while True:
+            if not self.running:
+                break
             # Grab our data
             callback, requests, fetchTimeout, validityOverride = queue.get()
 
@@ -265,6 +268,9 @@ def setToWait(self, prices, callback):
             callbacks = self.wait.setdefault(price.typeID, [])
             callbacks.append(callback)
 
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
+
 
 # Import market sources only to initialize price source modules, they register on their own
 from service.marketSources import evemarketer, evemarketdata, evepraisal  # noqa: E402
diff --git a/service/update.py b/service/update.py
index 970ed84840..f1955a766b 100644
--- a/service/update.py
+++ b/service/update.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ def __init__(self, callback):
         self.callback = callback
         self.settings = UpdateSettings.getInstance()
         self.network = Network.getInstance()
+        self.running = True
 
     def run(self):
         network = Network.getInstance()
@@ -49,13 +50,13 @@ def run(self):
             try:
                 response = network.get(
                     url='https://www.pyfa.io/update_check?pyfa_version={}&client_hash={}'.format(config.version, config.getClientSecret()),
-                    type=network.UPDATE)
+                    type=network.UPDATE, timeout=5)
             except (KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit):
                 raise
             except Exception as e:
                 response = network.get(
                     url='https://api.github.com/repos/pyfa-org/Pyfa/releases',
-                    type=network.UPDATE)
+                    type=network.UPDATE, timeout=5)
 
             jsonResponse = response.json()
             jsonResponse.sort(
@@ -94,6 +95,9 @@ def run(self):
     def versiontuple(v):
         return tuple(map(int, (v.split("."))))
 
+    def stop(self):
+        self.running = False
+
 
 class Update:
     instance = None
diff --git a/utils/timer.py b/utils/timer.py
index 0058506a22..d56b64730a 100644
--- a/utils/timer.py
+++ b/utils/timer.py
@@ -35,3 +35,16 @@ def __enter__(self):
     def __exit__(self, type, value, traceback):
         self.checkpoint('finished')
         pass
+
+
+class CountdownTimer:
+
+    def __init__(self, timeout):
+        self.timeout = timeout
+        self.start = time.time()
+
+    def elapsed(self):
+        return time.time() - self.start
+
+    def remainder(self):
+        return max(self.timeout - self.elapsed(), 0)