diff --git a/src/index/indexer.cpp b/src/index/indexer.cpp
index ab32f3dc..5ab0c8ee 100644
--- a/src/index/indexer.cpp
+++ b/src/index/indexer.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: indexer.cpp,v 1.71 2008-12-17 08:01:40 dockes Exp
 #include "indexer.h"
 #include "fsindexer.h"
 #include "beaglequeue.h"
+#include "mimehandler.h"
 
 #ifdef RCL_USE_ASPELL
 #include "rclaspell.h"
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ bool ConfIndexer::index(bool resetbefore, ixType typestorun)
 
     createStemmingDatabases();
     createAspellDict();
-
+    clearMimeHandlerCache();
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp b/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp
index 9b8ae4ee..4f92624b 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp
+++ b/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp
@@ -141,6 +141,17 @@ void returnMimeHandler(Dijon::Filter *handler)
     }
 }
 
+void clearMimeHandlerCache()
+{
+    typedef multimap<string, Dijon::Filter*>::value_type value_type;
+    map<string, Dijon::Filter *>::iterator it;
+    for (it = o_handlers.begin(); it != o_handlers.end(); it++) {
+	delete it->second;
+    }
+    o_handlers.clear();
+}
+
+
 /* Get handler/filter object for given mime type: */
 Dijon::Filter *getMimeHandler(const string &mtype, RclConfig *cfg, 
 			      bool filtertypes)
diff --git a/src/internfile/mimehandler.h b/src/internfile/mimehandler.h
index 7866872b..b8e9a167 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mimehandler.h
+++ b/src/internfile/mimehandler.h
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ extern Dijon::Filter *getMimeHandler(const std::string &mtyp, RclConfig *cfg,
 /// Free up filter for reuse (you can also delete it)
 extern void returnMimeHandler(Dijon::Filter *);
 
+/// Clean up cache at the end of an indexing pass. For people who use
+/// the GUI to index: avoid all those filter processes forever hanging
+/// off recoll.
+extern void clearMimeHandlerCache();
+
 /// Can this mime type be interned ?
 extern bool canIntern(const std::string mimetype, RclConfig *cfg);
 
diff --git a/src/utils/execmd.cpp b/src/utils/execmd.cpp
index 4821bef8..a36be31a 100644
--- a/src/utils/execmd.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/execmd.cpp
@@ -128,27 +128,8 @@ public:
 	if (!m_active || !m_parent)
 	    return;
 	LOGDEB1(("~ExecCmdRsrc: working. mypid: %d\n", (int)getpid()));
-	int status;
-	if (m_parent->m_pid > 0) {
-	    LOGDEB(("ExecCmd: killing cmd\n"));
-            pid_t grp = getpgid(m_parent->m_pid);
-            int ret = killpg(grp, SIGTERM);
-	    if (ret == 0) {
-		for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
-		    (void)waitpid(m_parent->m_pid, &status, WNOHANG);
-		    if (kill(m_parent->m_pid, 0) != 0)
-			break;
-		    sleep(1);
-		    if (i == 2) {
-			LOGDEB(("ExecCmd: killing (KILL) cmd\n"));
-			killpg(grp, SIGKILL);
-		    }
-		}
-	    } else {
-                LOGERR(("ExecCmd: error killing process group %d: %d\n",
-                        grp, errno));
-            }
-	}
+
+	// Better to close the descs first in case the child is waiting in read
 	if (m_parent->m_pipein[0] >= 0)
 	    close(m_parent->m_pipein[0]);
 	if (m_parent->m_pipein[1] >= 0)
@@ -157,6 +138,28 @@ public:
 	    close(m_parent->m_pipeout[0]);
 	if (m_parent->m_pipeout[1] >= 0)
 	    close(m_parent->m_pipeout[1]);
+	int status;
+	if (m_parent->m_pid > 0) {
+            pid_t grp = getpgid(m_parent->m_pid);
+	    LOGDEB2(("ExecCmd: killpg(%d, SIGTERM)\n", grp));
+            int ret = killpg(grp, SIGTERM);
+	    if (ret == 0) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+		    (void)waitpid(m_parent->m_pid, &status, WNOHANG);
+		    if (kill(m_parent->m_pid, 0) != 0)
+			break;
+		    sleep(1);
+		    if (i == 2) {
+			LOGDEB(("ExecCmd: killpg(%d, SIGKILL)\n", grp));
+			killpg(grp, SIGKILL);
+			(void)waitpid(m_parent->m_pid, &status, WNOHANG);
+		    }
+		}
+	    } else {
+                LOGERR(("ExecCmd: error killing process group %d: %d\n",
+                        grp, errno));
+            }
+	}
 	m_parent->m_tocmd.release();
 	m_parent->m_fromcmd.release();
 	pthread_sigmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &m_parent->m_blkcld, 0);
@@ -474,8 +477,24 @@ void ExecCmd::dochild(const string &cmd, const list<string>& args,
 		      bool has_input, bool has_output)
 {
     // Start our own process group
-    setpgid(0, getpid());
-    
+    if (setpgid(0, getpid())) {
+	LOGINFO(("ExecCmd::dochild: setpgid(0, %d) failed: errno %d\n",
+		 getpid(), errno));
+    }
+
+    // Restore SIGTERM to default. Really, signal handling should be
+    // specified when creating the execmd. Help Recoll get rid of its
+    // filter children though. To be fixed one day... Not sure that
+    // all of this is needed. But an ignored sigterm and the masks are
+    // normally inherited.
+    if (signal(SIGTERM, SIG_DFL) == SIG_ERR) {
+	LOGERR(("ExecCmd::dochild: signal() failed, errno %d\n", errno));
+    }
+    sigset_t sset;
+    sigfillset(&sset);
+    pthread_sigmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &sset, 0);
+    sigprocmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &sset, 0);
+
     if (has_input) {
 	close(m_pipein[1]);
 	m_pipein[1] = -1;