diff --git a/src/qtgui/idxthread.cpp b/src/qtgui/idxthread.cpp
index f3b231c7..bbea162e 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/idxthread.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/idxthread.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include <qthread.h>
 #include <qmutex.h>
+#include <qwaitcondition.h>
 
 #include "indexer.h"
 #include "debuglog.h"
@@ -35,10 +36,14 @@ static string indexingReason;
 static int stopidxthread;
 
 static QMutex curfile_mutex;
+static QMutex         action_mutex;
+static QWaitCondition action_wait;
 
 class IdxThread : public QThread , public DbIxStatusUpdater {
     virtual void run();
  public:
+    // This gets called at intervals by the file system walker to check for 
+    // a requested interrupt and update the current status.
     virtual bool update() {
 	QMutexLocker locker(&curfile_mutex);
 	m_statusSnap = status;
@@ -59,12 +64,12 @@ class IdxThread : public QThread , public DbIxStatusUpdater {
 void IdxThread::run()
 {
     recoll_threadinit();
+    action_mutex.lock();
     for (;;) {
-	if (stopidxthread) {
-	    return;
-	}
 	if (startindexing) {
 	    startindexing = 0;
+            action_mutex.unlock();
+
 	    m_interrupted = false;
 	    indexingstatus = IDXTS_NULL;
 	    // We have to make a copy of the config (setKeydir changes
@@ -84,13 +89,21 @@ void IdxThread::run()
 	    }
 	    rezero = false;
 	    delete indexer;
-	} 
-	msleep(100);
+            action_mutex.lock();
+	}
+
+	if (stopidxthread) {
+            action_mutex.unlock();
+	    return;
+	}
+        action_wait.wait(&action_mutex);
     }
 }
 
 static IdxThread idxthread;
 
+// Functions called by the main thread
+
 void start_idxthread(const RclConfig& cnf)
 {
     idxthread.cnf = &cnf;
@@ -99,32 +112,49 @@ void start_idxthread(const RclConfig& cnf)
 
 void stop_idxthread()
 {
+    action_mutex.lock();
+    startindexing = 0;
     stopindexing = 1;
     stopidxthread = 1;
+    action_mutex.unlock();
+    action_wait.wakeAll();
     idxthread.wait();
 }
+
 void stop_indexing()
 {
+    action_mutex.lock();
+    startindexing = 0;
     stopindexing = 1;
+    action_mutex.unlock();
+    action_wait.wakeAll();
 }
+
 void start_indexing(bool raz)
 {
+    action_mutex.lock();
     startindexing = 1;
     rezero = raz;
+    action_mutex.unlock();
+    action_wait.wakeAll();
 }
+
 DbIxStatus idxthread_idxStatus()
 {
     QMutexLocker locker(&curfile_mutex);
     return idxthread.m_statusSnap;
 }
+
 bool idxthread_idxInterrupted()
 {
     return idxthread.m_interrupted;
 }
+
 string idxthread_getReason()
 {
     return indexingReason;
 }
+
 IdxThreadStatus idxthread_getStatus()
 {
     return indexingstatus;
diff --git a/src/qtgui/main.cpp b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
index 44378f80..6b19915c 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/main.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
@@ -124,8 +124,6 @@ static void recollCleanup()
 {
     LOGDEB(("recollCleanup: writing settings\n"));
     rwSettings(true);
-    LOGDEB2(("recollCleanup: stopping idx thread\n"));
-    stop_idxthread();
     LOGDEB2(("recollCleanup: closing database\n"));
     deleteZ(rcldb);
     deleteZ(rclconfig);
diff --git a/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp
index 2d681fca..db131ee3 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp
@@ -172,7 +172,9 @@ void RclMain::init()
     if (prefs.catgToolBar) {
 	catgCMB = new QComboBox(FALSE, new QToolBar(this), "catCMB");
 	catgCMB->insertItem(tr("All"));
+#if (QT_VERSION >= 0x040000)
 	catgCMB->setToolTip(tr("Document category filter"));
+#endif
     }
 
     // Document categories buttons
@@ -379,7 +381,11 @@ void RclMain::fileExit()
     prefs.ssearchTyp = sSearch->searchTypCMB->currentItem();
     if (asearchform)
 	delete asearchform;
-    // Let the exit handler clean up things
+    // We'd prefer to do this in the exit handler, but it's apparently to late
+    // and some of the qt stuff is already dead at this point?
+    LOGDEB2(("RclMain::fileExit() : stopping idx thread\n"));
+    stop_idxthread();
+    // Let the exit handler clean up the rest (internal recoll stuff).
     exit(0);
 }
 
@@ -417,6 +423,7 @@ void RclMain::periodic100()
 	// Indexing is running
 	m_idxStatusAck = false;
 	fileToggleIndexingAction->setText(tr("Stop &Indexing"));
+	fileToggleIndexingAction->setEnabled(TRUE);
 	// The toggle thing is for the status to flash
 	if (toggle == 0) {
 	    QString msg = tr("Indexing in progress: ");
@@ -455,6 +462,9 @@ void RclMain::periodic100()
 	fileExit();
 }
 
+// This gets called when the indexing action is activated. It starts
+// the requested action, and disables the menu entry. This will be
+// re-enabled by the indexing status check
 void RclMain::toggleIndexing()
 {
     if (idxthread_getStatus() == IDXTS_NULL) {