diff --git a/source/cell.c b/source/cell.c
index b04df5a4..c4bb13ed 100644
--- a/source/cell.c
+++ b/source/cell.c
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ static unsigned char *zip_buffer_global = NULL;
 static char *prosperon = NULL;
 cell_rt *root_cell = NULL;
 
-SDL_AtomicInt waiting_threads;
+static SDL_AtomicInt waiting_threads;
+static SDL_AtomicInt shutting_down;
 
 static SDL_Thread **runners = NULL;
 
@@ -77,8 +78,13 @@ static inline uint64_t now_ns()
 
 static void exit_handler(void)
 {
+  SDL_LockMutex(queue_mutex);                 /* 1. take the lock          */
+  SDL_SetAtomicInt(&shutting_down, 1);        /* 2. store *inside* CS      */
+  SDL_BroadcastCondition(queue_cond);         /* 3. wake the waiters       */
+  SDL_UnlockMutex(queue_mutex);               /* 4. release – H-B created  */
+  SDL_SetAtomicInt(&shutting_down, 1);
+
   int status;
-  SDL_BroadcastCondition(queue_cond);
   for (int i = 0; i < arrlen(runners); i++)
     SDL_WaitThread(runners[i], &status);
     
@@ -720,7 +726,7 @@ int uncaught_exception(JSContext *js, JSValue v)
 
 static int actor_runner(void *data)
 {
-  while (1) {
+  while (!SDL_GetAtomicInt(&shutting_down)) {
     SDL_LockMutex(queue_mutex);
     cell_rt *actor = NULL;
     for (int i = 0; i < arrlen(ready_queue); i++) {
@@ -739,7 +745,7 @@ static int actor_runner(void *data)
       SDL_WaitCondition(queue_cond, queue_mutex);
       SDL_AddAtomicInt(&waiting_threads, -1);
       SDL_UnlockMutex(queue_mutex);
-      continue;
+      if (SDL_GetAtomicInt(&shutting_down)) return 0;
     }
   }
   return 0;
@@ -747,7 +753,6 @@ static int actor_runner(void *data)
 
 static void signal_handler(int sig)
 {
-  exit_handler();
   const char *str = NULL;
   switch (sig) {
     case SIGABRT: str = "SIGABRT"; break;
@@ -780,12 +785,13 @@ static void loop()
   queue_cond = SDL_CreateCondition();
   actors_mutex = SDL_CreateMutex();
   SDL_SetAtomicInt(&waiting_threads, 0);
+  SDL_SetAtomicInt(&shutting_down, 0);
   
   timer_init();
   
   add_runners(SDL_GetNumLogicalCPUCores()-1);
 
-  while (1) {
+  while (!SDL_GetAtomicInt(&shutting_down)) {
     process_due_timers();
   
     SDL_LockMutex(queue_mutex);
@@ -814,7 +820,7 @@ static void loop()
     }
 
     SDL_LockMutex(queue_mutex);    
-    SDL_WaitConditionTimeout(queue_cond, queue_mutex, 100);
+    SDL_WaitConditionTimeout(queue_cond, queue_mutex, to_ns);
     SDL_UnlockMutex(queue_mutex);
   }
 }
@@ -936,3 +942,12 @@ int actor_exists(const char *id)
   else
     return 1;
 }
+
+int JS_ArrayLength(JSContext *js, JSValue a)
+{
+  JSValue length = JS_GetPropertyStr(js, a, "length");
+  int len;
+  JS_ToInt32(js,&len,length);
+  JS_FreeValue(js,length);
+  return len;
+}
\ No newline at end of file