diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.cpp
index 907bc6a538..257ce85c02 100644
--- a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,17 @@ GLTextureTransferHelper::GLTextureTransferHelper() {
     _canvas->doneCurrent();
     initialize(true, QThread::LowPriority);
     _canvas->moveToThreadWithContext(_thread);
+
+    // Clean shutdown on UNIX, otherwise _canvas is freed early
+    connect(qApp, &QCoreApplication::aboutToQuit, [&] { terminate(); });
+#endif
+}
+
+GLTextureTransferHelper::~GLTextureTransferHelper() {
+#ifdef THREADED_TEXTURE_TRANSFER
+    if (isStillRunning()) {
+        terminate();
+    }
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.h
index 1e850586d4..a3fae74213 100644
--- a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTextureTransfer.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ struct TextureTransferPackage {
 class GLTextureTransferHelper : public GenericQueueThread<TextureTransferPackage> {
 public:
     GLTextureTransferHelper();
+    ~GLTextureTransferHelper();
     void transferTexture(const gpu::TexturePointer& texturePointer);
     void postTransfer(const gpu::TexturePointer& texturePointer);