diff --git a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
index a9bdad8148..8e5ae8d9b1 100644
--- a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ MetavoxelSystem::NetworkSimulation::NetworkSimulation(float dropRate, float repe
     bandwidthLimit(bandwidthLimit) {
 }    
 
+MetavoxelSystem::~MetavoxelSystem() {
+    // kill the updater before we delete our network simulation objects
+    _updater->thread()->quit();
+    _updater->thread()->wait();
+}
+
 void MetavoxelSystem::init() {
     MetavoxelClientManager::init();
     DefaultMetavoxelRendererImplementation::init();
diff --git a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h
index 14a24eea59..08cc1098ca 100644
--- a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h
+++ b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ public:
             int maximumDelay = 0, int bandwidthLimit = 0);
     };
 
+    virtual ~MetavoxelSystem();
+
     virtual void init();
 
     virtual MetavoxelLOD getLOD();