diff --git a/gvr-interface/src/Client.h b/gvr-interface/src/Client.h
index 6eb3913ea9..31bc8be3bd 100644
--- a/gvr-interface/src/Client.h
+++ b/gvr-interface/src/Client.h
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@ class Client : public QObject {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     Client(QObject* parent = 0);
+    
+    virtual void cleanupBeforeQuit() = 0;
 protected:
+    
     void setupNetworking();
     virtual void processVerifiedPacket(const HifiSockAddr& senderSockAddr, const QByteArray& incomingPacket);
 private slots:
diff --git a/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.cpp b/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.cpp
index 7476bfc764..3d58396322 100644
--- a/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.cpp
+++ b/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,13 @@ GVRInterface::GVRInterface(int argc, char* argv[]) :
     QTimer* idleTimer = new QTimer(this);
     connect(idleTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &GVRInterface::idle);
     idleTimer->start(0);
+    
+    // call our quit handler before we go down
+    connect(this, &QCoreApplication::aboutToQuit, this, &GVRInterface::handleApplicationQuit);
+}
+
+void GVRInterface::handleApplicationQuit() {
+    _client->cleanupBeforeQuit();
 }
 
 void GVRInterface::idle() {
diff --git a/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.h b/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.h
index 926c44da15..9ffbd52909 100644
--- a/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.h
+++ b/gvr-interface/src/GVRInterface.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ private slots:
     void handleApplicationStateChange(Qt::ApplicationState state);
     void idle();
 private:
+    void handleApplicationQuit();
     
     void enterVRMode();
     void leaveVRMode();
diff --git a/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.cpp b/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.cpp
index 9737263eee..1abf4bbc95 100644
--- a/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.cpp
+++ b/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ RenderingClient::RenderingClient(QObject *parent, const QString& launchURLString
     DependencyManager::set<AvatarHashMap>();
     
     // get our audio client setup on its own thread
-    QThread* audioThread = new QThread(this);
+    QThread* audioThread = new QThread();
     auto audioClient = DependencyManager::set<AudioClient>();
     
     audioClient->setPositionGetter(getPositionForAudio);
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ RenderingClient::RenderingClient(QObject *parent, const QString& launchURLString
     
     audioClient->moveToThread(audioThread);
     connect(audioThread, &QThread::started, audioClient.data(), &AudioClient::start);
+    connect(audioClient.data(), &AudioClient::destroyed, audioThread, &QThread::quit);
+    connect(audioThread, &QThread::finished, audioThread, &QThread::deleteLater);
 
     audioThread->start();
     
@@ -68,15 +70,9 @@ void RenderingClient::sendAvatarPacket() {
     _fakeAvatar.sendIdentityPacket();
 }
 
-RenderingClient::~RenderingClient() {
-    auto audioClient = DependencyManager::get<AudioClient>();
-
-    // stop the audio client
-    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(audioClient.data(), "stop", Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection);
-    
-    // ask the audio thread to quit and wait until it is done
-    audioClient->thread()->quit();
-    audioClient->thread()->wait();
+void RenderingClient::cleanupBeforeQuit() {
+    // destroy the AudioClient so it and it's thread will safely go down
+    DependencyManager::destroy<AudioClient>();
 }
 
 void RenderingClient::processVerifiedPacket(const HifiSockAddr& senderSockAddr, const QByteArray& incomingPacket) {
diff --git a/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.h b/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.h
index 870bde748f..c4724bc086 100644
--- a/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.h
+++ b/gvr-interface/src/RenderingClient.h
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ class RenderingClient : public Client {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     RenderingClient(QObject* parent = 0, const QString& launchURLString = QString());
-    ~RenderingClient();
     
     const glm::vec3& getPosition() const { return _position; }
     const glm::quat& getOrientation() const { return _orientation; }
@@ -35,6 +34,8 @@ public:
     static glm::vec3 getPositionForAudio() { return _instance->getPosition(); }
     static glm::quat getOrientationForAudio() { return _instance->getOrientation(); }
     
+    virtual void cleanupBeforeQuit();
+    
 private slots:
     void goToLocation(const glm::vec3& newPosition,
                       bool hasOrientationChange, const glm::quat& newOrientation,
diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
index 1919f2bbe5..a45fae94dc 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ AudioClient::AudioClient() :
 }
 
 AudioClient::~AudioClient() {
+    stop();
+    
     if (_gverbLocal) {
         gverb_free(_gverbLocal);
     }
@@ -489,7 +491,6 @@ void AudioClient::start() {
 }
 
 void AudioClient::stop() {
-
     _inputFrameBuffer.finalize();
     _inputGain.finalize();
     _sourceGain.finalize();
diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
index e55a116e06..4f16500103 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ protected:
     AudioClient();
     ~AudioClient();
     
+    virtual void customDeleter() {
+        deleteLater();
+    }
+    
 private:
     void outputFormatChanged();