diff --git a/audio_alsa.c b/audio_alsa.c
index 6b16fef1..83ed20df 100644
--- a/audio_alsa.c
+++ b/audio_alsa.c
@@ -212,11 +212,10 @@ void handle_unfixable_error(int errorCode) {
     if (config.cmd_unfixable) {
       command_execute(config.cmd_unfixable, messageString, 1);
     } else {
-      warn("An unrecoverable error, \"output_device_error_%d\", has been "
+      die("An unrecoverable error, \"output_device_error_%d\", has been "
           "detected. Doing an emergency exit, as no run_this_if_an_unfixable_error_is_detected "
           "program.",
           errorCode);
-      _Exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/common.c b/common.c
index c513077e..6efe070d 100644
--- a/common.c
+++ b/common.c
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ void set_alsa_out_dev(char *);
 #endif
 
 config_t config_file_stuff;
-int type_of_exit_cleanup;
 uint64_t minimum_dac_queue_size;
 
 pthread_mutex_t the_conn_lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
@@ -343,27 +342,6 @@ shairport_cfg config;
 
 sigset_t pselect_sigset;
 
-// note -- don't use this to shutdown from dbus -- see its own code in dbus-service.c
-void sps_shutdown(type_of_exit_type shutdown_type) { // TOE_normal, TOE_emergency
-  type_of_exit_cleanup = shutdown_type;
-  if (type_of_exit_cleanup == TOE_emergency) {
-    debug(1, "emergency shutdown requested");
-    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-  } else {
-    debug(1, "normal shutdown requested");
-    exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
-  }
-}
-
-int usleep_uncancellable(useconds_t usec) {
-  int response;
-  int oldState;
-  pthread_setcancelstate(PTHREAD_CANCEL_DISABLE, &oldState);
-  response = usleep(usec);
-  pthread_setcancelstate(oldState, NULL);
-  return response;
-}
-
 static uint16_t UDPPortIndex = 0;
 
 void resetFreeUDPPort() {
diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index 3c523833..395ca539 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -52,11 +52,6 @@ typedef enum {
 } dbus_message_bus_t;
 #endif
 
-typedef enum {
-  TOE_normal,
-  TOE_emergency,
-} type_of_exit_type;
-
 #define sps_extra_code_output_stalled 32768
 #define sps_extra_code_output_state_cannot_make_ready 32769
 
@@ -558,7 +553,6 @@ uint32_t uatoi(const char *nptr);
 
 extern shairport_cfg config;
 extern config_t config_file_stuff;
-extern int type_of_exit_cleanup; // normal, emergency, dbus requested...
 
 extern uint64_t minimum_dac_queue_size;
 
@@ -581,8 +575,6 @@ void command_set_volume(double volume);
 
 int mkpath(const char *path, mode_t mode);
 
-void sps_shutdown(type_of_exit_type shutdown_type); // TOE_normal, TOE_emergency, TOE_dbus
-
 extern sigset_t pselect_sigset;
 
 extern pthread_mutex_t the_conn_lock;
diff --git a/shairport.c b/shairport.c
index 99129c18..d1a0cbc6 100644
--- a/shairport.c
+++ b/shairport.c
@@ -1890,17 +1890,15 @@ const char *pid_file_proc(void) {
 }
 #endif
 
+
 void exit_rtsp_listener() {
   debug(3, "exit_rtsp_listener begins");
-  if (type_of_exit_cleanup != TOE_emergency) {
-    pthread_cancel(rtsp_listener_thread);
-    pthread_join(rtsp_listener_thread, NULL); // not sure you need this
-  }
+  pthread_cancel(rtsp_listener_thread);
+  pthread_join(rtsp_listener_thread, NULL); // not sure you need this
   debug(2, "exit_rtsp_listener ends");
 }
 
 void exit_function() {
-  if (type_of_exit_cleanup != TOE_emergency) {
     // the following is to ensure that if libdaemon has been included
     // that most of this code will be skipped when the parent process is exiting
     // exec
@@ -2035,6 +2033,8 @@ void exit_function() {
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_LIBDAEMON
     if (this_is_the_daemon_process) { // this is the daemon that is exiting
+      mdns_unregister(); // once the dacp handler is done and all player threrads are done it should
+                       // be safe
       debug(1, "libdaemon daemon process exit");
     } else {
       if (config.daemonise)
@@ -2043,13 +2043,10 @@ void exit_function() {
         debug(1, "normal exit");
     }
 #else
-    mdns_unregister(); // once the dacp handler is done and all player threrads are done it should
+    mdns_unregister(); // once the dacp handler is done and all player threads are done it should
                        // be safe
     debug(2, "normal exit");
 #endif
-  } else {
-    debug(1, "emergency exit");
-  }
 }
 
 // for removing zombie script processes
@@ -2395,7 +2392,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   setlogmask(LOG_UPTO(LOG_DEBUG));
   openlog(NULL, 0, LOG_DAEMON);
 #endif
-  type_of_exit_cleanup = TOE_normal; // what kind of exit cleanup needed
   debug(1, "adding the exit function");
   atexit(exit_function);
 
diff --git a/utilities/debug.c b/utilities/debug.c
index 50ffd37c..75326052 100644
--- a/utilities/debug.c
+++ b/utilities/debug.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ void _die(const char *filename, const int linenumber, const char *format, ...) {
   // syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s", b);
   fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", b);
   pthread_setcancelstate(oldState, NULL);
-  exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+  _Exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
 void _warn(const char *filename, const int linenumber, const char *format, ...) {