diff --git a/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QNode.java b/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QNode.java
index 1cf3c7db7..a64807733 100644
--- a/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QNode.java
+++ b/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QNode.java
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ public abstract class QNode extends Thread
      */
 
     public String nodeType = "(base)";
+    
+    public boolean isRunning;
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------------
     // CONSTRUCTORS
@@ -580,6 +582,13 @@ public abstract class QNode extends Thread
         System.out.println("scheduleStartupJobs: c<p="+updateCatalogFromPeers+", isClient="+isClient);
     }
 
+    public void scheduleShutdown()
+    {
+        Hashtable job = new Hashtable();
+        job.put("cmd", "shutdown");
+        runAfter(1000, job, "shutdown");
+    }
+
     public void schedulePeerUploadJob(QDataItem item)
     {
         String uri = (String)item.get("uri");
@@ -790,6 +799,8 @@ public abstract class QNode extends Thread
     {
         log.info("Starting background tasks");
         
+        isRunning = true;
+        
         // mark our start time
         nodeStartTime = new Date();
         
@@ -833,7 +844,7 @@ public abstract class QNode extends Thread
 
         // fetch items from the job queue, and launch
         // threads to execute them
-        while (true)
+        while (isRunning)
         {
             // get a thread slot from the thread pool
             try {
diff --git a/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QServerMethods.java b/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QServerMethods.java
index 84385d452..3ed226b8d 100644
--- a/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QServerMethods.java
+++ b/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QServerMethods.java
@@ -341,13 +341,15 @@ public class QServerMethods {
         //System.out.println("shutdown: our privkey="+node.privKeyStr);
         //System.out.println("shutdown: nodePrivKey="+nodePrivKey);
         if (nodePrivKey.equals(node.privKeyStr)) {
+
+            res.put("status", "ok");
+            //node.scheduleShutdown();
             // get a runtime
-            System.out.println("Node at "+node.dataDir+" shutting down");
+            //System.out.println("Node at "+node.dataDir+" shutting down");
             Runtime r = Runtime.getRuntime();
-            
             // and terminate the vm
-            r.exit(0);
-            //r.halt(0);
+            //r.exit(0);
+            r.halt(0);
         }
         else {
             res.put("status", "error");
diff --git a/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QWorkerThread.java b/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QWorkerThread.java
index 6340115dd..2123ad78d 100644
--- a/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QWorkerThread.java
+++ b/apps/q/java/src/net/i2p/aum/q/QWorkerThread.java
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ class QWorkerThread extends Thread {
             else if (cmd.equals("test")) {
                 doTest();
             }
+            else if (cmd.equals("shutdown")) {
+                doShutdown();
+            }
             else {
                 node.log.error("workerthread.run: unrecognised command '"+cmd+"'");
                 System.out.println("workerthread.run: unrecognised command '"+cmd+"'");
@@ -90,6 +93,21 @@ class QWorkerThread extends Thread {
         System.out.println("TESTJOB: msg='"+msg+"'");
     }
     
+    public void doShutdown() throws Exception {
+        
+        try {
+            new File(node.jobsDir + node.sep + jobTime).delete();
+            new File(node.jobsDir + node.sep + jobTime + ".desc").delete();
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        }
+
+        SimpleFile f = new SimpleFile("/tmp/eeee", "rws");
+        f.write("xxx");
+        node.isRunning = false;
+        Runtime.getRuntime().halt(0);
+    }
+    
     public void doLocalPutItem() throws Exception {
         Hashtable metadata = (Hashtable)job.get("metadata");
         String path = (String)job.get("localDataFilePath");