diff --git a/library/Console-posix.cpp b/library/Console-posix.cpp
index 9c244de10..a2f59077d 100644
--- a/library/Console-posix.cpp
+++ b/library/Console-posix.cpp
@@ -730,8 +730,7 @@ Console::Console()
 }
 Console::~Console()
 {
-    if(inited)
-        shutdown();
+    assert(!inited);
     if(wlock)
         delete wlock;
     if(d)
@@ -768,11 +767,6 @@ bool Console::shutdown(void)
     if(!d)
         return true;
     lock_guard <recursive_mutex> g(*wlock);
-    if(d->rawmode)
-        d->disable_raw();
-    d->print("\n");
-    inited = false;
-    // kill the thing
     close(d->exit_pipe[1]);
     return true;
 }
@@ -854,8 +848,16 @@ int Console::lineedit(const std::string & prompt, std::string & output, CommandH
 {
     lock_guard <recursive_mutex> g(*wlock);
     int ret = -2;
-    if(inited)
+    if(inited) {
         ret = d->lineedit(prompt,output,wlock,ch);
+        if (ret == -2) {
+            // kill the thing
+            if(d->rawmode)
+                d->disable_raw();
+            d->print("\n");
+            inited = false;
+        }
+    }
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/library/Console-windows.cpp b/library/Console-windows.cpp
index 3caacd924..f3771f4ff 100644
--- a/library/Console-windows.cpp
+++ b/library/Console-windows.cpp
@@ -285,7 +285,10 @@ namespace DFHack
                 INPUT_RECORD rec;
                 DWORD count;
                 lock->unlock();
-                ReadConsoleInputA(console_in, &rec, 1, &count);
+                if (ReadConsoleInputA(console_in, &rec, 1, &count) != 0) {
+                    lock->lock();
+                    return -2;
+                }
                 lock->lock();
                 if (rec.EventType != KEY_EVENT || !rec.Event.KeyEvent.bKeyDown)
                     continue;
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index fccf3fa0e..d584cb891 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ struct Core::Private
     Core::Cond core_cond;
     thread::id df_suspend_thread;
     int df_suspend_depth;
+    std::thread iothread;
 
     Private() {
         df_suspend_depth = 0;
@@ -1476,6 +1477,12 @@ void fIOthread(void * iodata)
     }
 }
 
+Core::~Core()
+{
+    if (d->iothread.joinable())
+        con.shutdown();
+    delete d;
+}
 
 Core::Core() :
     d{new Private},
@@ -1739,12 +1746,12 @@ bool Core::Init()
     {
         cerr << "Starting IO thread.\n";
         // create IO thread
-        new thread(fIOthread, (void *) temp);
+        d->iothread = std::thread{fIOthread, (void*)temp};
     }
     else
     {
-        cerr << "Starting dfhack.init thread.\n";
-        new thread(fInitthread, (void *) temp);
+        std::cerr << "Starting dfhack.init thread.\n";
+        d->iothread = std::thread{fInitthread, (void*)temp};
     }
 
     cerr << "Starting DF input capture thread.\n";
@@ -2339,9 +2346,14 @@ void Core::onStateChange(color_ostream &out, state_change_event event)
     handleLoadAndUnloadScripts(out, event);
 }
 
-// FIXME: needs to terminate the IO threads and properly dismantle all the machinery involved.
 int Core::Shutdown ( void )
 {
+    // Make sure the console thread shutdowns before clean up to avoid any
+    // unlikely data races.
+    if (d->iothread.joinable()) {
+        con.shutdown();
+        d->iothread.join();
+    }
     if(errorstate)
         return true;
     errorstate = 1;
@@ -2358,7 +2370,6 @@ int Core::Shutdown ( void )
     }
     allModules.clear();
     memset(&(s_mods), 0, sizeof(s_mods));
-    con.shutdown();
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/library/include/Core.h b/library/include/Core.h
index a8bbb9c41..6e3bd718e 100644
--- a/library/include/Core.h
+++ b/library/include/Core.h
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ namespace DFHack
         DFHack::Console con;
 
         Core();
+        ~Core();
 
         struct Private;
         Private *d;