diff --git a/include/sysutils/SocketListener.h b/include/sysutils/SocketListener.h
index 649c89a..c204a0f 100644
--- a/include/sysutils/SocketListener.h
+++ b/include/sysutils/SocketListener.h
@@ -44,10 +44,13 @@
 
     void runOnEachSocket(SocketClientCommand *command);
 
+    bool release(SocketClient *c) { return release(c, true); }
+
 protected:
     virtual bool onDataAvailable(SocketClient *c) = 0;
 
 private:
+    bool release(SocketClient *c, bool wakeup);
     static void *threadStart(void *obj);
     void runListener();
     void init(const char *socketName, int socketFd, bool listen, bool useCmdNum);
diff --git a/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp b/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp
index 1b53867..5c75206 100644
--- a/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp
+++ b/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #include <sysutils/SocketListener.h>
 #include <sysutils/SocketClient.h>
 
+#define CtrlPipe_Shutdown 0
+#define CtrlPipe_Wakeup   1
+
 SocketListener::SocketListener(const char *socketName, bool listen) {
     init(socketName, -1, listen, false);
 }
@@ -101,7 +104,7 @@
 }
 
 int SocketListener::stopListener() {
-    char c = 0;
+    char c = CtrlPipe_Shutdown;
     int  rc;
 
     rc = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(write(mCtrlPipe[1], &c, 1));
@@ -143,7 +146,7 @@
 
 void SocketListener::runListener() {
 
-    SocketClientCollection *pendingList = new SocketClientCollection();
+    SocketClientCollection pendingList;
 
     while(1) {
         SocketClientCollection::iterator it;
@@ -167,8 +170,9 @@
             // NB: calling out to an other object with mClientsLock held (safe)
             int fd = (*it)->getSocket();
             FD_SET(fd, &read_fds);
-            if (fd > max)
+            if (fd > max) {
                 max = fd;
+            }
         }
         pthread_mutex_unlock(&mClientsLock);
         SLOGV("mListen=%d, max=%d, mSocketName=%s", mListen, max, mSocketName);
@@ -181,8 +185,14 @@
         } else if (!rc)
             continue;
 
-        if (FD_ISSET(mCtrlPipe[0], &read_fds))
-            break;
+        if (FD_ISSET(mCtrlPipe[0], &read_fds)) {
+            char c = CtrlPipe_Shutdown;
+            TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(read(mCtrlPipe[0], &c, 1));
+            if (c == CtrlPipe_Shutdown) {
+                break;
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
         if (mListen && FD_ISSET(mSock, &read_fds)) {
             struct sockaddr addr;
             socklen_t alen;
@@ -204,14 +214,14 @@
         }
 
         /* Add all active clients to the pending list first */
-        pendingList->clear();
+        pendingList.clear();
         pthread_mutex_lock(&mClientsLock);
         for (it = mClients->begin(); it != mClients->end(); ++it) {
             SocketClient* c = *it;
             // NB: calling out to an other object with mClientsLock held (safe)
             int fd = c->getSocket();
             if (FD_ISSET(fd, &read_fds)) {
-                pendingList->push_back(c);
+                pendingList.push_back(c);
                 c->incRef();
             }
         }
@@ -219,31 +229,45 @@
 
         /* Process the pending list, since it is owned by the thread,
          * there is no need to lock it */
-        while (!pendingList->empty()) {
+        while (!pendingList.empty()) {
             /* Pop the first item from the list */
-            it = pendingList->begin();
+            it = pendingList.begin();
             SocketClient* c = *it;
-            pendingList->erase(it);
-            /* Process it, if false is returned and our sockets are
-             * connection-based, remove and destroy it */
-            if (!onDataAvailable(c) && mListen) {
-                /* Remove the client from our array */
-                SLOGV("going to zap %d for %s", c->getSocket(), mSocketName);
-                pthread_mutex_lock(&mClientsLock);
-                for (it = mClients->begin(); it != mClients->end(); ++it) {
-                    if (*it == c) {
-                        mClients->erase(it);
-                        break;
-                    }
-                }
-                pthread_mutex_unlock(&mClientsLock);
-                /* Remove our reference to the client */
-                c->decRef();
+            pendingList.erase(it);
+            /* Process it, if false is returned, remove from list */
+            if (!onDataAvailable(c)) {
+                release(c, false);
             }
             c->decRef();
         }
     }
-    delete pendingList;
+}
+
+bool SocketListener::release(SocketClient* c, bool wakeup) {
+    bool ret = false;
+    /* if our sockets are connection-based, remove and destroy it */
+    if (mListen && c) {
+        /* Remove the client from our array */
+        SLOGV("going to zap %d for %s", c->getSocket(), mSocketName);
+        pthread_mutex_lock(&mClientsLock);
+        SocketClientCollection::iterator it;
+        for (it = mClients->begin(); it != mClients->end(); ++it) {
+            if (*it == c) {
+                mClients->erase(it);
+                ret = true;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&mClientsLock);
+        if (ret) {
+            ret = c->decRef();
+            if (wakeup) {
+                char b = CtrlPipe_Wakeup;
+                TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(write(mCtrlPipe[1], &b, 1));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return ret;
 }
 
 void SocketListener::sendBroadcast(int code, const char *msg, bool addErrno) {