diff --git a/librecomp/src/recomp.cpp b/librecomp/src/recomp.cpp
index 850689d6..2ce141e1 100644
--- a/librecomp/src/recomp.cpp
+++ b/librecomp/src/recomp.cpp
@@ -993,6 +993,7 @@ void recomp::start(const recomp::Configuration& cfg) {
 
     game_thread.join();
     ultramodern::join_event_threads();
+    ultramodern::join_timer_thread();
     ultramodern::join_thread_cleaner_thread();
     ultramodern::join_saving_thread();
     
diff --git a/ultramodern/include/ultramodern/ultramodern.hpp b/ultramodern/include/ultramodern/ultramodern.hpp
index 46aea61b..292f449b 100644
--- a/ultramodern/include/ultramodern/ultramodern.hpp
+++ b/ultramodern/include/ultramodern/ultramodern.hpp
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ struct gfx_callbacks_t {
 bool is_game_started();
 void quit();
 void join_event_threads();
+void join_timer_thread();
 void join_thread_cleaner_thread();
 void join_saving_thread();
 
diff --git a/ultramodern/src/mesgqueue.cpp b/ultramodern/src/mesgqueue.cpp
index 9944a02f..f7c14513 100644
--- a/ultramodern/src/mesgqueue.cpp
+++ b/ultramodern/src/mesgqueue.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ struct QueuedMessage {
     bool requeue_if_blocked;
 };
 
-static moodycamel::BlockingConcurrentQueue<QueuedMessage> external_messages {};
+static moodycamel::BlockingConcurrentQueue<QueuedMessage>& external_messages_queue() {
+    static auto *queue = new moodycamel::BlockingConcurrentQueue<QueuedMessage>();
+    return *queue;
+}
 std::bitset<32> requeue_enabled;
 
 void ultramodern::set_message_queue_control(const ultramodern::MessageQueueControl& mqc) {
@@ -28,11 +31,11 @@ void ultramodern::set_message_queue_control(const ultramodern::MessageQueueContr
 }
 
 void ultramodern::enqueue_external_message_src(PTR(OSMesgQueue) mq, OSMesg msg, bool jam, EventMessageSource src) {
-    external_messages.enqueue({mq, msg, jam, requeue_enabled[static_cast<int>(src)]});
+    external_messages_queue().enqueue({mq, msg, jam, requeue_enabled[static_cast<int>(src)]});
 }
 
 void ultramodern::enqueue_external_message(PTR(OSMesgQueue) mq, OSMesg msg, bool jam, bool requeue_if_blocked) {
-    external_messages.enqueue({mq, msg, jam, requeue_if_blocked});
+    external_messages_queue().enqueue({mq, msg, jam, requeue_if_blocked});
 }
 
 bool do_send(RDRAM_ARG PTR(OSMesgQueue) mq_, OSMesg msg, bool jam, bool block);
@@ -40,29 +43,29 @@ bool do_send(RDRAM_ARG PTR(OSMesgQueue) mq_, OSMesg msg, bool jam, bool block);
 void dequeue_external_messages(RDRAM_ARG1) {
     QueuedMessage to_send;
     std::vector<QueuedMessage> requeued_messages{};
-    while (external_messages.try_dequeue(to_send)) {
+    while (external_messages_queue().try_dequeue(to_send)) {
         if (!do_send(PASS_RDRAM to_send.mq, to_send.mesg, to_send.jam, false) && to_send.requeue_if_blocked) {
             requeued_messages.push_back(to_send);
         }
     }
     for (QueuedMessage& cur_mesg : requeued_messages) {
-        external_messages.enqueue(cur_mesg);
+        external_messages_queue().enqueue(cur_mesg);
     }
 }
 
 void ultramodern::wait_for_external_message(RDRAM_ARG1) {
     QueuedMessage to_send;
-    external_messages.wait_dequeue(to_send);
+    external_messages_queue().wait_dequeue(to_send);
     if (!do_send(PASS_RDRAM to_send.mq, to_send.mesg, to_send.jam, false) && to_send.requeue_if_blocked) {
-        external_messages.enqueue(to_send);
+        external_messages_queue().enqueue(to_send);
     }
 }
 
 void ultramodern::wait_for_external_message_timed(RDRAM_ARG u32 millis) {
     QueuedMessage to_send;
-    if (external_messages.wait_dequeue_timed(to_send, std::chrono::milliseconds{millis})) {
+    if (external_messages_queue().wait_dequeue_timed(to_send, std::chrono::milliseconds{millis})) {
         if (!do_send(PASS_RDRAM to_send.mq, to_send.mesg, to_send.jam, false) && to_send.requeue_if_blocked) {
-            external_messages.enqueue(to_send);
+            external_messages_queue().enqueue(to_send);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/ultramodern/src/timer.cpp b/ultramodern/src/timer.cpp
index ee26c453..662c9f59 100644
--- a/ultramodern/src/timer.cpp
+++ b/ultramodern/src/timer.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ struct RemoveTimerAction {
     PTR(OSTimer) timer;
 };
 
-using Action = std::variant<AddTimerAction, RemoveTimerAction>;
+struct StopTimerThreadAction {};
+
+using Action = std::variant<AddTimerAction, RemoveTimerAction, StopTimerThreadAction>;
 
 struct {
     std::thread thread;
@@ -87,6 +89,8 @@ void timer_thread(RDRAM_ARG1) {
     // Ordered set of timers that are currently active
     std::set<PTR(OSTimer), decltype(timer_sort)> active_timers{timer_sort};
     
+    bool stop_requested = false;
+
     // Lambda to process a timer action to handle adding and removing timers
     auto process_timer_action = [&](const Action& action) {
         // Determine the action type and act on it
@@ -94,20 +98,30 @@ void timer_thread(RDRAM_ARG1) {
             active_timers.insert(add_action->timer);
         } else if (const auto* remove_action = std::get_if<RemoveTimerAction>(&action)) {
             active_timers.erase(remove_action->timer);
+        } else if (std::get_if<StopTimerThreadAction>(&action) != nullptr) {
+            stop_requested = true;
         }
     };
 
-    while (true) {
+    while (!stop_requested) {
         // Empty the action queue
         Action cur_action;
         while (timer_context.action_queue.try_dequeue(cur_action)) {
             process_timer_action(cur_action);
         }
 
+        if (stop_requested) {
+            break;
+        }
+
         // If there's no timer to act on, wait for one to come in from the action queue
         while (active_timers.empty()) {
             timer_context.action_queue.wait_dequeue(cur_action);
             process_timer_action(cur_action);
+
+            if (stop_requested) {
+                return;
+            }
         }
 
         // Get the timer that's closest to running out
@@ -142,7 +156,13 @@ void timer_thread(RDRAM_ARG1) {
 
 void ultramodern::init_timers(RDRAM_ARG1) {
     timer_context.thread = std::thread{ timer_thread, PASS_RDRAM1 };
-    timer_context.thread.detach();
+}
+
+void ultramodern::join_timer_thread() {
+    if (timer_context.thread.joinable()) {
+        timer_context.action_queue.enqueue(StopTimerThreadAction{});
+        timer_context.thread.join();
+    }
 }
 
 uint32_t ultramodern::get_speed_multiplier() {