diff --git a/src/Compositor.cpp b/src/Compositor.cpp
index 55d8afe72..5259ed374 100644
--- a/src/Compositor.cpp
+++ b/src/Compositor.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ int handleCritSignal(int signo, void* data) {
 CCompositor::CCompositor() {
     wlr_log_init(WLR_INFO, NULL);
 
+    m_iHyprlandPID = getpid();
+
     m_szInstanceSignature = GIT_COMMIT_HASH + std::string("_") + std::to_string(time(NULL));
 
     setenv("HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE", m_szInstanceSignature.c_str(), true);
@@ -27,6 +29,8 @@ CCompositor::CCompositor() {
 
     Debug::log(LOG, "Instance Signature: %s", m_szInstanceSignature.c_str());
 
+    Debug::log(LOG, "Hyprland PID: %i", m_iHyprlandPID);
+
     Debug::log(LOG, "===== SYSTEM INFO: =====");
 
     logSystemInfo();
@@ -236,6 +240,17 @@ void CCompositor::cleanup() {
     m_pLastFocus = nullptr;
     m_pLastWindow = nullptr;
 
+    // accumulate all PIDs for killing, also request closing.
+    for (auto& w : m_vWindows) {
+        m_dProcessPIDsOnShutdown.push_back(w->getPID());
+
+        closeWindow(w.get());
+    }
+
+    // end threads
+    g_pEventManager->m_tThread = std::thread();
+    HyprCtl::tThread = std::thread();
+
     m_vWorkspaces.clear();
     m_vWindows.clear();
 
@@ -254,6 +269,9 @@ void CCompositor::cleanup() {
     wl_display_terminate(m_sWLDisplay);
 
     m_bIsShuttingDown = true;
+
+    g_pKeybindManager->spawn("sleep 5 && kill -9 " + std::to_string(m_iHyprlandPID));  // this is to prevent that random "freezing"
+                                                                                       // the PID should not be reused.
 }
 
 void CCompositor::startCompositor() {
diff --git a/src/Compositor.hpp b/src/Compositor.hpp
index 2a8c7fcb7..45d108cf3 100644
--- a/src/Compositor.hpp
+++ b/src/Compositor.hpp
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public:
     bool                    m_bDPMSStateON = true;
     bool                    m_bUnsafeState = false; // unsafe state is when there is no monitors.
     bool                    m_bIsShuttingDown = false;
+    std::deque<uint64_t>    m_dProcessPIDsOnShutdown; // stores PIDs of apps to kill later when shutting down
 
     // ------------------------------------------------- //
 
@@ -172,7 +173,9 @@ public:
 
 private:
     void                    initAllSignals();
-    void                    setRandomSplash();    
+    void                    setRandomSplash();   
+
+    uint64_t                m_iHyprlandPID = 0; 
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp b/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
index 6b89b3c65..2cf2781ee 100644
--- a/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
+++ b/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ std::string getRequestFromThread(std::string rq) {
 }
 
 void HyprCtl::startHyprCtlSocket() {
-    std::thread([&]() {
+    tThread = std::thread([&]() {
         const auto SOCKET = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 
         if (SOCKET < 0) {
@@ -806,5 +806,7 @@ void HyprCtl::startHyprCtlSocket() {
         }
 
         close(SOCKET);
-    }).detach();
+    });
+
+    tThread.detach();
 }
diff --git a/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp b/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp
index 60559e9f1..b717f50fd 100644
--- a/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp
+++ b/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ namespace HyprCtl {
 
     inline std::ifstream requestStream;
 
+    inline std::thread tThread;
+
     enum eHyprCtlOutputFormat {
         FORMAT_NORMAL = 0,
         FORMAT_JSON
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index b131e59aa..4c61f3807 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     Debug::log(LOG, "Hyprland reached the end.");
 
     wl_display_destroy_clients(g_pCompositor->m_sWLDisplay);
+
+    // kill all clients
+    for (auto& c : g_pCompositor->m_dProcessPIDsOnShutdown)
+        kill(c, SIGKILL);
+
     wl_display_destroy(g_pCompositor->m_sWLDisplay);
 
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/src/managers/EventManager.cpp b/src/managers/EventManager.cpp
index 2b2598e1f..98dd5049d 100644
--- a/src/managers/EventManager.cpp
+++ b/src/managers/EventManager.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ CEventManager::CEventManager() {
 }
 
 void CEventManager::startThread() {
-    std::thread([&]() {
+    m_tThread = std::thread([&]() {
         const auto SOCKET = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 
         if (SOCKET < 0) {
@@ -101,13 +101,15 @@ void CEventManager::startThread() {
         }
 
         close(SOCKET);
-    }).detach();
+    });
+
+    m_tThread.detach();
 }
 
 void CEventManager::postEvent(const SHyprIPCEvent event, bool force) {
 
-    if (m_bIgnoreEvents && !force) {
-        Debug::log(WARN, "Suppressed (ignoreevents true) event of type %s, content: %s",event.event.c_str(), event.data.c_str());
+    if ((m_bIgnoreEvents && !force) || g_pCompositor->m_bIsShuttingDown) {
+        Debug::log(WARN, "Suppressed (ignoreevents true / shutting down) event of type %s, content: %s",event.event.c_str(), event.data.c_str());
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/managers/EventManager.hpp b/src/managers/EventManager.hpp
index b9598bcaf..c386a260a 100644
--- a/src/managers/EventManager.hpp
+++ b/src/managers/EventManager.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ public:
 
     bool m_bIgnoreEvents = false;
 
+    std::thread m_tThread;
+
 private:
 
     std::mutex eventQueueMutex;