diff --git a/build.properties b/build.properties
index a942cce11..acf5bde47 100644
--- a/build.properties
+++ b/build.properties
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ javacSource=1.5
 javacTarget=1.5
 
 # Release Configuration
-releaseVersion=0.96
+releaseVersion=0.97
 stdReleaseFile=yacy_v${releaseVersion}_${DSTAMP}_${releaseNr}.tar.gz
 sourceReleaseFile=yacy_src_v${releaseVersion}_${DSTAMP}_${releaseNr}.tar.gz
 releaseFileParentDir=yacy
diff --git a/source/net/yacy/gui/YaCyApp.java b/source/net/yacy/gui/YaCyApp.java
index 554e0358e..fc5b7d0cd 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/gui/YaCyApp.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/gui/YaCyApp.java
@@ -130,15 +130,15 @@ public class YaCyApp {
         
         // registering shutdown hook
         log.info("Registering Shutdown Hook");
-        Switchboard.addShutdownHook(Thread.currentThread());
-    
-        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+        Thread t = new Thread() {
             public void run() {
                 app = new Application("YaCy GUI", operation, menues, new InfoPage("localhost", 8080));
                 app.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
                 app.setVisible(true);
             }
-        });
+        };
+        Switchboard.addShutdownHook(t, net.yacy.yacy.shutdownSemaphore);
+        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(t);
     }
     
     public static void main(String[] args) {
diff --git a/source/net/yacy/gui/framework/Switchboard.java b/source/net/yacy/gui/framework/Switchboard.java
index 8842c2d42..2e597d902 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/gui/framework/Switchboard.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/gui/framework/Switchboard.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import java.io.FileInputStream;
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Properties;
+import java.util.concurrent.Semaphore;
 
 import javax.swing.text.JTextComponent;
 
@@ -64,10 +65,10 @@ public class Switchboard {
         new InfoUpdater(2000).start();
     }
     
-    public static void addShutdownHook(Thread mainThread) {
+    public static void addShutdownHook(Thread mainThread, Semaphore semaphore) {
         // registering shutdown hook
         final Runtime run = Runtime.getRuntime();
-        run.addShutdownHook(new shutdownHookThread(mainThread));
+        run.addShutdownHook(new shutdownHookThread(mainThread, semaphore));
     }
     
     public static JTextComponent InfoBox = null;
@@ -98,14 +99,16 @@ public class Switchboard {
     
     /**
     * This class is a helper class whose instance is started, when the java virtual
-    * machine shuts down. Signals the plasmaSwitchboard to shut down.
+    * machine shuts down. Signals the Switchboard to shut down.
     */
     public static class shutdownHookThread extends Thread {
         private final Thread mainThread;
+        private final Semaphore shutdownSemaphore;
 
-        public shutdownHookThread(final Thread mainThread) {
+        public shutdownHookThread(final Thread mainThread, Semaphore semaphore) {
             super();
             this.mainThread = mainThread;
+            this.shutdownSemaphore = semaphore;
         }
 
         public void run() {
@@ -118,10 +121,18 @@ public class Switchboard {
                     shutdown();
                     
                     // waiting for the main thread to finish execution
-                    log.info("Waiting for main thread to finish.");
+                    log.info("Waiting for GUI thread to finish.");
+                    this.mainThread.interrupt();
                     if (this.mainThread != null && this.mainThread.isAlive()) {
                         this.mainThread.join();
                     }
+                    // wait until everything is written
+                    log.info("Waiting for main thread to finish. shutdownSemaphore.permits = " + shutdownSemaphore.availablePermits());
+                    shutdownSemaphore.acquireUninterruptibly();
+                    //log.info("Aquired shutdown semaphore. remaining permits = " + shutdownSemaphore.availablePermits());
+                    
+                    // finished
+                    log.info("Shutdown Hook Terminated. Shutdown.");
                 }
             } catch (final Exception e) {
                 log.info("Unexpected error. " + e.getClass().getName(),e);
diff --git a/source/net/yacy/yacy.java b/source/net/yacy/yacy.java
index 403138291..135278a75 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/yacy.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/yacy.java
@@ -131,24 +131,13 @@ public final class yacy {
     public static final String vDATE   = yacyBuildProperties.getBuildDate();
     public static final String copyright = "[ YaCy v" + vString + ", build " + vDATE + " by Michael Christen / www.yacy.net ]";
     public static final String hline = "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------";
-   
+    public static final Semaphore shutdownSemaphore = new Semaphore(0);
+    
     /**
      * a reference to the {@link Switchboard} created by the
      * {@link yacy#startup(String, long, long)} method.
      */
     private static Switchboard sb = null;
-    
-    /**
-     * Semaphore needed by {@link yacy#setUpdaterCallback(serverUpdaterCallback)} to block 
-     * until the {@link plasmaSwitchboard }object was created.
-     */
-    //private static serverSemaphore sbSync = new serverSemaphore(0);
-    
-    /**
-     * Semaphore needed by {@link yacy#waitForFinishedStartup()} to block 
-     * until startup has finished
-     */
-    private static Semaphore startupFinishedSync = new Semaphore(0);
 
     /**
     * Starts up the whole application. Sets up all datastructures and starts
@@ -393,9 +382,6 @@ public final class yacy {
                     sb.setConfig("memoryFreeAfterInitAGC", MemoryControl.free());
                     sb.setConfig("memoryTotalAfterInitAGC", MemoryControl.total());
                 //} catch (ConcurrentModificationException e) {}
-                
-                // signal finished startup
-                startupFinishedSync.release();
                     
                 // wait for server shutdown
                 try {
@@ -438,10 +424,10 @@ public final class yacy {
         } catch (final Exception ee) {
             Log.logSevere("STARTUP", "FATAL ERROR: " + ee.getMessage(),ee);
         } finally {
-        	startupFinishedSync.release();
         }
         Log.logConfig("SHUTDOWN", "goodbye. (this is the last line)");
         Log.shutdown();
+        shutdownSemaphore.release(1000);
         try {
             System.exit(0);
         } catch (Exception e) {} // was once stopped by de.anomic.net.ftpc$sm.checkExit(ftpc.java:1790)