diff --git a/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.c b/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.c
index 90693b7a..23f94a79 100644
--- a/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.c
+++ b/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct IVSHMEMClient
 struct IVSHMEM
 {
   bool                   connected;
+  bool                   shutdown;
   int                    socket;
   struct IVSHMEMServer   server;
   struct IVSHMEMClient * clients;
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ struct IVSHMEM
 struct IVSHMEM ivshmem =
 {
   .connected = false,
+  .shutdown  = false,
   .socket    = -1
 };
 
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ void ivshmem_remove_client(struct IVSHMEMClient * client);
 
 bool ivshmem_connect(const char * unix_socket)
 {
+  ivshmem.shutdown = false;
   ivshmem.socket = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
   if (ivshmem.socket < 0)
   {
@@ -177,6 +180,8 @@ void ivshmem_cleanup()
 
   if (ivshmem.socket >= 0)
   {
+    ivshmem.shutdown = true;
+    shutdown(ivshmem.socket, SHUT_RDWR);
     close(ivshmem.socket);
     ivshmem.socket = -1;
   }
@@ -186,7 +191,7 @@ void ivshmem_cleanup()
 
 // ============================================================================
 
-void ivshmem_close()
+void ivshmem_disconnect()
 {
   if (!ivshmem.connected)
   {
@@ -250,13 +255,15 @@ bool ivshmem_read_msg(int64_t * index, int * fd)
   int ret = recvmsg(ivshmem.socket, &msg, 0);
   if (ret < sizeof(*index))
   {
-    DEBUG_ERROR("failed ot read message\n");
+    if (!ivshmem.shutdown)
+      DEBUG_ERROR("failed to read message\n");
     return false;
   }
 
   if (ret == 0)
   {
-    DEBUG_ERROR("lost connetion to server\n");
+    if (!ivshmem.shutdown)
+      DEBUG_ERROR("lost connetion to server\n");
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -279,6 +286,17 @@ bool ivshmem_read_msg(int64_t * index, int * fd)
   return true;
 }
 
+uint16_t ivshmem_get_id()
+{
+  if (!ivshmem.connected)
+  {
+    DEBUG_ERROR("not connected");
+    return -1;
+  }
+
+  return ivshmem.server.clientID;
+}
+
 // ============================================================================
 
 void * ivshmem_get_map()
@@ -378,7 +396,8 @@ bool ivshmem_process()
 
   if (!ivshmem_read_msg(&index, &fd))
   {
-    DEBUG_ERROR("failed to read message");
+    if (!ivshmem.shutdown)
+      DEBUG_ERROR("failed to read message");
     return false;
   }
 
diff --git a/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.h b/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.h
index 738f72e2..ff7e92de 100644
--- a/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.h
+++ b/client/ivshmem/ivshmem.h
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
 bool ivshmem_connect(const char * unix_socket);
-void ivshmem_close();
+void ivshmem_disconnect();
 bool ivshmem_process();
 
-void * ivshmem_get_map();
-size_t ivshmem_get_map_size();
\ No newline at end of file
+uint16_t ivshmem_get_id();
+void *   ivshmem_get_map();
+size_t   ivshmem_get_map_size();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/main.c b/client/main.c
index e8b8f20a..df0db640 100644
--- a/client/main.c
+++ b/client/main.c
@@ -327,13 +327,32 @@ int renderThread(void * unused)
   return 0;
 }
 
+int ivshmemThread(void * arg)
+{
+  while(state.running)
+    if (!ivshmem_process())
+    {
+      if (state.running)
+      {
+        state.running = false;
+        DEBUG_ERROR("failed to process ivshmem messages");
+      }
+      break;
+    }
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
 int spiceThread(void * arg)
 {
   while(state.running)
     if (!spice_process())
     {
-      state.running = false;
-      DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to process spice messages");
+      if (state.running)
+      {
+        state.running = false;
+        DEBUG_ERROR("failed to process spice messages");
+      }
       break;
     }
 
@@ -463,9 +482,10 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
   memset(&state, 0, sizeof(state));
   state.running = true;
 
-  int         shm_fd  = 0;
-  SDL_Thread *t_spice = NULL;
-  SDL_Thread *t_event = NULL;
+  int         shm_fd    = 0;
+  SDL_Thread *t_ivshmem = NULL;
+  SDL_Thread *t_spice   = NULL;
+  SDL_Thread *t_event   = NULL;
 
   while(1)
   {
@@ -475,6 +495,12 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
       break;
     }
 
+    if (!(t_ivshmem = SDL_CreateThread(ivshmemThread, "ivshmemThread", NULL)))
+    {
+      DEBUG_ERROR("ivshmem create thread failed");
+      break;
+    }
+
     state.shm = (struct KVMGFXHeader *)ivshmem_get_map();
     if (!state.shm)
     {
@@ -519,6 +545,12 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
   if (t_event)
     SDL_WaitThread(t_event, NULL);
 
+  // this needs to happen here to abort any waiting reads
+  // as ivshmem uses recvmsg which has no timeout
+  ivshmem_disconnect();
+  if (t_ivshmem)
+    SDL_WaitThread(t_ivshmem, NULL);
+
   if (t_spice)
     SDL_WaitThread(t_spice, NULL);