diff --git a/espeakup.c b/espeakup.c
index abcc66b..34c1257 100644
--- a/espeakup.c
+++ b/espeakup.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ void espeakup_sighandler(int sig)
 		printf("Caught signal %i\n", sig);
 
 	/* clear the queue */
-	queue_clear();
+	stop_runner();
 
 	/* shut down espeak and close the softsynth */
 	espeak_Terminate();
diff --git a/espeakup.h b/espeakup.h
index feafa6f..5433a77 100644
--- a/espeakup.h
+++ b/espeakup.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ extern espeak_ERROR stop_speech(void);
 extern espeak_ERROR speak_text(struct synth_t *s);
 extern int open_softsynth(void);
 extern void close_softsynth(void);
+extern void stop_runner(void);
 extern void main_loop(struct synth_t *s);
 extern void *queue_runner(void *arg);
 extern void select_audio_mode(void);
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ extern int init_audio(unsigned int rate);
 extern void lock_audio_mutex(void);
 extern void unlock_audio_mutex(void);
 extern volatile int stopped;
+extern volatile int runner_must_stop;
 
 extern espeak_AUDIO_OUTPUT audio_mode;
 #endif
diff --git a/queue.c b/queue.c
index 5e96c91..002ad61 100644
--- a/queue.c
+++ b/queue.c
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 #include "espeakup.h"
 
 pthread_cond_t runner_awake = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
+pthread_cond_t stop_acknowledged = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
 pthread_mutex_t queue_guard = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+pthread_mutex_t stop_guard = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
 struct queue_entry_t {
 	enum command_t cmd;
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ struct queue_entry_t {
 	struct queue_entry_t *next;
 };
 
+volatile int runner_must_stop = 0;
 static struct queue_entry_t *first = NULL;
 static struct queue_entry_t *last = NULL;
 
@@ -67,7 +70,7 @@ static void free_entry(struct queue_entry_t *entry)
 /* Remove and return the entry at the head of the queue.
  * Return NULL if queue is empty. */
 
-static void  queue_remove(void)
+static void queue_remove(void)
 {
 	struct queue_entry_t *temp;
 
@@ -84,12 +87,10 @@ void queue_clear(void)
 {
 	struct queue_entry_t *temp;
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&queue_guard);
 	while (last) {
 		temp = last->next;
 		queue_remove();
 	}
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&queue_guard);
 	/* We aren't adding data to the queue, so no need to signal. */
 }
 
@@ -132,42 +133,58 @@ void queue_add_text(char *txt, size_t length)
 static void queue_process_entry(struct synth_t *s)
 {
 	espeak_ERROR error;
+	struct queue_entry_t *current = last;
 
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&queue_guard);	/* So "reader" can go. */
-
-	if (last) {
-		switch (last->cmd) {
+	if (current) {
+		switch (current->cmd) {
 		case CMD_SET_FREQUENCY:
-			error = set_frequency(s, last->value, last->adjust);
+			error = set_frequency(s, current->value, current->adjust);
 			break;
 		case CMD_SET_PITCH:
-			error = set_pitch(s, last->value, last->adjust);
+			error = set_pitch(s, current->value, current->adjust);
 			break;
 		case CMD_SET_PUNCTUATION:
-			error = set_punctuation(s, last->value, last->adjust);
+			error = set_punctuation(s, current->value, current->adjust);
 			break;
 		case CMD_SET_RATE:
-			error = set_rate(s, last->value, last->adjust);
+			error = set_rate(s, current->value, current->adjust);
 			break;
 		case CMD_SET_VOICE:
 			break;
 		case CMD_SET_VOLUME:
-			error = set_volume(s, last->value, last->adjust);
+			error = set_volume(s, current->value, current->adjust);
 			break;
 		case CMD_SPEAK_TEXT:
-			s->buf = last->buf;
-			s->len = last->len;
+			s->buf = current->buf;
+			s->len = current->len;
 			error = speak_text(s);
 			break;
 		default:
 			break;
 		}
 
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&queue_guard);
 		if (error == EE_OK)
 			queue_remove();
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&queue_guard);
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * Tell the runner to stop speech and clear its queue.
+ */
+void stop_runner(void)
+{
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&stop_guard);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&queue_guard);
+	runner_must_stop = 1;
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&queue_guard);
+	pthread_cond_signal(&runner_awake);	/* Wake runner, if necessary. */
+	pthread_cond_wait(&stop_acknowledged, &stop_guard);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&stop_guard);
+}
+
 /* queue_runner is the "main" function of our secondary (queue-processing)
  * thread.
  * First, lock queue_guard, because it needs to be locked when we call
@@ -195,10 +212,19 @@ void *queue_runner(void *arg)
 	while (1) {
 		pthread_cond_wait(&runner_awake, &queue_guard);
 
-		while (last) {
+		while (last && ! runner_must_stop ) {
 			queue_process_entry(synth);
 			pthread_mutex_lock(&queue_guard);
 		}
+
+		if (runner_must_stop) {
+			pthread_mutex_lock(&stop_guard);
+			queue_clear();
+			stop_speech();
+			runner_must_stop = 0;
+			pthread_mutex_unlock(&stop_guard);
+			pthread_cond_signal(&stop_acknowledged);
+		}
 	}
 
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/softsynth.c b/softsynth.c
index f10f000..1a93edb 100644
--- a/softsynth.c
+++ b/softsynth.c
@@ -173,8 +173,7 @@ void main_loop(struct synth_t *s)
 		*(buf + length) = 0;
 		cp = strrchr(buf, synthFlushChar);
 		if (cp) {
-			queue_clear();
-			stop_speech();
+			stop_runner();
 			memmove(buf, cp + 1, strlen(cp + 1) + 1);
 			length = strlen(buf);
 		}