diff --git a/include/dpp/queues.h b/include/dpp/queues.h
index 1ae28b5400..1ccb0fd47c 100644
--- a/include/dpp/queues.h
+++ b/include/dpp/queues.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <functional>
 #include <condition_variable>
+#include <atomic>
 
 namespace dpp {
 
@@ -407,7 +408,7 @@ class DPP_EXPORT in_thread {
 	/**
 	 * @brief True if ending.
 	 */
-	bool terminating;
+	std::atomic<bool> terminating;
 
 	/**
 	 * @brief Request queue that owns this in_thread.
@@ -465,6 +466,12 @@ class DPP_EXPORT in_thread {
 	 */
 	~in_thread();
 
+	/**
+	 * @brief Terminates the thread
+	 * This will end the thread that is owned by this object, but will not join it.
+	 */
+	void terminate();
+
 	/**
 	 * @brief Post a http_request to this thread.
 	 * 
@@ -551,7 +558,7 @@ class DPP_EXPORT request_queue {
 	 * 2) Requests for different endpoints go into different buckets, so that they may be requested in parallel
 	 * A global ratelimit event pauses all threads in the pool. These are few and far between.
 	 */
-	std::vector<in_thread*> requests_in;
+	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<in_thread>> requests_in;
 
 	/**
 	 * @brief A request queued for deletion in the queue.
@@ -590,7 +597,7 @@ class DPP_EXPORT request_queue {
 	/**
 	 * @brief Set to true if the threads should terminate
 	 */
-	bool terminating;
+	std::atomic<bool> terminating;
 
 	/**
 	 * @brief True if globally rate limited - makes the entire request thread wait
diff --git a/src/dpp/queues.cpp b/src/dpp/queues.cpp
index b6d691210a..c18405f098 100644
--- a/src/dpp/queues.cpp
+++ b/src/dpp/queues.cpp
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ http_request_completion_t http_request::run(cluster* owner) {
 request_queue::request_queue(class cluster* owner, uint32_t request_threads) : creator(owner), terminating(false), globally_ratelimited(false), globally_limited_for(0), in_thread_pool_size(request_threads)
 {
 	for (uint32_t in_alloc = 0; in_alloc < in_thread_pool_size; ++in_alloc) {
-		requests_in.push_back(new in_thread(owner, this, in_alloc));
+		requests_in.push_back(std::make_unique<in_thread>(owner, this, in_alloc));
 	}
 	out_thread = new std::thread(&request_queue::out_loop, this);
 }
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ request_queue::request_queue(class cluster* owner, uint32_t request_threads) : c
 request_queue& request_queue::add_request_threads(uint32_t request_threads)
 {
 	for (uint32_t in_alloc_ex = 0; in_alloc_ex < request_threads; ++in_alloc_ex) {
-		requests_in.push_back(new in_thread(creator, this, in_alloc_ex + in_thread_pool_size));
+		requests_in.push_back(std::make_unique<in_thread>(creator, this, in_alloc_ex + in_thread_pool_size));
 	}
 	in_thread_pool_size += request_threads;
 	return *this;
@@ -227,16 +227,24 @@ in_thread::in_thread(class cluster* owner, class request_queue* req_q, uint32_t
 
 in_thread::~in_thread()
 {
-	terminating = true;
-	in_ready.notify_one();
+	terminate();
 	in_thr->join();
 	delete in_thr;
 }
 
+void in_thread::terminate()
+{
+	terminating.store(true, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+	in_ready.notify_one();
+}
+
 request_queue::~request_queue()
 {
-	terminating = true;
+	terminating.store(true, std::memory_order_relaxed);
 	out_ready.notify_one();
+	for (auto& in_thr : requests_in) {
+		in_thr->terminate(); // signal all of them here, otherwise they will all join 1 by 1 and it will take forever
+	}
 	out_thread->join();
 	delete out_thread;
 }
@@ -284,7 +292,7 @@ struct compare_request {
 void in_thread::in_loop(uint32_t index)
 {
 	utility::set_thread_name(std::string("http_req/") + std::to_string(index));
-	while (!terminating) {
+	while (!terminating.load(std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
 		std::mutex mtx;
 		std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock{ mtx };
 		in_ready.wait_for(lock, std::chrono::seconds(1));
@@ -397,7 +405,7 @@ bool request_queue::queued_deleting_request::operator<(time_t time) const noexce
 void request_queue::out_loop()
 {
 	utility::set_thread_name("req_callback");
-	while (!terminating) {
+	while (!terminating.load(std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
 
 		std::mutex mtx;
 		std::unique_lock lock{ mtx };