diff --git a/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py b/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py
index fda5216a..9554fa3f 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@ import threading
 from spotify.manager import SpotifySessionManager
 
 from mopidy import get_version, settings
-from mopidy.models import Playlist
 from mopidy.backends.libspotify.translator import LibspotifyTranslator
+from mopidy.models import Playlist
+from mopidy.utils.process import BaseThread
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.backends.libspotify.session_manager')
 
-class LibspotifySessionManager(SpotifySessionManager, threading.Thread):
+class LibspotifySessionManager(SpotifySessionManager, BaseThread):
     cache_location = os.path.expanduser(settings.SPOTIFY_LIB_CACHE)
     settings_location = os.path.expanduser(settings.SPOTIFY_LIB_CACHE)
     appkey_file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'spotify_appkey.key')
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ class LibspotifySessionManager(SpotifySessionManager, threading.Thread):
 
     def __init__(self, username, password, core_queue, output):
         SpotifySessionManager.__init__(self, username, password)
-        threading.Thread.__init__(self)
+        BaseThread.__init__(self)
         self.name = 'LibspotifySMThread'
         # Run as a daemon thread, so Mopidy won't wait for this thread to exit
         # before Mopidy exits.
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ class LibspotifySessionManager(SpotifySessionManager, threading.Thread):
         self.connected = threading.Event()
         self.session = None
 
-    def run(self):
+    def run_inside_try(self):
         self.connect()
 
     def logged_in(self, session, error):
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py b/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py
index 03aebc45..bba69a5b 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ except ImportError as e:
 
 from mopidy import get_version, settings, SettingsError
 from mopidy.frontends.base import BaseFrontend
-from mopidy.utils.process import BaseProcess
+from mopidy.utils.process import BaseThread
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.lastfm')
 
@@ -45,22 +45,22 @@ class LastfmFrontend(BaseFrontend):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(LastfmFrontend, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         (self.connection, other_end) = multiprocessing.Pipe()
-        self.process = LastfmFrontendProcess(other_end)
+        self.thread = LastfmFrontendThread(other_end)
 
     def start(self):
-        self.process.start()
+        self.thread.start()
 
     def destroy(self):
-        self.process.destroy()
+        self.thread.destroy()
 
     def process_message(self, message):
         self.connection.send(message)
 
 
-class LastfmFrontendProcess(BaseProcess):
+class LastfmFrontendThread(BaseThread):
     def __init__(self, connection):
-        super(LastfmFrontendProcess, self).__init__()
-        self.name = u'LastfmFrontendProcess'
+        super(LastfmFrontendThread, self).__init__()
+        self.name = u'LastfmFrontendThread'
         self.daemon = True
         self.connection = connection
         self.lastfm = None
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py
index 6450889e..ce9abc6d 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import logging
 
 from mopidy.frontends.base import BaseFrontend
 from mopidy.frontends.mpd.dispatcher import MpdDispatcher
-from mopidy.frontends.mpd.process import MpdProcess
+from mopidy.frontends.mpd.thread import MpdThread
 from mopidy.utils.process import unpickle_connection
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd')
@@ -19,17 +19,17 @@ class MpdFrontend(BaseFrontend):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(MpdFrontend, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-        self.process = None
+        self.thread = None
         self.dispatcher = MpdDispatcher(self.backend)
 
     def start(self):
         """Starts the MPD server."""
-        self.process = MpdProcess(self.core_queue)
-        self.process.start()
+        self.thread = MpdThread(self.core_queue)
+        self.thread.start()
 
     def destroy(self):
         """Destroys the MPD server."""
-        self.process.destroy()
+        self.thread.destroy()
 
     def process_message(self, message):
         """
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/process.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/process.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 95f3e271..00000000
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/process.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-import asyncore
-import logging
-
-from mopidy.frontends.mpd.server import MpdServer
-from mopidy.utils.process import BaseProcess
-
-logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd.process')
-
-class MpdProcess(BaseProcess):
-    def __init__(self, core_queue):
-        super(MpdProcess, self).__init__()
-        self.name = 'MpdProcess'
-        self.core_queue = core_queue
-
-    def run_inside_try(self):
-        server = MpdServer(self.core_queue)
-        server.start()
-        asyncore.loop()
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fb048ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import asyncore
+import logging
+
+from mopidy.frontends.mpd.server import MpdServer
+from mopidy.utils.process import BaseThread
+
+logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd.thread')
+
+class MpdThread(BaseThread):
+    def __init__(self, core_queue):
+        super(MpdThread, self).__init__()
+        self.name = u'MpdThread'
+        self.daemon = True
+        self.core_queue = core_queue
+
+    def run_inside_try(self):
+        logger.debug(u'Starting MPD server thread')
+        server = MpdServer(self.core_queue)
+        server.start()
+        asyncore.loop()
diff --git a/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py b/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py
index def37f72..346f6254 100644
--- a/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py
+++ b/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@ import gst
 
 import logging
 import multiprocessing
-import threading
 
 from mopidy import settings
 from mopidy.outputs.base import BaseOutput
-from mopidy.utils.process import (BaseProcess, pickle_connection,
+from mopidy.utils.process import (BaseThread, pickle_connection,
     unpickle_connection)
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.outputs.gstreamer')
@@ -20,23 +19,30 @@ class GStreamerOutput(BaseOutput):
     """
     Audio output through GStreamer.
 
-    Starts the :class:`GStreamerProcess`.
+    Starts :class:`GStreamerMessagesThread` and :class:`GStreamerPlayerThread`.
 
     **Settings:**
 
     - :attr:`mopidy.settings.GSTREAMER_AUDIO_SINK`
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, core_queue):
-        super(GStreamerOutput, self).__init__(core_queue)
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super(GStreamerOutput, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        # Start a helper thread that can run the gobject.MainLoop
+        self.messages_thread = GStreamerMessagesThread()
+
+        # Start a helper thread that can process the output_queue
         self.output_queue = multiprocessing.Queue()
-        self.process = GStreamerProcess(core_queue, self.output_queue)
+        self.player_thread = GStreamerPlayerThread(self.core_queue,
+            self.output_queue)
 
     def start(self):
-        self.process.start()
+        self.messages_thread.start()
+        self.player_thread.start()
 
     def destroy(self):
-        self.process.terminate()
+        self.messages_thread.destroy()
+        self.player_thread.destroy()
 
     def process_message(self, message):
         assert message['to'] == 'output', \
@@ -84,12 +90,17 @@ class GStreamerOutput(BaseOutput):
         return self._send_recv({'command': 'set_volume', 'volume': volume})
 
 
-class GStreamerMessagesThread(threading.Thread):
-    def run(self):
+class GStreamerMessagesThread(BaseThread):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(GStreamerMessagesThread, self).__init__()
+        self.name = u'GStreamerMessagesThread'
+        self.daemon = True
+
+    def run_inside_try(self):
         gobject.MainLoop().run()
 
 
-class GStreamerProcess(BaseProcess):
+class GStreamerPlayerThread(BaseThread):
     """
     A process for all work related to GStreamer.
 
@@ -102,7 +113,9 @@ class GStreamerProcess(BaseProcess):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, core_queue, output_queue):
-        super(GStreamerProcess, self).__init__(name='GStreamerProcess')
+        super(GStreamerPlayerThread, self).__init__()
+        self.name = u'GStreamerPlayerThread'
+        self.daemon = True
         self.core_queue = core_queue
         self.output_queue = output_queue
         self.gst_pipeline = None
@@ -116,11 +129,6 @@ class GStreamerProcess(BaseProcess):
     def setup(self):
         logger.debug(u'Setting up GStreamer pipeline')
 
-        # Start a helper thread that can run the gobject.MainLoop
-        messages_thread = GStreamerMessagesThread()
-        messages_thread.daemon = True
-        messages_thread.start()
-
         self.gst_pipeline = gst.parse_launch(' ! '.join([
             'audioconvert name=convert',
             'volume name=volume',
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/process.py b/mopidy/utils/process.py
index c66a8ee8..09446c93 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/process.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/process.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 import multiprocessing
+import multiprocessing.dummy
 from multiprocessing.reduction import reduce_connection
 import pickle
 import sys
@@ -40,3 +41,28 @@ class BaseProcess(multiprocessing.Process):
 
     def destroy(self):
         self.terminate()
+
+
+class BaseThread(multiprocessing.dummy.Process):
+    def run(self):
+        logger.debug(u'%s: Starting process', self.name)
+        try:
+            self.run_inside_try()
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            logger.info(u'%s: Interrupted by user', self.name)
+            sys.exit(0)
+        except SettingsError as e:
+            logger.error(e.message)
+            sys.exit(1)
+        except ImportError as e:
+            logger.error(e)
+            sys.exit(1)
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.exception(e)
+            raise e
+
+    def run_inside_try(self):
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    def destroy(self):
+        pass