diff --git a/docs/changes.rst b/docs/changes.rst
index ed3cb080..ed05050c 100644
--- a/docs/changes.rst
+++ b/docs/changes.rst
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ No description yet.
   sound output work with GStreamer >= 0.10.29, which includes the versions used
   in Ubuntu 10.10 and on OS X if using Homebrew. (Fixes: :issue:`21`,
   :issue:`24`, contributes to :issue:`14`)
+- Improved handling of uncaught exceptions in threads. The entire process
+  should now exit immediately.
 
 
 0.1.0 (2010-08-23)
diff --git a/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py b/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py
index 3b6f9f0b..7f541236 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/libspotify/session_manager.py
@@ -19,12 +19,8 @@ class LibspotifySessionManager(SpotifySessionManager, BaseThread):
 
     def __init__(self, username, password, core_queue, output):
         SpotifySessionManager.__init__(self, username, password)
-        BaseThread.__init__(self)
+        BaseThread.__init__(self, core_queue)
         self.name = 'LibspotifySMThread'
-        # Run as a daemon thread, so Mopidy won't wait for this thread to exit
-        # before Mopidy exits.
-        self.daemon = True
-        self.core_queue = core_queue
         self.output = output
         self.connected = threading.Event()
         self.session = None
diff --git a/mopidy/core.py b/mopidy/core.py
index 5351e2a5..69760094 100644
--- a/mopidy/core.py
+++ b/mopidy/core.py
@@ -1,20 +1,22 @@
 import logging
 import multiprocessing
 import optparse
+import sys
 
 from mopidy import get_version, settings, OptionalDependencyError
 from mopidy.utils import get_class
 from mopidy.utils.log import setup_logging
 from mopidy.utils.path import get_or_create_folder, get_or_create_file
-from mopidy.utils.process import BaseProcess
+from mopidy.utils.process import BaseThread
 from mopidy.utils.settings import list_settings_optparse_callback
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.core')
 
-class CoreProcess(BaseProcess):
+class CoreProcess(BaseThread):
     def __init__(self):
-        super(CoreProcess, self).__init__(name='CoreProcess')
         self.core_queue = multiprocessing.Queue()
+        super(CoreProcess, self).__init__(self.core_queue)
+        self.name = 'CoreProcess'
         self.options = self.parse_options()
         self.output = None
         self.backend = None
@@ -79,7 +81,9 @@ class CoreProcess(BaseProcess):
         return frontends
 
     def process_message(self, message):
-        if message.get('to') == 'output':
+        if message.get('to') == 'core':
+            self.process_message_to_core(message)
+        elif message.get('to') == 'output':
             self.output.process_message(message)
         elif message.get('to') == 'frontend':
             for frontend in self.frontends:
@@ -92,3 +96,12 @@ class CoreProcess(BaseProcess):
             self.backend.stored_playlists.playlists = message['playlists']
         else:
             logger.warning(u'Cannot handle message: %s', message)
+
+    def process_message_to_core(self, message):
+        assert message['to'] == 'core', u'Message recipient must be "core".'
+        if message['command'] == 'exit':
+            if message['reason'] is not None:
+                logger.info(u'Exiting (%s)', message['reason'])
+            sys.exit(message['status'])
+        else:
+            logger.warning(u'Cannot handle message: %s', message)
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py b/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py
index 42dd16c7..e91dd272 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/lastfm.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class LastfmFrontend(BaseFrontend):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(LastfmFrontend, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         (self.connection, other_end) = multiprocessing.Pipe()
-        self.thread = LastfmFrontendThread(other_end)
+        self.thread = LastfmFrontendThread(self.core_queue, other_end)
 
     def start(self):
         self.thread.start()
@@ -58,10 +58,9 @@ class LastfmFrontend(BaseFrontend):
 
 
 class LastfmFrontendThread(BaseThread):
-    def __init__(self, connection):
-        super(LastfmFrontendThread, self).__init__()
+    def __init__(self, core_queue, connection):
+        super(LastfmFrontendThread, self).__init__(core_queue)
         self.name = u'LastfmFrontendThread'
-        self.daemon = True
         self.connection = connection
         self.lastfm = None
         self.scrobbler = None
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py
index 4c2031aa..fb3a3a09 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ def _list_build_query(field, mpd_query):
         query = {}
         while tokens:
             key = tokens[0].lower()
+            key = str(key) # Needed for kwargs keys on OS X and Windows
             value = tokens[1]
             tokens = tokens[2:]
             if key not in (u'artist', u'album', u'date', u'genre'):
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py
index 0fb048ec..0ad5ee68 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py
@@ -8,10 +8,8 @@ logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd.thread')
 
 class MpdThread(BaseThread):
     def __init__(self, core_queue):
-        super(MpdThread, self).__init__()
+        super(MpdThread, self).__init__(core_queue)
         self.name = u'MpdThread'
-        self.daemon = True
-        self.core_queue = core_queue
 
     def run_inside_try(self):
         logger.debug(u'Starting MPD server thread')
diff --git a/mopidy/mixers/nad.py b/mopidy/mixers/nad.py
index 929d2e1d..7a8f006e 100644
--- a/mopidy/mixers/nad.py
+++ b/mopidy/mixers/nad.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from multiprocessing import Pipe
 
 from mopidy import settings
 from mopidy.mixers import BaseMixer
-from mopidy.utils.process import BaseProcess
+from mopidy.utils.process import BaseThread
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.mixers.nad')
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class NadMixer(BaseMixer):
         self._pipe.send({'command': 'set_volume', 'volume': volume})
 
 
-class NadTalker(BaseProcess):
+class NadTalker(BaseThread):
     """
     Independent process which does the communication with the NAD device.
 
diff --git a/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py b/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py
index a53fcd20..3714fed6 100644
--- a/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py
+++ b/mopidy/outputs/gstreamer.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class GStreamerOutput(BaseOutput):
     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()
+        self.messages_thread = GStreamerMessagesThread(self.core_queue)
 
         # Start a helper thread that can process the output_queue
         self.output_queue = multiprocessing.Queue()
@@ -91,10 +91,9 @@ class GStreamerOutput(BaseOutput):
 
 
 class GStreamerMessagesThread(BaseThread):
-    def __init__(self):
-        super(GStreamerMessagesThread, self).__init__()
+    def __init__(self, core_queue):
+        super(GStreamerMessagesThread, self).__init__(core_queue)
         self.name = u'GStreamerMessagesThread'
-        self.daemon = True
 
     def run_inside_try(self):
         gobject.MainLoop().run()
@@ -113,10 +112,8 @@ class GStreamerPlayerThread(BaseThread):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, core_queue, output_queue):
-        super(GStreamerPlayerThread, self).__init__()
+        super(GStreamerPlayerThread, self).__init__(core_queue)
         self.name = u'GStreamerPlayerThread'
-        self.daemon = True
-        self.core_queue = core_queue
         self.output_queue = output_queue
         self.gst_pipeline = None
 
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/process.py b/mopidy/utils/process.py
index 0acccb4d..7855d69c 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/process.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/process.py
@@ -19,22 +19,26 @@ def unpickle_connection(pickled_connection):
 
 
 class BaseProcess(multiprocessing.Process):
+    def __init__(self, core_queue):
+        super(BaseProcess, self).__init__()
+        self.core_queue = core_queue
+
     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)
+            logger.info(u'Interrupted by user')
+            self.exit(0, u'Interrupted by user')
         except SettingsError as e:
             logger.error(e.message)
-            sys.exit(1)
+            self.exit(1, u'Settings error')
         except ImportError as e:
             logger.error(e)
-            sys.exit(1)
+            self.exit(2, u'Import error')
         except Exception as e:
             logger.exception(e)
-            raise e
+            self.exit(3, u'Unknown error')
 
     def run_inside_try(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
@@ -42,27 +46,43 @@ class BaseProcess(multiprocessing.Process):
     def destroy(self):
         self.terminate()
 
+    def exit(self, status=0, reason=None):
+        self.core_queue.put({'to': 'core', 'command': 'exit',
+            'status': status, 'reason': reason})
+        self.destroy()
+
 
 class BaseThread(multiprocessing.dummy.Process):
+    def __init__(self, core_queue):
+        super(BaseThread, self).__init__()
+        self.core_queue = core_queue
+        # No thread should block process from exiting
+        self.daemon = True
+
     def run(self):
         logger.debug(u'%s: Starting thread', self.name)
         try:
             self.run_inside_try()
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
-            logger.info(u'%s: Interrupted by user', self.name)
-            sys.exit(0)
+            logger.info(u'Interrupted by user')
+            self.exit(0, u'Interrupted by user')
         except SettingsError as e:
             logger.error(e.message)
-            sys.exit(1)
+            self.exit(1, u'Settings error')
         except ImportError as e:
             logger.error(e)
-            sys.exit(1)
+            self.exit(2, u'Import error')
         except Exception as e:
             logger.exception(e)
-            raise e
+            self.exit(3, u'Unknown error')
 
     def run_inside_try(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
     def destroy(self):
         pass
+
+    def exit(self, status=0, reason=None):
+        self.core_queue.put({'to': 'core', 'command': 'exit',
+            'status': status, 'reason': reason})
+        self.destroy()