diff --git a/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py b/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py
index 87997059..774273e3 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py
@@ -72,19 +72,22 @@ class SpotifyBackend(ThreadingActor, Backend):
         self.gstreamer = None
         self.spotify = None
 
+        # Fail early if settings are not present
+        self.username = settings.SPOTIFY_USERNAME
+        self.password = settings.SPOTIFY_PASSWORD
+
     def on_start(self):
         gstreamer_refs = ActorRegistry.get_by_class(GStreamer)
         assert len(gstreamer_refs) == 1, 'Expected exactly one running gstreamer.'
         self.gstreamer = gstreamer_refs[0].proxy()
 
+        logger.info(u'Mopidy uses SPOTIFY(R) CORE')
         self.spotify = self._connect()
 
     def _connect(self):
         from .session_manager import SpotifySessionManager
 
-        logger.info(u'Mopidy uses SPOTIFY(R) CORE')
         logger.debug(u'Connecting to Spotify')
-        spotify = SpotifySessionManager(
-            settings.SPOTIFY_USERNAME, settings.SPOTIFY_PASSWORD)
+        spotify = SpotifySessionManager(self.username, self.password)
         spotify.start()
         return spotify
diff --git a/mopidy/core.py b/mopidy/core.py
index b89a5456..65472a29 100644
--- a/mopidy/core.py
+++ b/mopidy/core.py
@@ -40,11 +40,15 @@ def main():
         setup_mixer()
         setup_backend()
         setup_frontends()
-        while ActorRegistry.get_all():
+        while True:
             time.sleep(1)
-        logger.info(u'No actors left. Exiting...')
+    except SettingsError as e:
+        logger.error(e.message)
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
-        logger.info(u'User interrupt. Exiting...')
+        logger.info(u'Interrupted. Exiting...')
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.exception(e)
+    finally:
         stop_all_actors()
 
 def parse_options():
diff --git a/mopidy/gstreamer.py b/mopidy/gstreamer.py
index f52292d2..166c487e 100644
--- a/mopidy/gstreamer.py
+++ b/mopidy/gstreamer.py
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ class GStreamer(ThreadingActor):
         output.sync_state_with_parent() # Required to add to running pipe
         gst.element_link_many(self._tee, output)
         self._outputs.append(output)
-        logger.info('Added %s', output.get_name())
+        logger.debug('GStreamer added %s', output.get_name())
 
     def list_outputs(self):
         """
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/process.py b/mopidy/utils/process.py
index 5b09148d..c1d1c9f5 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/process.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/process.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 import signal
+import thread
 import threading
 
 import gobject
@@ -12,19 +13,28 @@ from mopidy import SettingsError
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.utils.process')
 
+def exit_process():
+    logger.debug(u'Interrupting main...')
+    thread.interrupt_main()
+    logger.debug(u'Interrupted main')
+
 def exit_handler(signum, frame):
     """A :mod:`signal` handler which will exit the program on signal."""
     signals = dict((k, v) for v, k in signal.__dict__.iteritems()
         if v.startswith('SIG') and not v.startswith('SIG_'))
-    logger.info(u'Got %s. Exiting...', signals[signum])
-    stop_all_actors()
+    logger.info(u'Got %s signal', signals[signum])
+    exit_process()
 
 def stop_all_actors():
     num_actors = len(ActorRegistry.get_all())
     while num_actors:
+        logger.debug(u'Seeing %d actor and %d non-actor thread(s): %s',
+            num_actors, threading.active_count() - num_actors,
+            ', '.join([t.name for t in threading.enumerate()]))
         logger.debug(u'Stopping %d actor(s)...', num_actors)
         ActorRegistry.stop_all()
         num_actors = len(ActorRegistry.get_all())
+    logger.debug(u'All actors stopped.')
 
 class BaseThread(threading.Thread):
     def __init__(self):