diff --git a/src/ssb.c b/src/ssb.c
index af699946f..001acec2a 100644
--- a/src/ssb.c
+++ b/src/ssb.c
@@ -204,7 +204,6 @@ typedef struct _tf_ssb_t
 	uv_timer_t broadcast_cleanup_timer;
 	uv_timer_t broadcast_timer;
 	uv_timer_t trace_timer;
-	uv_timer_t settings_timer;
 	uv_tcp_t server;
 
 	uint8_t pub[crypto_sign_PUBLICKEYBYTES];
@@ -357,7 +356,7 @@ static void _tf_ssb_nonce_inc(uint8_t* nonce);
 static void _tf_ssb_write(tf_ssb_connection_t* connection, void* data, size_t size);
 static void _tf_ssb_connection_finalizer(JSRuntime* runtime, JSValue value);
 static void _tf_ssb_update_settings(tf_ssb_t* ssb);
-static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings(tf_ssb_t* ssb, int delay_ms);
+static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings(tf_ssb_t* ssb);
 
 static void _tf_ssb_add_debug_close(tf_ssb_t* ssb, tf_ssb_connection_t* connection, const char* reason)
 {
@@ -2219,7 +2218,7 @@ tf_ssb_t* tf_ssb_create(uv_loop_t* loop, JSContext* context, const char* db_path
 
 	_tf_ssb_update_settings(ssb);
 	tf_ssb_rpc_register(ssb);
-	_tf_ssb_start_update_settings(ssb, 5000);
+	_tf_ssb_start_update_settings(ssb);
 	return ssb;
 }
 
@@ -2368,6 +2367,7 @@ static void _tf_ssb_on_timer_close(uv_handle_t* handle)
 
 void tf_ssb_destroy(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 {
+	tf_printf("tf_ssb_destroy\n");
 	tf_ssb_connections_destroy(ssb->connections_tracker);
 	ssb->connections_tracker = NULL;
 
@@ -2401,11 +2401,6 @@ void tf_ssb_destroy(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 		uv_close((uv_handle_t*)&ssb->server, _tf_ssb_on_handle_close);
 	}
 
-	if (ssb->settings_timer.data && !uv_is_closing((uv_handle_t*)&ssb->settings_timer))
-	{
-		uv_close((uv_handle_t*)&ssb->settings_timer, _tf_ssb_on_handle_close);
-	}
-
 	for (int i = 0; i < ssb->timers_count; i++)
 	{
 		uv_close((uv_handle_t*)&ssb->timers[i]->timer, _tf_ssb_on_timer_close);
@@ -2414,18 +2409,21 @@ void tf_ssb_destroy(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 	tf_free(ssb->timers);
 	ssb->timers = NULL;
 
+	tf_printf("Waiting for closes.\n");
+
 	while (ssb->broadcast_listener.data ||
 		ssb->broadcast_sender.data ||
 		ssb->broadcast_timer.data ||
 		ssb->broadcast_cleanup_timer.data ||
 		ssb->trace_timer.data ||
-		ssb->settings_timer.data ||
 		ssb->server.data ||
 		ssb->ref_count)
 	{
 		uv_run(ssb->loop, UV_RUN_ONCE);
 	}
 
+	tf_printf("Waiting for rpc.\n");
+
 	while (ssb->rpc)
 	{
 		tf_ssb_rpc_callback_node_t* node = ssb->rpc;
@@ -2482,6 +2480,25 @@ void tf_ssb_destroy(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 		}
 		tf_free(node);
 	}
+
+	tf_printf("rpc=%p conn_changed=%p mess_add=%p blob_want_add=%p broadcast_change=%p\n",
+		ssb->rpc,
+		ssb->connections_changed,
+		ssb->message_added,
+		ssb->blob_want_added,
+		ssb->broadcasts_changed);
+
+	tf_printf("Closing connections.\n");
+	tf_ssb_connection_t* connection = ssb->connections;
+	while (connection)
+	{
+		tf_ssb_connection_t* next = connection->next;
+		tf_printf("close %p\n", connection);
+		tf_ssb_connection_close(connection);
+		connection = next;
+	}
+	tf_printf("Closed.\n");
+
 	if (ssb->loop == &ssb->own_loop)
 	{
 		int r = uv_loop_close(ssb->loop);
@@ -2490,6 +2507,7 @@ void tf_ssb_destroy(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 			tf_printf("uv_loop_close: %s\n", uv_strerror(r));
 		}
 	}
+	tf_printf("loop closed\n");
 	if (ssb->own_context)
 	{
 		JS_FreeContext(ssb->context);
@@ -2515,8 +2533,10 @@ void tf_ssb_destroy(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 		sqlite3_close(ssb->db_readers[i]);
 	}
 	tf_free(ssb->db_readers);
+	tf_printf("destroying mutexes\n");
 	uv_mutex_destroy(&ssb->db_readers_lock);
 	uv_mutex_destroy(&ssb->db_writer_lock);
+	tf_printf("mutexes destroyed\n");
 	tf_free((void*)ssb->db_path);
 	tf_free(ssb->room_name);
 	ssb->room_name = NULL;
@@ -3893,12 +3913,14 @@ static void _tf_ssb_update_settings_work(uv_work_t* work)
 static void _tf_ssb_update_settings_after_work(uv_work_t* work, int result)
 {
 	update_settings_t* update = work->data;
+	tf_ssb_unref(update->ssb);
 	tf_ssb_set_is_room(update->ssb, update->is_room);
 	tf_ssb_set_room_name(update->ssb, update->room_name);
+	_tf_ssb_start_update_settings(update->ssb);
 	tf_free(update);
 }
 
-static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings_timer(uv_timer_t* timer)
+static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings_timer(tf_ssb_t* ssb, void* user_data)
 {
 	update_settings_t* update = tf_malloc(sizeof(update_settings_t));
 	*update = (update_settings_t)
@@ -3907,9 +3929,10 @@ static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings_timer(uv_timer_t* timer)
 		{
 			.data = update,
 		},
-		.ssb = timer->data,
+		.ssb = ssb,
 	};
-	int result = uv_queue_work(tf_ssb_get_loop(timer->data), &update->work, _tf_ssb_update_settings_work, _tf_ssb_update_settings_after_work);
+	tf_ssb_ref(ssb);
+	int result = uv_queue_work(tf_ssb_get_loop(ssb), &update->work, _tf_ssb_update_settings_work, _tf_ssb_update_settings_after_work);
 	if (result)
 	{
 		_tf_ssb_update_settings_after_work(&update->work, result);
@@ -3927,16 +3950,14 @@ static void _tf_ssb_update_settings(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 		},
 		.ssb = ssb,
 	};
+	tf_ssb_ref(ssb);
 	_tf_ssb_update_settings_work(&update->work);
 	_tf_ssb_update_settings_after_work(&update->work, 0);
 }
 
-static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings(tf_ssb_t* ssb, int delay_ms)
+static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 {
-	ssb->settings_timer.data = ssb;
-	uv_timer_init(ssb->loop, &ssb->settings_timer);
-	uv_timer_start(&ssb->settings_timer, _tf_ssb_start_update_settings_timer, delay_ms, delay_ms);
-	uv_unref((uv_handle_t*)&ssb->settings_timer);
+	tf_ssb_schedule_work(ssb, 5000, _tf_ssb_start_update_settings_timer, NULL);
 }
 
 void tf_ssb_set_verbose(tf_ssb_t* ssb, bool verbose)
@@ -3976,4 +3997,5 @@ void tf_ssb_schedule_work(tf_ssb_t* ssb, int delay_ms, void (*callback)(tf_ssb_t
 	ssb->timers[ssb->timers_count++] = timer;
 	uv_timer_init(ssb->loop, &timer->timer);
 	uv_timer_start(&timer->timer, _tf_ssb_scheduled_timer, delay_ms, 0);
+	uv_unref((uv_handle_t*)&timer->timer);
 }
diff --git a/src/ssb.rpc.c b/src/ssb.rpc.c
index 4267c2e9d..89e41690d 100644
--- a/src/ssb.rpc.c
+++ b/src/ssb.rpc.c
@@ -1333,6 +1333,7 @@ static void _tf_ssb_rpc_delete_blobs_work(uv_work_t* work)
 static void _tf_ssb_rpc_delete_blobs_after_work(uv_work_t* work, int status)
 {
 	delete_blobs_work_t* delete = work->data;
+	tf_ssb_unref(delete->ssb);
 	tf_free(delete);
 }
 
@@ -1340,11 +1341,13 @@ static void _tf_ssb_rpc_start_delete_callback(tf_ssb_t* ssb, void* user_data)
 {
 	delete_blobs_work_t* work = tf_malloc(sizeof(delete_blobs_work_t));
 	*work = (delete_blobs_work_t) { .work = { .data = work}, .ssb = ssb };
+	tf_ssb_ref(ssb);
 	int r = uv_queue_work(tf_ssb_get_loop(ssb), &work->work, _tf_ssb_rpc_delete_blobs_work, _tf_ssb_rpc_delete_blobs_after_work);
 	if (r)
 	{
 		tf_printf("uv_queue_work: %s\n", uv_strerror(r));
 		tf_free(work);
+		tf_ssb_unref(ssb);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ssb.tests.c b/src/ssb.tests.c
index becc1d57b..7fdbeaaa4 100644
--- a/src/ssb.tests.c
+++ b/src/ssb.tests.c
@@ -301,11 +301,16 @@ void tf_ssb_test_ssb(const tf_test_options_t* options)
 	uv_close((uv_handle_t*)&idle0, NULL);
 	uv_close((uv_handle_t*)&idle1, NULL);
 
+	tf_printf("final run\n");
 	uv_run(&loop, UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
+	tf_printf("done\n");
 
+	tf_printf("destroy 0\n");
 	tf_ssb_destroy(ssb0);
+	tf_printf("destroy 1\n");
 	tf_ssb_destroy(ssb1);
 
+	tf_printf("close\n");
 	uv_loop_close(&loop);
 }