diff --git a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.cc b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.cc
index 418803fbf..f6b0630f2 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.cc
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ void pqithreadstreamer::run()
     std::cerr << "pqithreadstream::run()";
     std::cerr << std::endl;
 
+    // tell the OS to free the thread resources when this function exits
+    // it is a replacement for pthread_join()
+    pthread_detach(pthread_self());
 
     while(1)
     {
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.h b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.h
index 79866d04c..e17b7fc85 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqithreadstreamer.h
@@ -30,23 +30,23 @@
 #include "pqi/pqistreamer.h"
 #include "util/rsthreads.h"
 
-class pqithreadstreamer: public pqistreamer, public RsThread
+class pqithreadstreamer: public pqistreamer, private RsThread
 {
 	public:
 		pqithreadstreamer(PQInterface *parent, RsSerialiser *rss, const RsPeerId& peerid, BinInterface *bio_in, int bio_flagsin);
 
-virtual void run(); 
 virtual void start(); 
 virtual void shutdown();
 virtual void fullstop(); 
-//virtual bool threadrunning();
 
 virtual bool RecvItem(RsItem *item);
 virtual int  tick();
 
 protected:
+    // from RsThread
+    virtual void run();
 
-int  data_tick();
+    int  data_tick();
 
 	PQInterface *mParent;
 	uint32_t mTimeout;