diff --git a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_updater.cc b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_updater.cc
index b4ebfb0f5..bccae26cf 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_updater.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_updater.cc
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 #define DEBUG_LOCAL_DIR_UPDATER 1
 
-static const uint32_t DELAY_BETWEEN_DIRECTORY_UPDATES = 10 ; // 10 seconds for testing. Should be much more!!
+static const uint32_t DELAY_BETWEEN_DIRECTORY_UPDATES = 100 ; // 10 seconds for testing. Should be much more!!
 
 void RemoteDirectoryUpdater::tick()
 {
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ void LocalDirectoryUpdater::data_tick()
         sweepSharedDirectories() ;
         mLastSweepTime = now;
     }
+    else
+        usleep(10*1000*1000);
 }
 
 void LocalDirectoryUpdater::sweepSharedDirectories()
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/hash_cache.cc b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/hash_cache.cc
index eb86813b3..58ca5d80a 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/hash_cache.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/hash_cache.cc
@@ -19,7 +19,15 @@ void HashStorage::data_tick()
         RS_STACK_MUTEX(mHashMtx) ;
 
         if(mFilesToHash.empty())
+        {
+            std::cerr << "Stopping hashing thread." << std::endl;
+            shutdown();
+            mRunning = false ;
+            std::cerr << "done." << std::endl;
+
+            usleep(2*1000*1000);	// when no files to hash, just wait for 2 secs. This avoids a dramatic loop.
             return ;
+        }
 
         job = mFilesToHash.begin()->second ;
 
@@ -33,14 +41,6 @@ void HashStorage::data_tick()
 
         mFilesToHash.erase(mFilesToHash.begin()) ;
 
-        if(mFilesToHash.empty())
-        {
-            std::cerr << "Stopping hashing thread." << std::endl;
-            shutdown();
-            mRunning = false ;
-            std::cerr << "done." << std::endl;
-        }
-
         // store the result
 
         HashStorageInfo& info(mFiles[job.full_path]);
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc
index 597c9292e..302bc778d 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ p3FileDatabase::p3FileDatabase(p3ServiceControl *mpeers)
     mLocalDirWatcher = new LocalDirectoryUpdater(mHashCache,mLocalSharedDirs) ;
     mRemoteDirWatcher = NULL;	// not used yet
 
-    mLocalDirWatcher->start();
-
 	mUpdateFlags = P3FILELISTS_UPDATE_FLAG_NOTHING_CHANGED ;
 }
 
@@ -101,15 +99,21 @@ int p3FileDatabase::tick()
 void p3FileDatabase::startThreads()
 {
     std::cerr << "Starting hash cache thread..." ;
-
     mHashCache->start();
+    std::cerr << "Done." << std::endl;
+
+    std::cerr << "Starting directory watcher thread..." ;
+    mLocalDirWatcher->start();
+    std::cerr << "Done." << std::endl;
 }
 void p3FileDatabase::stopThreads()
 {
     std::cerr << "Stopping hash cache thread..." ; std::cerr.flush() ;
-
     mHashCache->fullstop();
+    std::cerr << "Done." << std::endl;
 
+    std::cerr << "Stopping directory watcher thread..." ; std::cerr.flush() ;
+    mLocalDirWatcher->fullstop();
     std::cerr << "Done." << std::endl;
 }