diff --git a/mbtask/ping.c b/mbtask/ping.c
index 116b9daa..54b5eb82 100644
--- a/mbtask/ping.c
+++ b/mbtask/ping.c
@@ -337,6 +337,7 @@ void *ping_thread(void)
     static int      pingnr, pingresult[2];
     static char     pingaddress[41];
     static time_t   pingsend;
+    time_t	    now;
 
     Syslog('+', "Starting ping thread with pid %d", (int)getpid());
     pingresult[1] = pingresult[2] = FALSE;
@@ -371,7 +372,13 @@ void *ping_thread(void)
 		if (icmp_errs++ < ICMP_MAX_ERRS)
 		    Syslog('?', "ping: to %s rc=%d", pingaddress, rc);
 		pingresult[pingnr] = FALSE;
-		sleep(10);
+		now = time(NULL) + 10;
+
+		while ((! T_Shutdown) && (time(NULL) < now)) {
+		    sleep(1);
+		}
+		if (T_Shutdown)
+		    break;
 	    } else {
 		pingsend = time(NULL);
 
@@ -398,10 +405,10 @@ void *ping_thread(void)
 			    if (rc > 5)
 				Syslog('+', "Ping: slow reply after %d seconds", rc);
 			    pingresult[pingnr] = TRUE;
-			    if (rc < 20)
-				sleep(20 - rc);
-			    else
+			    now = time(NULL) + 20 - rc;
+			    while ((! T_Shutdown) && (time(NULL) < now)) {
 				sleep(1);
+			    }
 			    break;
 			} else {
 			    if (rc != -6) {
@@ -415,9 +422,15 @@ void *ping_thread(void)
 	} else {
 	    if (icmp_errs++ < ICMP_MAX_ERRS)
 		Syslog('?', "Ping address %d is invalid \"%s\"", pingnr, pingaddress);
-	    sleep(10);
+	    now = time(NULL) + 10;
+	    while ((! T_Shutdown) && (time(NULL) < now)) {
+		sleep(1);
+	    }
 	}
 
+	if (T_Shutdown)
+	    break;
+
 	/* 
 	 *  Evaluate the result of the ping test
 	 */
diff --git a/script/init.Debian b/script/init.Debian
index 64c488e3..e7508c15 100644
--- a/script/init.Debian
+++ b/script/init.Debian
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		su mbse -c '$MBSE_ROOT/bin/mbstat close wait -quiet' >/dev/null
 	fi
 	kill `pidof mbtask`
+	sleep 3
 	echo "$NAME done."
 	;;
   force-reload|restart)
diff --git a/script/init.FreeBSD b/script/init.FreeBSD
index 5b7eada9..3c810040 100644
--- a/script/init.FreeBSD
+++ b/script/init.FreeBSD
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ case "$1" in
 	fi
         kill -15 `/usr/local/bin/pidof mbtask`
 	echo -n " mbtask"
+	sleep 3
+	echo -n " done"
         ;;
   *)
         echo "Usage: `basename $0` {start|stop}" >&2
diff --git a/script/init.Gentoo b/script/init.Gentoo
index 65e891fb..e6821225 100644
--- a/script/init.Gentoo
+++ b/script/init.Gentoo
@@ -56,5 +56,6 @@ stop() {
                su mbse -c '$MBSE_ROOT/bin/mbstat close wait -quiet' >/dev/null
        fi
        kill `pidof mbtask`
+       sleep 3
        eend $? "Stopping error."
 }
diff --git a/script/init.RedHat b/script/init.RedHat
index 78a83920..245f046d 100644
--- a/script/init.RedHat
+++ b/script/init.RedHat
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ case "$1" in
 	echo -n "stop mbtask: "
 	killproc mbtask -15
 	rm -f /var/lock/subsys/mbsed
+	sleep 3
 	echo ""
 #	echo "done."
 	;;
diff --git a/script/init.Slackware b/script/init.Slackware
index 8d507d27..9bf5d5e9 100644
--- a/script/init.Slackware
+++ b/script/init.Slackware
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ case "$1" in
 	fi
         echo -n " stopping mbtask "
         kill -15 `pidof $MBSE_ROOT/bin/mbtask`
+	sleep 3
         echo "done."
         ;;
   status)
diff --git a/script/init.SuSE b/script/init.SuSE
index 7bde2d66..771da426 100644
--- a/script/init.SuSE
+++ b/script/init.SuSE
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ case "$1" in
         fi
         echo -n " stopping mbtask "
         killproc $MBSE_ROOT/bin/mbtask -15
+	sleep 3
         echo "done."
 	;;
     restart|reload)