diff --git a/cbits/c_fsevents.c b/cbits/c_fsevents.c
--- a/cbits/c_fsevents.c
+++ b/cbits/c_fsevents.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
   w->runLoop = rl;
   FSEventStreamScheduleWithRunLoop(w->eventStream, rl, kCFRunLoopDefaultMode);
   FSEventStreamStart(w->eventStream);
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&w->mut);
   CFRunLoopRun();
   pthread_exit(NULL);
 }
@@ -70,6 +71,8 @@
     w->writefd = pfds[1];
     w->eventStream = es;
     w->runLoop = NULL;
+    pthread_mutex_init(&w->mut, NULL);
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&w->mut);
     pthread_create(&t, NULL, &watchRunLoop, (void*)w);
     *fd = pfds[0];
     *wp = w;
@@ -87,12 +90,15 @@
 }
 
 int destroyWatch(watch* w) {
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&w->mut);
+  FSEventStreamStop(w->eventStream);
+  FSEventStreamInvalidate(w->eventStream);
+  CFRunLoopStop(w->runLoop);
+  CFRelease(w->runLoop);
   FSEventStreamRelease(w->eventStream);
-  if(w->runLoop != NULL) {
-    CFRunLoopStop(w->runLoop);
-    CFRelease(w->runLoop);
-  }
   close(w->writefd);
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&w->mut);
+  pthread_mutex_destroy(&w->mut);
   free(w);
 }
 
diff --git a/cbits/c_fsevents.h b/cbits/c_fsevents.h
--- a/cbits/c_fsevents.h
+++ b/cbits/c_fsevents.h
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 #define CBITS_C_FSEVENTS_H 1
 
 #include <CoreServices/CoreServices.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
 
 typedef struct {
   FSEventStreamRef eventStream;
   CFRunLoopRef runLoop;
   int writefd;
+  pthread_mutex_t mut;
 } watch;
 
 
diff --git a/hfsevents.cabal b/hfsevents.cabal
--- a/hfsevents.cabal
+++ b/hfsevents.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                hfsevents
-version:             0.1.2
+version:             0.1.3
 synopsis:            File/folder watching for OS X
 homepage:            http://github.com/luite/hfsevents
 license:             BSD3
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 maintainer:          stegeman@gmail.com
 category:            System
 build-type:          Simple
-extra-source-files:  cbits/c_fsevents.h
+extra-source-files:  cbits/c_fsevents.h, test/test.hs, test/trace.hs
 cabal-version:       >=1.8
 
 source-repository head
diff --git a/test/test.hs b/test/test.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+module Main where
+
+import System.OSX.FSEvents
+
+import Control.Monad
+import Control.Concurrent
+
+main = do
+  es <- eventStreamCreate ["/Users"] 1.0 True True True print
+  replicateM 30 (threadDelay 1000000)
+  putStrLn "destroying event stream"
+  eventStreamDestroy es
+  replicateM 30 (threadDelay 1000000)
+
diff --git a/test/trace.hs b/test/trace.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/trace.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+{-
+   simple event tracer that monitors the current
+   directory and prints all events
+-}
+
+import System.OSX.FSEvents
+
+import Data.Bits
+import Data.List (unwords)
+import Data.Word
+
+main = do
+  es <- eventStreamCreate ["."] 1.0 True True True trace
+  getLine
+  eventStreamDestroy es
+  return ()
+
+trace :: Event -> IO ()
+trace e = do
+  putStrLn $ "id:    " ++ show (eventId e)
+  putStrLn $ "path:  " ++ eventPath e
+  putStrLn $ "flags: " ++ showEventFlags (eventFlags e)
+  putStrLn ""
+
+showEventFlags :: Word64 -> String
+showEventFlags fl = unwords (map fst . filter hasFlag $ flagList)
+  where
+    hasFlag (_,f) = fl .&. f /= 0
+
+-- fixme come up with some better way to make this list
+flagList :: [(String, Word64)]
+flagList = [ ("MustScanSubDirs"   , 0x00000001)
+           , ("UserDropped"       , 0x00000002)
+           , ("KernelDropped"     , 0x00000004)
+           , ("EventIdsWrapped"   , 0x00000008)
+           , ("HistoryDone"       , 0x00000010)
+           , ("RootChanged"       , 0x00000020)
+           , ("Mount"             , 0x00000040)
+           , ("Unmount"           , 0x00000080)
+           , ("ItemCreated"       , 0x00000100)
+           , ("ItemRemoved"       , 0x00000200)
+           , ("ItemInodeMetaMod"  , 0x00000400)
+           , ("ItemRenamed"       , 0x00000800)
+           , ("ItemModified"      , 0x00001000)
+           , ("ItemFinderInfoMod" , 0x00002000)
+           , ("ItemChangeOwner"   , 0x00004000)
+           , ("ItemXattrMod"      , 0x00008000)
+           , ("ItemIsFile"        , 0x00010000)
+           , ("ItemIsDir"         , 0x00020000)
+           , ("ItemIsSymlink"     , 0x00040000)
+           ]