diff --git a/src/output/output.cpp b/src/output/output.cpp
index db9257b0..b6e06167 100644
--- a/src/output/output.cpp
+++ b/src/output/output.cpp
@@ -40,16 +40,21 @@ namespace Mist{
   }
   
   void Output::bufferLivePacket(DTSC::Packet & packet){
+    if (!pushIsOngoing){
+      waitForStreamPushReady();
+    }
     if (nProxy.negTimer > 600){
       WARN_MSG("No negotiation response from buffer - reconnecting.");
       nProxy.clear();
       reconnect();
     }
     InOutBase::bufferLivePacket(packet);
+    pushIsOngoing = true;
   }
   
   Output::Output(Socket::Connection & conn) : myConn(conn){
     pushing = false;
+    pushIsOngoing = false;
     firstTime = 0;
     crc = getpid();
     parseData = false;
@@ -226,7 +231,7 @@ namespace Mist{
     selectDefaultTracks();
     if (!myMeta.vod && !isReadyForPlay()){
       unsigned long long waitUntil = Util::epoch() + 30;
-      while (!myMeta.vod && !isReadyForPlay() && nProxy.userClient.isAlive()){
+      while (!myMeta.vod && !isReadyForPlay() && nProxy.userClient.isAlive() && keepGoing()){
         if (Util::epoch() > waitUntil + 45 || (!selectedTracks.size() && Util::epoch() > waitUntil)){
           INFO_MSG("Giving up waiting for playable tracks. Stream: %s, IP: %s", streamName.c_str(), getConnectedHost().c_str());
           break;
@@ -432,7 +437,7 @@ namespace Mist{
     VERYHIGH_MSG("Loading track %lu, containing key %lld", trackId, keyNum);
     unsigned int timeout = 0;
     unsigned long pageNum = pageNumForKey(trackId, keyNum);
-    while (config->is_active && myConn && pageNum == -1){
+    while (keepGoing() && pageNum == -1){
       if (!timeout){
         HIGH_MSG("Requesting page with key %lu:%lld", trackId, keyNum);
       }
@@ -555,7 +560,7 @@ namespace Mist{
   bool Output::seek(unsigned int tid, unsigned long long pos, bool getNextKey){
     if (myMeta.live && myMeta.tracks[tid].lastms < pos){
       unsigned int maxTime = 0;
-      while (myMeta.tracks[tid].lastms < pos && myConn && ++maxTime <= 20){
+      while (myMeta.tracks[tid].lastms < pos && myConn && ++maxTime <= 20 && keepGoing()){
         Util::wait(500);
         stats();
         updateMeta();
@@ -602,7 +607,7 @@ namespace Mist{
       }else{
         VERYHIGH_MSG("Track %d no data (key %u @ %u) - waiting...", tid, getKeyForTime(tid, pos) + (getNextKey?1:0), tmp.offset);
         unsigned int i = 0;
-        while (!myMeta.live && nProxy.curPage[tid].mapped[tmp.offset] == 0 && ++i <= 10){
+        while (!myMeta.live && nProxy.curPage[tid].mapped[tmp.offset] == 0 && ++i <= 10 && keepGoing()){
           Util::wait(100*i);
           stats();
         }
@@ -677,7 +682,7 @@ namespace Mist{
  
   int Output::run(){
     DONTEVEN_MSG("MistOut client handler started");
-    while (config->is_active && myConn && (wantRequest || parseData)){
+    while (keepGoing() && (wantRequest || parseData)){
       if (wantRequest){
         requestHandler();
       }
@@ -693,13 +698,11 @@ namespace Mist{
           initialSeek();
         }
         if (prepareNext()){
-        if (thisPacket){
-
-
+          if (thisPacket){
             //slow down processing, if real time speed is wanted
             if (realTime){
               uint8_t i = 6;
-              while (--i && thisPacket.getTime() > (((Util::getMS() - firstTime)*1000)+maxSkipAhead)/realTime && config->is_active && myConn){
+              while (--i && thisPacket.getTime() > (((Util::getMS() - firstTime)*1000)+maxSkipAhead)/realTime && keepGoing()){
                 Util::sleep(std::min(thisPacket.getTime() - (((Util::getMS() - firstTime)*1000)+minSkipAhead)/realTime, 1000llu));
                 stats();
               }
@@ -712,7 +715,7 @@ namespace Mist{
               //wait at most double the look ahead time, plus ten seconds
               uint32_t timeoutTries = (needsLookAhead / sleepTime) * 2 + (10000/sleepTime);
               uint64_t needsTime = thisPacket.getTime() + needsLookAhead; 
-              while(--timeoutTries){
+              while(--timeoutTries && keepGoing()){
                 bool lookReady = true;
                 for (std::set<long unsigned int>::iterator it = selectedTracks.begin(); it != selectedTracks.end(); it++){
                   if (myMeta.tracks[*it].lastms <= needsTime){
@@ -734,15 +737,16 @@ namespace Mist{
               }
             }
 
-          sendNext();
-        }else{
-          if (!onFinish()){
-            break;
+            sendNext();
+          }else{
+            INFO_MSG("Shutting down because of stream end");
+            if (!onFinish()){
+              break;
+            }
           }
         }
       }
-    }
-    stats();
+      stats();
     }
     MEDIUM_MSG("MistOut client handler shutting down: %s, %s, %s", myConn.connected() ? "conn_active" : "conn_closed", wantRequest ? "want_request" : "no_want_request", parseData ? "parsing_data" : "not_parsing_data");
     onFinish();
@@ -1057,9 +1061,20 @@ namespace Mist{
       }
     }
     if (!nProxy.userClient.isAlive()){
-      onFinish();
-      myConn.close();
-      return;
+      if (isPushing() && !pushIsOngoing){
+        waitForStreamPushReady();
+        if (!nProxy.userClient.isAlive()){
+          WARN_MSG("Failed to wait for buffer, aborting incoming push");
+          onFinish();
+          myConn.close();
+          return;
+        }
+      }else{
+        INFO_MSG("Received disconnect request from input");
+        onFinish();
+        myConn.close();
+        return;
+      }
     }
     if (!isPushing()){
       IPC::userConnection userConn(nProxy.userClient.getData());
@@ -1117,11 +1132,13 @@ namespace Mist{
 
     // Initialize the stream source if needed, connect to it
     initialize();
+
+    waitForStreamPushReady();
     //pull the source setting from metadata
     strmSource = myMeta.sourceURI;
 
     if (!strmSource.size()){
-      FAIL_MSG("Push rejected - stream %s not configured", streamName.c_str());
+      FAIL_MSG("Push rejected - stream %s not configured or unavailable", streamName.c_str());
       pushing = false;
       return false;
     }
@@ -1144,5 +1161,24 @@ namespace Mist{
     return true;
   }
 
+  /// Attempts to wait for a stream to finish shutting down if it is, then restarts and reconnects.
+  void Output::waitForStreamPushReady(){
+    uint8_t streamStatus = Util::getStreamStatus(streamName);
+    MEDIUM_MSG("Current status for %s buffer is %u", streamName.c_str(), streamStatus);
+    while (streamStatus != STRMSTAT_WAIT && streamStatus != STRMSTAT_READY && keepGoing()){
+      INFO_MSG("Waiting for %s buffer to be ready... (%u)", streamName.c_str(), streamStatus);
+      if (nProxy.userClient.getData()){
+        nProxy.userClient.finish();
+        nProxy.userClient = IPC::sharedClient();
+      }
+      Util::wait(1000);
+      streamStatus = Util::getStreamStatus(streamName);
+      if (streamStatus == STRMSTAT_OFF || streamStatus == STRMSTAT_WAIT || streamStatus == STRMSTAT_READY){
+        reconnect();
+        streamStatus = Util::getStreamStatus(streamName);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
 }
 
diff --git a/src/output/output.h b/src/output/output.h
index 539a17c0..14ce5258 100644
--- a/src/output/output.h
+++ b/src/output/output.h
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ namespace Mist {
       virtual void onFail();
       virtual void requestHandler();
     private://these *should* not be messed with in child classes.
+      inline bool keepGoing(){
+        return config->is_active && myConn;
+      }
       std::map<unsigned long, unsigned int> currKeyOpen;
       void loadPageForKey(long unsigned int trackId, long long int keyNum);
       int pageNumForKey(long unsigned int trackId, long long int keyNum);
@@ -114,6 +117,8 @@ namespace Mist {
       std::map<int,DTSCPageData> bookKeeping;
       virtual bool isPushing(){return pushing;};
       bool allowPush(const std::string & passwd);
+      void waitForStreamPushReady();
+      bool pushIsOngoing;
       void bufferLivePacket(DTSC::Packet & packet);
   };