diff --git a/sys/src/libdraw/keyboard.c b/sys/src/libdraw/keyboard.c
index 5ab911ab8..9f3b29587 100644
--- a/sys/src/libdraw/keyboard.c
+++ b/sys/src/libdraw/keyboard.c
@@ -4,26 +4,15 @@
 #include <thread.h>
 #include <keyboard.h>
 
-
 void
 closekeyboard(Keyboardctl *kc)
 {
 	if(kc == nil)
 		return;
-
-	postnote(PNPROC, kc->pid, "kill");
-
-#ifdef BUG
-	/* Drain the channel */
-	while(?kc->c)
-		<-kc->c;
-#endif
-
 	close(kc->ctlfd);
 	close(kc->consfd);
-	free(kc->file);
-	free(kc->c);
-	free(kc);
+	kc->consfd = kc->ctlfd = -1;
+	threadint(kc->pid);
 }
 
 static
@@ -37,23 +26,23 @@ _ioproc(void *arg)
 
 	kc = arg;
 	threadsetname("kbdproc");
-	kc->pid = getpid();
 	n = 0;
-	for(;;){
+loop:
+	while(kc->consfd >= 0){
 		while(n>0 && fullrune(buf, n)){
 			m = chartorune(&r, buf);
 			n -= m;
 			memmove(buf, buf+m, n);
-			send(kc->c, &r);
-		}
-		m = read(kc->consfd, buf+n, sizeof buf-n);
-		if(m <= 0){
-			yield();	/* if error is due to exiting, we'll exit here */
-			fprint(2, "keyboard read error: %r\n");
-			threadexits("error");
+			if(send(kc->c, &r) < 0)
+				goto loop;
 		}
+		if((m = read(kc->consfd, buf+n, sizeof buf-n)) <= 0)
+			goto loop;
 		n += m;
 	}
+	chanfree(kc->c);
+	free(kc->file);
+	free(kc);
 }
 
 Keyboardctl*
@@ -91,7 +80,7 @@ Error2:
 	}
 	free(t);
 	kc->c = chancreate(sizeof(Rune), 20);
-	proccreate(_ioproc, kc, 4096);
+	kc->pid = proccreate(_ioproc, kc, 4096);
 	return kc;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/libdraw/mouse.c b/sys/src/libdraw/mouse.c
index cbcfade28..74147bf53 100644
--- a/sys/src/libdraw/mouse.c
+++ b/sys/src/libdraw/mouse.c
@@ -17,17 +17,10 @@ closemouse(Mousectl *mc)
 {
 	if(mc == nil)
 		return;
-
-	postnote(PNPROC, mc->pid, "kill");
-
-	do; while(nbrecv(mc->c, &mc->Mouse) > 0);
-
 	close(mc->mfd);
 	close(mc->cfd);
-	free(mc->file);
-	free(mc->c);
-	free(mc->resizec);
-	free(mc);
+	mc->mfd = mc->cfd = -1;
+	threadint(mc->pid);
 }
 
 int
@@ -46,7 +39,7 @@ static
 void
 _ioproc(void *arg)
 {
-	int n, nerr, one;
+	int n, one;
 	char buf[1+5*12];
 	Mouse m;
 	Mousectl *mc;
@@ -55,28 +48,23 @@ _ioproc(void *arg)
 	threadsetname("mouseproc");
 	one = 1;
 	memset(&m, 0, sizeof m);
-	mc->pid = getpid();
-	nerr = 0;
-	for(;;){
+loop:
+	while(mc->mfd >= 0){
 		n = read(mc->mfd, buf, sizeof buf);
-		if(n != 1+4*12){
-			yield();	/* if error is due to exiting, we'll exit here */
-			fprint(2, "mouse: bad count %d not 49: %r\n", n);
-			if(n<0 || ++nerr>10)
-				threadexits("read error");
-			continue;
-		}
-		nerr = 0;
+		if(n != 1+4*12)
+			goto loop;
 		switch(buf[0]){
 		case 'r':
-			send(mc->resizec, &one);
+			if(send(mc->resizec, &one) < 0)
+				goto loop;
 			/* fall through */
 		case 'm':
 			m.xy.x = atoi(buf+1+0*12);
 			m.xy.y = atoi(buf+1+1*12);
 			m.buttons = atoi(buf+1+2*12);
 			m.msec = atoi(buf+1+3*12);
-			send(mc->c, &m);
+			if(send(mc->c, &m) < 0)
+				goto loop;
 			/*
 			 * mc->Mouse is updated after send so it doesn't have wrong value if we block during send.
 			 * This means that programs should receive into mc->Mouse (see readmouse() above) if
@@ -86,6 +74,10 @@ _ioproc(void *arg)
 			break;
 		}
 	}
+	free(mc->file);
+	chanfree(mc->c);
+	chanfree(mc->resizec);
+	free(mc);
 }
 
 Mousectl*
@@ -124,7 +116,7 @@ initmouse(char *file, Image *i)
 	mc->image = i;
 	mc->c = chancreate(sizeof(Mouse), 0);
 	mc->resizec = chancreate(sizeof(int), 2);
-	proccreate(_ioproc, mc, 4096);
+	mc->pid = proccreate(_ioproc, mc, 4096);
 	return mc;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/libthread/note.c b/sys/src/libthread/note.c
index 74f7e9013..c04e3e1a2 100644
--- a/sys/src/libthread/note.c
+++ b/sys/src/libthread/note.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ delayednotes(Proc *p, void *v)
 {
 	int i;
 	Note *n;
+	char s[ERRMAX];
 	int (*fn)(void*, char*);
 
 	if(!p->pending)
@@ -60,10 +61,14 @@ delayednotes(Proc *p, void *v)
 	p->pending = 0;
 	for(n=notes; n<enotes; n++){
 		if(n->proc == p){
+			strcpy(s, n->s);
+			n->proc = nil;
+			unlock(&n->inuse);
+
 			for(i=0; i<NFN; i++){
 				if(onnotepid[i]!=p->pid || (fn = onnote[i])==nil)
 					continue;
-				if((*fn)(v, n->s))
+				if((*fn)(v, s))
 					break;
 			}
 			if(i==NFN){
@@ -74,8 +79,6 @@ delayednotes(Proc *p, void *v)
 					abort();
 				threadexitsall(n->s);
 			}
-			n->proc = nil;
-			unlock(&n->inuse);
 		}
 	}
 }