diff --git a/src/hotplug_libusb.c b/src/hotplug_libusb.c
index 46d5506c..82199fe8 100644
--- a/src/hotplug_libusb.c
+++ b/src/hotplug_libusb.c
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ pthread_mutex_t usbNotifierMutex;
 static pthread_t usbNotifyThread;
 static int driverSize = -1;
 static bool AraKiriHotPlug = false;
+/**
+ * the first end is written to when the USB rescan is requested; the second end
+ * is written to when the rescan thread is about to shut down
+ */
 static int rescan_pipe[] = { -1, -1 };
 extern int HPForceReaderPolling;
 
@@ -447,30 +451,6 @@ static void HPRescanUsbBus(void)
 
 	/* free the libusb allocated list & devices */
 	libusb_free_device_list(devs, 1);
-
-	if (AraKiriHotPlug)
-	{
-		int retval;
-
-		for (i=0; i<PCSCLITE_MAX_READERS_CONTEXTS; i++)
-		{
-			if (readerTracker[i].fullName != NULL)
-				HPCleanupHotPluggable(i);
-		}
-
-		for (i=0; i<driverSize; i++)
-		{
-			/* free strings allocated by strdup() */
-			free(driverTracker[i].bundleName);
-			free(driverTracker[i].libraryPath);
-			free(driverTracker[i].readerName);
-			free(driverTracker[i].CFBundleName);
-		}
-		free(driverTracker);
-
-		Log1(PCSC_LOG_INFO, "Hotplug stopped");
-		pthread_exit(&retval);
-	}
 }
 
 static void * HPEstablishUSBNotifications(int pipefd[2])
@@ -526,17 +506,10 @@ static void * HPEstablishUSBNotifications(int pipefd[2])
 			SYS_Sleep(HPForceReaderPolling);
 			HPRescanUsbBus();
 		}
-		libusb_exit(ctx);
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		char dummy;
-
-		if (pipe(rescan_pipe) == -1)
-		{
-			Log2(PCSC_LOG_ERROR, "pipe: %s", strerror(errno));
-			return NULL;
-		}
 		while (read(rescan_pipe[0], &dummy, sizeof(dummy)) > 0)
 		{
 			Log1(PCSC_LOG_INFO, "Reload serial configuration");
@@ -546,10 +519,32 @@ static void * HPEstablishUSBNotifications(int pipefd[2])
 #endif
 			Log1(PCSC_LOG_INFO, "End reload serial configuration");
 		}
-		close(rescan_pipe[0]);
-		rescan_pipe[0] = -1;
 	}
 
+	/* Clean up resources before exiting the thread. */
+	for (int i=0; i<PCSCLITE_MAX_READERS_CONTEXTS; i++)
+	{
+		if (readerTracker[i].fullName != NULL)
+			HPCleanupHotPluggable(i);
+	}
+	libusb_exit(ctx);
+	for (int i=0; i<driverSize; i++)
+	{
+		/* free strings allocated by strdup() */
+		free(driverTracker[i].bundleName);
+		free(driverTracker[i].libraryPath);
+		free(driverTracker[i].readerName);
+		free(driverTracker[i].CFBundleName);
+	}
+	free(driverTracker);
+
+	Log1(PCSC_LOG_INFO, "Hotplug stopped");
+
+	/* notify the main thread that the rescan shutdown completed */
+	char dummy;
+	if (write(rescan_pipe[0], &dummy, sizeof(dummy)) == -1)
+		Log2(PCSC_LOG_ERROR, "write: %s", strerror(errno));
+
 	return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -567,6 +562,7 @@ LONG HPSearchHotPluggables(const char * hpDirPath)
 
 	if (HPReadBundleValues(hpDirPath) > 0)
 	{
+		/* used for waiting for the initialization completion */
 		int pipefd[2];
 		char c;
 
@@ -576,6 +572,13 @@ LONG HPSearchHotPluggables(const char * hpDirPath)
 			return -1;
 		}
 
+		/* used for rescan and shutdown events */
+		if (pipe(rescan_pipe) == -1)
+		{
+			Log2(PCSC_LOG_ERROR, "pipe: %s", strerror(errno));
+			return -1;
+		}
+
 		ThreadCreate(&usbNotifyThread, THREAD_ATTR_DETACHED,
 			(PCSCLITE_THREAD_FUNCTION( )) HPEstablishUSBNotifications, pipefd);
 
@@ -599,6 +602,11 @@ LONG HPStopHotPluggables(void)
 	AraKiriHotPlug = true;
 	if (rescan_pipe[1] >= 0)
 	{
+		char dummy;
+		/* wait until the rescan thread completes the cleanup */
+		read(rescan_pipe[1], &dummy, sizeof(dummy));
+		close(rescan_pipe[0]);
+		rescan_pipe[0] = -1;
 		close(rescan_pipe[1]);
 		rescan_pipe[1] = -1;
 	}
diff --git a/src/pcscdaemon.c b/src/pcscdaemon.c
index 139c6071..da4500b6 100644
--- a/src/pcscdaemon.c
+++ b/src/pcscdaemon.c
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ static void SVCServiceRunLoop(void)
 #ifdef USE_USB
 			(void)HPStopHotPluggables();
 #endif
-			(void)SYS_Sleep(1);
 
 			/* stop all the clients */
 			ContextsDeinitialize();