diff --git a/src/daemon.c b/src/daemon.c
index 71efeb12..9433c7e3 100644
--- a/src/daemon.c
+++ b/src/daemon.c
@@ -169,18 +169,12 @@ pid_t FTL_gettid(void)
 void cleanup(const int ret)
 {
 	// Terminate threads before closing database connections and finishing shared memory
-	if(telnet_listenthreadv4 != 0u)
-		pthread_cancel(telnet_listenthreadv4);
-	if(telnet_listenthreadv6 != 0u)
-		pthread_cancel(telnet_listenthreadv6);
-	if(socket_listenthread != 0u)
-		pthread_cancel(socket_listenthread);
-	if(DBthread != 0u)
-		pthread_cancel(DBthread);
-	if(GCthread != 0u)
-		pthread_cancel(GCthread);
-	if(DNSclientthread != 0u)
-		pthread_cancel(DNSclientthread);
+	pthread_cancel(telnet_listenthreadv4);
+	pthread_cancel(telnet_listenthreadv6);
+	pthread_cancel(socket_listenthread);
+	pthread_cancel(DBthread);
+	pthread_cancel(GCthread);
+	pthread_cancel(DNSclientthread);
 
 	// Close gravity database connection
 	gravityDB_close();
diff --git a/src/database/message-table.c b/src/database/message-table.c
index 936813d7..097462a2 100644
--- a/src/database/message-table.c
+++ b/src/database/message-table.c
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 #include "gravity-db.h"
 // cli_mode
 #include "../args.h"
+// cleanup()
+#include "../daemon.h"
 
 static const char *message_types[MAX_MESSAGE] =
 	{ "REGEX", "SUBNET", "HOSTNAME", "DNSMASQ_CONFIG" };
@@ -271,4 +273,8 @@ void logg_fatal_dnsmasq_message(const char *message)
 	// Log to database (we have to open the database at this point)
 	dbopen();
 	add_message(DNSMASQ_CONFIG_MESSAGE, message, 0);
+
+	// FTL will dies after this point, so we should make sure to clean up
+	// behind ourselves
+	cleanup(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
diff --git a/src/dnsmasq_interface.c b/src/dnsmasq_interface.c
index 54151abc..d5906a3d 100644
--- a/src/dnsmasq_interface.c
+++ b/src/dnsmasq_interface.c
@@ -1740,12 +1740,12 @@ static void save_reply_type(const unsigned int flags, const union all_addr *addr
 	                            query->response;
 }
 
-pthread_t telnet_listenthreadv4 = 0u;
-pthread_t telnet_listenthreadv6 = 0u;
-pthread_t socket_listenthread = 0u;
-pthread_t DBthread = 0u;
-pthread_t GCthread = 0u;
-pthread_t DNSclientthread = 0u;
+pthread_t telnet_listenthreadv4;
+pthread_t telnet_listenthreadv6;
+pthread_t socket_listenthread;
+pthread_t DBthread;
+pthread_t GCthread;
+pthread_t DNSclientthread;
 
 void FTL_fork_and_bind_sockets(struct passwd *ent_pw)
 {