diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/handler/waiter.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/handler/waiter.py
index 21fc347..a64b6a9 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/handler/waiter.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/handler/waiter.py
@@ -87,11 +87,16 @@ class Waiter(BaseHandler):
         if timeout is None:
             timeout = self.stream().response_timeout
 
-        try:
-            stanza = self._payload.get(True, timeout)
-        except queue.Empty:
-            stanza = False
-            log.warning("Timed out waiting for %s", self.name)
+        elapsed_time = 0
+        stanza = False
+        while elapsed_time < timeout and not self.stream().stop.is_set():
+            try:
+                stanza = self._payload.get(True, 1)
+                break
+            except queue.Empty:
+                elapsed_time += 1
+                if elapsed_time >= timeout:
+                    log.warning("Timed out waiting for %s", self.name)
         self.stream().remove_handler(self.name)
         return stanza
 
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/scheduler.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/scheduler.py
index 5821925..45d2427 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/scheduler.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/scheduler.py
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ class Scheduler(object):
         if threaded:
             self.thread = threading.Thread(name='sheduler_process',
                                            target=self._process)
-            self.thread.daemon = True
             self.thread.start()
         else:
             self._process()
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py
index 6d53022..8d1c7e3 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ class XMLStream(object):
         """
 
         def _handle_session_timeout():
-            if not self.session_started_event.isSet():
+            if not self.session_started_event.is_set():
                 log.debug("Session start has taken more " + \
                           "than %d seconds", self.session_timeout)
                 self.disconnect(reconnect=self.auto_reconnect)
@@ -1055,7 +1055,6 @@ class XMLStream(object):
 
         def start_thread(name, target):
             self.__thread[name] = threading.Thread(name=name, target=target)
-            self.__thread[name].daemon = True
             self.__thread[name].start()
 
         for t in range(0, HANDLER_THREADS):
@@ -1255,7 +1254,7 @@ class XMLStream(object):
         """
         log.debug("Loading event runner")
         try:
-            while not self.stop.isSet():
+            while not self.stop.is_set():
                 try:
                     wait = self.wait_timeout
                     event = self.event_queue.get(True, timeout=wait)
@@ -1320,7 +1319,9 @@ class XMLStream(object):
         """
         try:
             while not self.stop.is_set():
-                self.session_started_event.wait()
+                while not self.stop.is_set and \
+                      not self.session_started_event.is_set():
+                    self.session_started_event.wait(timeout=1)
                 if self.__failed_send_stanza is not None:
                     data = self.__failed_send_stanza
                     self.__failed_send_stanza = None