diff --git a/examples/simple.rs b/examples/simple.rs
index 5d892dd73..dbb0fdf27 100644
--- a/examples/simple.rs
+++ b/examples/simple.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 extern crate deltachat;
 
 use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
 use std::{thread, time};
 use tempfile::tempdir;
 
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ extern "C" fn cb(_ctx: &dc_context_t, event: Event, data1: usize, data2: usize)
 fn main() {
     unsafe {
         let ctx = dc_context_new(cb, std::ptr::null_mut(), std::ptr::null_mut());
+        let running = Arc::new(RwLock::new(true));
         let info = dc_get_info(&ctx);
         let info_s = CStr::from_ptr(info);
         let duration = time::Duration::from_millis(4000);
@@ -64,16 +65,29 @@ fn main() {
 
         let ctx = Arc::new(ctx);
         let ctx1 = ctx.clone();
-        let t1 = thread::spawn(move || loop {
-            dc_perform_imap_jobs(&ctx1);
-            dc_perform_imap_fetch(&ctx1);
-            dc_perform_imap_idle(&ctx1);
+        let r1 = running.clone();
+        let t1 = thread::spawn(move || {
+            while *r1.read().unwrap() {
+                dc_perform_imap_jobs(&ctx1);
+                if *r1.read().unwrap() {
+                    dc_perform_imap_fetch(&ctx1);
+
+                    if *r1.read().unwrap() {
+                        dc_perform_imap_idle(&ctx1);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         });
 
         let ctx1 = ctx.clone();
-        let t2 = thread::spawn(move || loop {
-            dc_perform_smtp_jobs(&ctx1);
-            dc_perform_smtp_idle(&ctx1);
+        let r1 = running.clone();
+        let t2 = thread::spawn(move || {
+            while *r1.read().unwrap() {
+                dc_perform_smtp_jobs(&ctx1);
+                if *r1.read().unwrap() {
+                    dc_perform_smtp_idle(&ctx1);
+                }
+            }
         });
 
         let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
@@ -129,6 +143,8 @@ fn main() {
         }
         dc_chatlist_unref(chats);
 
+        *running.clone().write().unwrap() = false;
+        println!("stopping threads");
         // let msglist = dc_get_chat_msgs(&ctx, chat_id, 0, 0);
         // for i in 0..dc_array_get_cnt(msglist) {
         //     let msg_id = dc_array_get_id(msglist, i);
@@ -139,7 +155,14 @@ fn main() {
         // }
         // dc_array_unref(msglist);
 
+        deltachat::dc_job::dc_interrupt_imap_idle(&ctx);
+        deltachat::dc_job::dc_interrupt_smtp_idle(&ctx);
+
+        println!("joining");
         t1.join().unwrap();
         t2.join().unwrap();
+
+        println!("closing");
+        dc_close(&ctx);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/dc_configure.rs b/src/dc_configure.rs
index 1844e23c0..a3d0b93bf 100644
--- a/src/dc_configure.rs
+++ b/src/dc_configure.rs
@@ -137,13 +137,13 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_job_do_DC_JOB_CONFIGURE_IMAP(context: &dc_context_t, _job: *mut
             context.inbox.read().unwrap().disconnect(context);
             context
                 .sentbox_thread
-                .lock()
+                .read()
                 .unwrap()
                 .imap
                 .disconnect(context);
             context
                 .mvbox_thread
-                .lock()
+                .read()
                 .unwrap()
                 .imap
                 .disconnect(context);
diff --git a/src/dc_context.rs b/src/dc_context.rs
index c1a537762..21b06a684 100644
--- a/src/dc_context.rs
+++ b/src/dc_context.rs
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ pub struct dc_context_t {
     pub inbox: Arc<RwLock<Imap>>,
     pub perform_inbox_jobs_needed: Arc<RwLock<i32>>,
     pub probe_imap_network: Arc<RwLock<i32>>,
-    pub sentbox_thread: Arc<Mutex<dc_jobthread_t>>,
-    pub mvbox_thread: Arc<Mutex<dc_jobthread_t>>,
+    pub sentbox_thread: Arc<RwLock<dc_jobthread_t>>,
+    pub mvbox_thread: Arc<RwLock<dc_jobthread_t>>,
     pub smtp: Arc<Mutex<Smtp>>,
     pub smtp_state: Arc<(Mutex<SmtpState>, Condvar)>,
     pub oauth2_critical: Arc<Mutex<()>>,
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ pub fn dc_context_new(
         bob: Arc::new(RwLock::new(Default::default())),
         last_smeared_timestamp: Arc::new(RwLock::new(0 as time_t)),
         cmdline_sel_chat_id: Arc::new(RwLock::new(0)),
-        sentbox_thread: Arc::new(Mutex::new(unsafe {
+        sentbox_thread: Arc::new(RwLock::new(unsafe {
             dc_jobthread_init(
                 b"SENTBOX\x00" as *const u8 as *const libc::c_char,
                 b"configured_sentbox_folder\x00" as *const u8 as *const libc::c_char,
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ pub fn dc_context_new(
                 ),
             )
         })),
-        mvbox_thread: Arc::new(Mutex::new(unsafe {
+        mvbox_thread: Arc::new(RwLock::new(unsafe {
             dc_jobthread_init(
                 b"MVBOX\x00" as *const u8 as *const libc::c_char,
                 b"configured_mvbox_folder\x00" as *const u8 as *const libc::c_char,
@@ -282,8 +282,8 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_context_unref(context: &mut dc_context_t) {
     }
     dc_sqlite3_unref(context, &mut context.sql.clone().write().unwrap());
 
-    dc_jobthread_exit(&mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap());
-    dc_jobthread_exit(&mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap());
+    dc_jobthread_exit(&mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().write().unwrap());
+    dc_jobthread_exit(&mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().write().unwrap());
 
     free(context.os_name as *mut libc::c_void);
 }
@@ -292,13 +292,13 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_close(context: &dc_context_t) {
     context.inbox.read().unwrap().disconnect(context);
     context
         .sentbox_thread
-        .lock()
+        .read()
         .unwrap()
         .imap
         .disconnect(context);
     context
         .mvbox_thread
-        .lock()
+        .read()
         .unwrap()
         .imap
         .disconnect(context);
diff --git a/src/dc_job.rs b/src/dc_job.rs
index 28c228a25..aafcbd549 100644
--- a/src/dc_job.rs
+++ b/src/dc_job.rs
@@ -126,16 +126,8 @@ unsafe fn dc_job_perform(context: &dc_context_t, thread: libc::c_int, probe_netw
             dc_job_kill_action(context, job.action);
             sqlite3_finalize(select_stmt);
             select_stmt = 0 as *mut sqlite3_stmt;
-            dc_jobthread_suspend(
-                context,
-                &mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
-                1,
-            );
-            dc_jobthread_suspend(
-                context,
-                &mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
-                1,
-            );
+            dc_jobthread_suspend(context, &context.sentbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap(), 1);
+            dc_jobthread_suspend(context, &context.mvbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap(), 1);
             dc_suspend_smtp_thread(context, 1i32);
         }
         let mut tries: libc::c_int = 0i32;
@@ -185,12 +177,12 @@ unsafe fn dc_job_perform(context: &dc_context_t, thread: libc::c_int, probe_netw
         if 900i32 == job.action || 910i32 == job.action {
             dc_jobthread_suspend(
                 context,
-                &mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
+                &mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap(),
                 0,
             );
             dc_jobthread_suspend(
                 context,
-                &mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
+                &mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap(),
                 0,
             );
             dc_suspend_smtp_thread(context, 0i32);
@@ -1090,7 +1082,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_perform_mvbox_fetch(context: &dc_context_t) {
     );
     dc_jobthread_fetch(
         context,
-        &mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
+        &mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().write().unwrap(),
         use_network,
     );
 }
@@ -1104,13 +1096,13 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_perform_mvbox_idle(context: &dc_context_t) {
     );
     dc_jobthread_idle(
         context,
-        &mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
+        &context.mvbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap(),
         use_network,
     );
 }
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_interrupt_mvbox_idle(context: &dc_context_t) {
-    dc_jobthread_interrupt_idle(context, &mut context.mvbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap());
+    dc_jobthread_interrupt_idle(context, &context.mvbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap());
 }
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_perform_sentbox_fetch(context: &dc_context_t) {
@@ -1122,7 +1114,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_perform_sentbox_fetch(context: &dc_context_t) {
     );
     dc_jobthread_fetch(
         context,
-        &mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
+        &mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().write().unwrap(),
         use_network,
     );
 }
@@ -1136,13 +1128,13 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_perform_sentbox_idle(context: &dc_context_t) {
     );
     dc_jobthread_idle(
         context,
-        &mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap(),
+        &context.sentbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap(),
         use_network,
     );
 }
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_interrupt_sentbox_idle(context: &dc_context_t) {
-    dc_jobthread_interrupt_idle(context, &mut context.sentbox_thread.clone().lock().unwrap());
+    dc_jobthread_interrupt_idle(context, &context.sentbox_thread.clone().read().unwrap());
 }
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_perform_smtp_jobs(context: &dc_context_t) {
diff --git a/src/dc_jobthread.rs b/src/dc_jobthread.rs
index 74f21eefe..42cd573c0 100644
--- a/src/dc_jobthread.rs
+++ b/src/dc_jobthread.rs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_jobthread_exit(jobthread: &mut dc_jobthread_t) {
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_jobthread_suspend(
     context: &dc_context_t,
-    jobthread: &mut dc_jobthread_t,
+    jobthread: &dc_jobthread_t,
     suspend: libc::c_int,
 ) {
     if 0 != suspend {
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_jobthread_suspend(
 
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_jobthread_interrupt_idle(
     context: &dc_context_t,
-    jobthread: &mut dc_jobthread_t,
+    jobthread: &dc_jobthread_t,
 ) {
     {
         jobthread.state.clone().0.lock().unwrap().jobs_needed = 1;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_jobthread_fetch(
  * the typical fetch, idle, interrupt-idle
  ******************************************************************************/
 
-unsafe fn connect_to_imap(context: &dc_context_t, jobthread: &mut dc_jobthread_t) -> libc::c_int {
+unsafe fn connect_to_imap(context: &dc_context_t, jobthread: &dc_jobthread_t) -> libc::c_int {
     let mut ret_connected: libc::c_int;
     let mut mvbox_name: *mut libc::c_char = 0 as *mut libc::c_char;
 
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ unsafe fn connect_to_imap(context: &dc_context_t, jobthread: &mut dc_jobthread_t
 
 pub unsafe fn dc_jobthread_idle(
     context: &dc_context_t,
-    jobthread: &mut dc_jobthread_t,
+    jobthread: &dc_jobthread_t,
     use_network: libc::c_int,
 ) {
     {