diff --git a/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCD.java b/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCD.java
index 1d72e4a..1a91baa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCD.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCD.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 import java.net.Socket;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.Semaphore;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -456,25 +458,27 @@ public void menuAction(String menuId, String eventType, String value) {
      * Shut down the server, terminating any threads.
      * @throws LCDException in case of a network problem.
      */
+    @SuppressWarnings("WeakerAccess")
     public void shutdown()
         throws LCDException
     {
         _log.debug("Shutdown requested");
         if (_poller != null)
         {
-            _poller.interrupt();
-            _log.debug("Waiting for LCDSocketPoller to terminate...");
             try {
+                _log.debug("Carefully killing socket...");
+                _socket.shutdownInput();
+                _log.debug("Waiting for LCDSocketPoller to terminate...");
                 _poller.join();
-            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-                e.printStackTrace();
+            } catch (InterruptedException | IOException e) {
+                _log.error(e.toString());
             }
         }
 
         try
         {
             _log.debug("Closing socket");
-            if (_socket != null && !_socket.isClosed())
+            if (_socket != null)
             {
                 _socket.close();
             }
@@ -625,38 +629,28 @@ private void parseInitString(String init)
      * @return the response from the server.
      * @throws IOException in case of a network problem.
      */
-    private String connect(String host, int port, String clientName)
-        throws IOException
-    {
+    private String connect(String host, int port, String clientName) throws IOException {
         _socket = new Socket(host, port);
         BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
-                    _socket.getInputStream()));
+                _socket.getInputStream()));
         _out = new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(
-                    _socket.getOutputStream()));
-        _poller = new LCDSocketPoller(in, this);
+                _socket.getOutputStream()));
+        Semaphore serverHello = new Semaphore(1);
+        _poller = new LCDSocketPoller(in, this, serverHello);
         _poller.start();
-
         write(CMD_INIT);
-        String response = null;
-
-        for (int i = 0; i < POLL_REPEAT && response == null; i++)
-        {
-            synchronized (this)
-            {
-                try
-                {
-                    Thread.sleep(POLL);
-                    response = _poller.getLastLine();
-                }
-                catch (InterruptedException e)
-                {
-                    // Do nothing
-                }
+        try {
+            if (serverHello.tryAcquire(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS)) {
+                String version = _poller.getLastLine();
+                write(CMD_CLIENT_SET + clientName);
+                return version;
+            } else {
+                // Timeout => failed to connect
+                return null;
             }
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            return null;
         }
-        write(CMD_CLIENT_SET + clientName);
-
-        return response;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCDSocketPoller.java b/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCDSocketPoller.java
index 6f1233b..ef8070d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCDSocketPoller.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/lcdproc/lcdjava/LCDSocketPoller.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import java.io.BufferedReader;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.concurrent.Semaphore;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -10,24 +11,9 @@
 
 /**
  * Thread that listens for data on the LCD socket.
- * <p>Copyright (c) 2004-2005 Darren Greaves.
- * @author Darren Greaves
- * @version $Id: LCDSocketPoller.java,v 1.3 2008-07-06 15:38:34 boncey Exp $
  */
-public class LCDSocketPoller extends Thread
-{
-    /**
-     * Version details.
-     */
-    public static final String CVSID =
-        "$Id: LCDSocketPoller.java,v 1.3 2008-07-06 15:38:34 boncey Exp $";
-
-    private static Logger _log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(LCDSocketPoller.class);
-
-    /**
-     * How often to poll for changes.
-     */
-    private static final int POLL = 100;
+class LCDSocketPoller extends Thread {
+    private final Logger _log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(LCDSocketPoller.class);
 
     /**
      * The Pattern that matches ignore/listen events.
@@ -44,7 +30,7 @@ public class LCDSocketPoller extends Thread
     /**
      * The Reader to read data from.
      */
-    private BufferedReader _in;
+    private final BufferedReader _in;
 
     /**
      * The last line of data received.
@@ -55,88 +41,59 @@ public class LCDSocketPoller extends Thread
     /**
      * The listener to notify of listen/ignore events.
      */
-    private LCDListener _listener;
+    private final LCDListener _listener;
+
+    private Semaphore hello;
 
     /**
      * Public constructor.
-     * @param in the BufferedReader that will recieve data from the server.
+     *
+     * @param in       the BufferedReader that will receive data from the server.
      * @param listener the LCDListener that gets notified of screens being
-     * listened to or ignored.
+     *                 listened to or ignored.
      */
-    public LCDSocketPoller(BufferedReader in, LCDListener listener)
-    {
+    LCDSocketPoller(BufferedReader in, LCDListener listener, Semaphore hello) throws IOException {
         _in = in;
         _listener = listener;
+        this.hello = hello;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Poll the socket every 100 milliseconds.
-     */
     @Override
-    public void run()
-    {
-        while (!interrupted())
-        {
-            try {
-                if (!_in.ready()) {
-                    Thread.sleep(POLL);
+    public void run() {
+        try {
+            String line;
+            while ((line = _in.readLine()) != null) {
+                if (line.startsWith(LCD.RESPONSE_ERROR)) {
+                    _log.warn("Got a response of " + line +
+                            " from server");
                 }
-                if (_in.ready())
-                {
-                    _lastLine = _in.readLine();
-                    if (_lastLine == null)
-                        continue;
-                    Matcher listenIgnore = IGNORE_STATUS.matcher(_lastLine);
-                    Matcher menuEvent = MENU_STATUS.matcher(_lastLine);
-                    if (_lastLine.startsWith(LCD.RESPONSE_ERROR))
-                    {
-                        _log.warn("Got a response of " + _lastLine +
-                                " from server");
-                    }
-                    else if (_listener != null)
-                    {
-
-                        if (listenIgnore.matches())
-                        {
-                            boolean listen = (LCD.RESPONSE_LISTEN.equals(
-                                        listenIgnore.group(1)));
-                            try
-                            {
-                                int screenId = Integer.parseInt(listenIgnore.group(2));
-                                _listener.setListenStatus(screenId, listen);
-                            }
-                            catch (NumberFormatException e)
-                            {
-                                // Ignore
-                            }
-                        }
-                        else if (menuEvent.matches())
-                        {
-                            _listener.menuAction(menuEvent.group(2), menuEvent.group(1), menuEvent.group(3));
-                        }
-                    }
+                Matcher listenIgnore = IGNORE_STATUS.matcher(line);
+                Matcher menuEvent = MENU_STATUS.matcher(line);
+                if (listenIgnore.matches()) {
+                    boolean listen = (LCD.RESPONSE_LISTEN.equals(listenIgnore.group(1)));
+                    int screenId = Integer.parseInt(listenIgnore.group(2));
+                    _listener.setListenStatus(screenId, listen);
+                } else if (menuEvent.matches()) {
+                    _listener.menuAction(menuEvent.group(2), menuEvent.group(1), menuEvent.group(3));
                 }
+                synchronized (this) {
+                    _lastLine = line;
+                }
+                hello.release();
             }
-            catch (InterruptedException e)
-            {
-                interrupt();
-            }
-            catch (IOException e)
-            {
-                _log.error("Caught IOException", e);
-            }
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new LCDException(e);
         }
-
         _log.debug("Terminating");
     }
 
     /**
      * Get the last line received <i>non-blocking</i>.
      * <p>Calling this clears the last line received.
+     *
      * @return the last line received.
      */
-    synchronized String getLastLine()
-    {
+    synchronized String getLastLine() {
         String ret = _lastLine;
         _lastLine = null;
         return ret;