diff --git a/api/main.go b/api/main.go
index b49938a29..0a0d8b4bc 100644
--- a/api/main.go
+++ b/api/main.go
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ func main() {
 		go com.ResponseQueueListen()
 	}
 
+	// Start background signal handler
+	exitSignal := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	go com.SignalHandler(&exitSignal)
+
 	// Load our self signed CA chain
 	ourCAPool = x509.NewCertPool()
 	certFile, err := os.ReadFile(com.Conf.DB4S.CAChain)
@@ -164,14 +168,10 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Start API server
 	log.Printf("%s: listening on %s", com.Conf.Live.Nodename, server)
-	err = srv.ListenAndServeTLS(com.Conf.Api.Certificate, com.Conf.Api.CertificateKey)
-
-	// Shut down nicely
-	com.DisconnectPostgreSQL()
+	go srv.ListenAndServeTLS(com.Conf.Api.Certificate, com.Conf.Api.CertificateKey)
 
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	// Wait for exit signal
+	<-exitSignal
 }
 
 // checkAuth authenticates and logs the incoming request
diff --git a/common/postgresql.go b/common/postgresql.go
index cd8d272a6..7cac43675 100644
--- a/common/postgresql.go
+++ b/common/postgresql.go
@@ -1325,12 +1325,20 @@ func DeleteLicence(userName, licenceName string) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// DisconnectPostgreSQL disconnects the PostgreSQL database connection
+// DisconnectPostgreSQL disconnects the PostgreSQL database connections
 func DisconnectPostgreSQL() {
-	pdb.Close()
+	if pdb != nil {
+		pdb.Close()
+	}
+
+	if !UseAMQP {
+		// Don't bother trying to close the job responses listener connection, as it just blocks
+		//JobListenConn.Close(context.Background())
 
-	// Log successful disconnection
-	log.Printf("Disconnected from PostgreSQL server: %v:%v", Conf.Pg.Server, uint16(Conf.Pg.Port))
+		if JobQueueConn != nil {
+			JobQueueConn.Close()
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // Discussions returns the list of discussions or MRs for a given database
@@ -3499,11 +3507,15 @@ func StatusUpdatesLoop() {
 		timeStamp time.Time
 	}
 	for {
+		// Wait at the start of the loop (simpler code then adding a delay before each continue statement below)
+		time.Sleep(Conf.Event.Delay * time.Second)
+
 		// Begin a transaction
 		var tx pgx.Tx
 		tx, err = pdb.Begin(context.Background())
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("Couldn't begin database transaction for status update processing loop: %s", err.Error())
+			log.Printf("%s: couldn't begin database transaction for status update processing loop: %s",
+				Conf.Live.Nodename, err.Error())
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -3727,9 +3739,6 @@ func StatusUpdatesLoop() {
 			log.Printf("Could not commit transaction when processing status updates: %v", err.Error())
 			continue
 		}
-
-		// Wait before running the loop again
-		time.Sleep(Conf.Event.Delay * time.Second)
 	}
 	return
 }
diff --git a/common/postgresql_live.go b/common/postgresql_live.go
index 9c1a51842..3968c5736 100644
--- a/common/postgresql_live.go
+++ b/common/postgresql_live.go
@@ -545,6 +545,12 @@ func ResponseQueueListen() {
 	}
 
 	// Listen for notify events
+	if JobListenConn == nil {
+		log.Fatalf("%v: ERROR, couldn't start ResponseQueueListen() as JobListenConn IS NILL", Conf.Live.Nodename)
+	}
+	if JobListenConn.IsClosed() {
+		log.Fatalf("%v: ERROR, couldn't start ResponseQueueListen() as connection to job responses listener is NOT open", Conf.Live.Nodename)
+	}
 	_, err := JobListenConn.Exec(context.Background(), "LISTEN job_responses_queue")
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/common/util.go b/common/util.go
index 3b781cfbc..b57e4a0e3 100644
--- a/common/util.go
+++ b/common/util.go
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"os/signal"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/minio/minio-go"
@@ -39,7 +41,7 @@ func (*FilteringErrorLogWriter) Write(msg []byte) (int, error) {
 	return len(msg), nil
 }
 
-// Filter out the copious 'TLS handshake error' messages we're getting
+// HttpErrorLog is used to filter out the copious 'TLS handshake error' messages we're getting
 func HttpErrorLog() *log.Logger {
 	httpErrorLogger = log.New(&FilteringErrorLogWriter{}, "", log.LstdFlags)
 	return httpErrorLogger
@@ -1107,6 +1109,51 @@ func RandomString(length int) string {
 	return string(randomString)
 }
 
+// SignalHandler is a background goroutine that exists to catch *nix termination signals then shut the daemon down cleanly
+func SignalHandler(done *chan struct{}) {
+	// Catch signals
+	z := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(z, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
+	sig := <-z
+	log.Printf("%s: received signal '%s', shutting down", Conf.Live.Nodename, sig)
+
+	// On non-live nodes, wait for the job response queue to be empty. aka not be waiting on in-flight responses from the live nodes
+	if ResponseQueue != nil {
+		loop := 0
+		ResponseQueue.RLock()
+		queueLength := len(ResponseQueue.receivers)
+		ResponseQueue.RUnlock()
+		for queueLength > 0 {
+			log.Printf("%s: response queue not empty (%d), waiting for 1/2 second then trying again", Conf.Live.Nodename, queueLength)
+			time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+			loop++
+			if loop >= 20 {
+				log.Printf("%s: response queue not empty (%d) after 10 seconds.  Exiting anyway", Conf.Live.Nodename, queueLength)
+				break
+			}
+			ResponseQueue.RLock()
+			queueLength = len(ResponseQueue.receivers)
+			ResponseQueue.RUnlock()
+			if queueLength == 0 {
+				log.Printf("%s: response queue now empty, shutting down", Conf.Live.Nodename)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Shut down connections
+	DisconnectPostgreSQL()
+	if UseAMQP {
+		err := CloseMQChannel(AmqpChan)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// The application is ready to exit
+	*done <- struct{}{}
+	return
+}
+
 // StatusUpdateCheck checks if a status update for the user exists for a given discussion or MR, and if so then removes it
 func StatusUpdateCheck(dbOwner, dbName string, thisID int, userName string) (numStatusUpdates int, err error) {
 	var lst map[string][]StatusUpdateEntry
diff --git a/db4s/main.go b/db4s/main.go
index d8269c3cc..1e923430b 100644
--- a/db4s/main.go
+++ b/db4s/main.go
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	// Connect to job queue server
+	com.AmqpChan, err = com.ConnectQueue()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	// Connect to the Memcached server
 	err = com.ConnectCache()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -77,6 +83,19 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	// Start background goroutines to handle job queue responses
+	if !com.UseAMQP {
+		com.ResponseQueue = com.NewResponseQueue()
+		com.CheckResponsesQueue = make(chan struct{})
+		com.SubmitterInstance = com.RandomString(3)
+		go com.ResponseQueueCheck()
+		go com.ResponseQueueListen()
+	}
+
+	// Start background signal handler
+	exitSignal := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	go com.SignalHandler(&exitSignal)
+
 	// Load our self signed CA chain
 	ourCAPool = x509.NewCertPool()
 	certFile, err := os.ReadFile(com.Conf.DB4S.CAChain)
@@ -123,7 +142,10 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Start server
 	log.Printf("%s: listening for requests on %s", com.Conf.Live.Nodename, server)
-	log.Fatal(newServer.ListenAndServeTLS(com.Conf.DB4S.Certificate, com.Conf.DB4S.CertificateKey))
+	go newServer.ListenAndServeTLS(com.Conf.DB4S.Certificate, com.Conf.DB4S.CertificateKey)
+
+	// Wait for exit signal
+	<-exitSignal
 }
 
 // Returns the list of branches for a database
diff --git a/live/main.go b/live/main.go
index a17356e04..b4fe050d3 100644
--- a/live/main.go
+++ b/live/main.go
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	// Start background signal handler
+	exitSignal := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	go com.SignalHandler(&exitSignal)
+
 	// Make sure the channel to the AMQP server is still open
 	if com.UseAMQP {
 		// Create queue for receiving new database creation requests
@@ -440,12 +444,6 @@ func main() {
 
 	log.Printf("%s: listening for requests", com.Conf.Live.Nodename)
 
-	// Endless loop
-	var forever chan struct{}
-	<-forever
-
-	// Close the channel to the MQ server
-	if com.UseAMQP {
-		_ = com.CloseMQChannel(ch)
-	}
+	// Wait for exit signal
+	<- exitSignal
 }
diff --git a/webui/main.go b/webui/main.go
index 8da565ffb..955777600 100644
--- a/webui/main.go
+++ b/webui/main.go
@@ -3196,6 +3196,10 @@ func main() {
 		go com.ResponseQueueListen()
 	}
 
+	// Start background signal handler
+	exitSignal := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	go com.SignalHandler(&exitSignal)
+
 	// Our pages
 	http.Handle("/", gz.GzipHandler(logReq(mainHandler)))
 	http.Handle("/about", gz.GzipHandler(logReq(aboutPage)))
@@ -3498,18 +3502,10 @@ func main() {
 			MinVersion: tls.VersionTLS12, // TLS 1.2 is now the lowest acceptable level
 		},
 	}
-	err = srv.ListenAndServeTLS(com.Conf.Web.Certificate, com.Conf.Web.CertificateKey)
-
-	// Shut down nicely
-	com.DisconnectPostgreSQL()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Println(err)
-	}
+	go srv.ListenAndServeTLS(com.Conf.Web.Certificate, com.Conf.Web.CertificateKey)
 
-	err = com.CloseMQChannel(com.AmqpChan)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	// Wait for exit signal
+	<-exitSignal
 }
 
 func mainHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {