diff --git a/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c b/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c
index c789470..f27c625 100644
--- a/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c
+++ b/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c
@@ -483,11 +483,8 @@ int stasis_log_file_pool_close(stasis_log_t * log) {
   pthread_join(fp->write_thread, 0);
 //  pthread_join(fp->write_thread2, 0);
 
-  // XXX need to force log to disk here.
   for(int i = 0; i < fp->live_count; i++) {
-    if(fp->ro_fd[i] != -1) {
-      close(fp->ro_fd[i]);
-    }
+  close(fp->ro_fd[i]);
     free(fp->live_filenames[i]);
   }
   for(int i = 0; i < fp->dead_count; i++) {
@@ -712,7 +709,7 @@ stasis_log_t* stasis_log_file_pool_open(const char* dirname, int filemode, int f
 
     free(namelist[i]);
   }
-
+  assert(fp->live_count);
   free(namelist);
 
   printf("Current log segment appears to be %s.  Scanning for next available LSN\n", fp->live_filenames[fp->live_count-1]);
diff --git a/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c b/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c
index 249c2b9..784f96f 100644
--- a/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c
+++ b/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c
@@ -137,7 +137,16 @@ lsn_t stasis_ringbuffer_consume_bytes(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring, lsn_t* sz, lsn
   while(RING_VOLATILE == (ret = stasis_ringbuffer_nb_consume_bytes(ring, RING_NEXT, sz))) {
     pthread_cond_wait(&ring->write_done, &ring->mut);
     *sz = (ring->flush > ring->rf) ? RING_NEXT : orig_sz;
-    if(ring->shutdown) { *sz = RING_NEXT; }
+    if(ring->shutdown) {
+        if(ring->rt == ring->wf) {
+          fprintf(stderr, "Shutting down, and there are no more bytes.  Signaling shutdown thread.\n");
+          pthread_cond_signal(&ring->read_done);
+          pthread_mutex_unlock(&ring->mut);
+          return RING_CLOSED;
+        } else {
+          *sz = RING_NEXT;
+        }
+    }
   }
   if(handle) {
     *handle = ret;