diff --git a/src/motion_loop.cpp b/src/motion_loop.cpp
index 5e4de6a1..1880a749 100644
--- a/src/motion_loop.cpp
+++ b/src/motion_loop.cpp
@@ -728,17 +728,30 @@ static int mlp_init(struct ctx_cam *cam)
 /** clean up all memory etc. from motion init */
 void mlp_cleanup(struct ctx_cam *cam)
 {
+    /* When the watchdog counter is less than zero we
+     * only do the minimal necessary to free the memory variables
+     * rather than finish off any event processing
+     */
+    if (cam->watchdog > 0) {
+        event(cam, EVENT_TLAPSE_END, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+        if (cam->event_nr == cam->prev_event) {
+            mlp_ring_process(cam);
+            if (cam->imgs.image_preview.diffs) {
+                event(cam, EVENT_IMAGE_PREVIEW, NULL, NULL, NULL, &cam->current_image->imgts);
+                cam->imgs.image_preview.diffs = 0;
+            }
 
-    event(cam, EVENT_TLAPSE_END, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-
-    if (cam->event_nr == cam->prev_event) {
-        mlp_ring_process(cam);
-        if (cam->imgs.image_preview.diffs) {
-            event(cam, EVENT_IMAGE_PREVIEW, NULL, NULL, NULL, &cam->current_image->imgts);
-            cam->imgs.image_preview.diffs = 0;
+            event(cam, EVENT_END, NULL, NULL, NULL, &cam->current_image->imgts);
         }
+    } else {
+        movie_free(cam->movie_norm);
+        cam->movie_norm = NULL;
 
-        event(cam, EVENT_END, NULL, NULL, NULL, &cam->current_image->imgts);
+        movie_free(cam->movie_motion);
+        cam->movie_motion = NULL;
+
+        movie_free(cam->movie_timelapse);
+        cam->movie_timelapse = NULL;
     }
 
     webu_stream_deinit(cam);
diff --git a/src/motionplus.cpp b/src/motionplus.cpp
index 852373cd..acf274a7 100644
--- a/src/motionplus.cpp
+++ b/src/motionplus.cpp
@@ -473,6 +473,11 @@ static void motion_watchdog(struct ctx_motapp *motapp, int indx)
      * Best to just not get into a watchdog situation...
      */
 
+    int sec_cancel, sec_kill;
+
+    sec_cancel = 0 -motapp->cam_list[indx]->conf->watchdog_kill;
+    sec_kill = 2 * sec_cancel;
+
     if (!motapp->cam_list[indx]->running_cam) {
         return;
     }
@@ -484,11 +489,19 @@ static void motion_watchdog(struct ctx_motapp *motapp, int indx)
             , motapp->cam_list[indx]->threadnr);
         motapp->cam_list[indx]->event_stop = true; /* Trigger end of event */
         motapp->cam_list[indx]->finish_cam = true;
+        if ((motapp->cam_list[indx]->camera_type == CAMERA_TYPE_NETCAM) &&
+            (motapp->cam_list[indx]->netcam != NULL)) {
+            motapp->cam_list[indx]->netcam->finish = true;
+        }
+        if ((motapp->cam_list[indx]->camera_type == CAMERA_TYPE_NETCAM) &&
+            (motapp->cam_list[indx]->netcam_high != NULL)) {
+            motapp->cam_list[indx]->netcam_high->finish = true;
+        }
     }
 
-    if (motapp->cam_list[indx]->watchdog == (0 - motapp->cam_list[indx]->conf->watchdog_kill) ) {
+    if (motapp->cam_list[indx]->watchdog == sec_cancel) {
         MOTION_LOG(ERR, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO
-            ,_("Thread %d - Watchdog timeout did NOT restart, killing it!")
+            ,_("Thread %d - Watchdog timeout.  Requesting cancel.")
             , motapp->cam_list[indx]->threadnr);
         if ((motapp->cam_list[indx]->camera_type == CAMERA_TYPE_NETCAM) &&
             (motapp->cam_list[indx]->netcam != NULL)) {
@@ -501,11 +514,10 @@ static void motion_watchdog(struct ctx_motapp *motapp, int indx)
         pthread_cancel(motapp->cam_list[indx]->thread_id);
     }
 
-    if (motapp->cam_list[indx]->watchdog < (0 - motapp->cam_list[indx]->conf->watchdog_kill)) {
-        MOTION_LOG(DBG, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO
-            ,_("Thread %d - Watchdog kill!")
+    if (motapp->cam_list[indx]->watchdog < sec_kill) {
+        MOTION_LOG(ERR, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO
+            ,_("Thread %d - Watchdog timeout.  Requesting kill.")
             , motapp->cam_list[indx]->threadnr);
-
         if ((motapp->cam_list[indx]->camera_type == CAMERA_TYPE_NETCAM) &&
             (motapp->cam_list[indx]->netcam != NULL)) {
             if (!motapp->cam_list[indx]->netcam->handler_finished &&
@@ -534,7 +546,7 @@ static void motion_watchdog(struct ctx_motapp *motapp, int indx)
         }
         if (motapp->cam_list[indx]->running_cam &&
             pthread_kill(motapp->cam_list[indx]->thread_id, 0) == ESRCH) {
-            MOTION_LOG(DBG, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO
+            MOTION_LOG(ERR, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO
                 ,_("Thread %d - Cleaning thread.")
                 , motapp->cam_list[indx]->threadnr);
             pthread_mutex_lock(&motapp->global_lock);
diff --git a/src/movie.cpp b/src/movie.cpp
index 3266abe7..5c821dd0 100644
--- a/src/movie.cpp
+++ b/src/movie.cpp
@@ -1562,6 +1562,14 @@ int movie_open(struct ctx_movie *movie)
 
 }
 
+void movie_free(struct ctx_movie *movie)
+{
+    if (movie != NULL) {
+        movie_free_context(movie);
+        movie_free_nal(movie);
+    }
+}
+
 void movie_close(struct ctx_movie *movie)
 {
 
@@ -1582,8 +1590,7 @@ void movie_close(struct ctx_movie *movie)
                 }
             }
         }
-        movie_free_context(movie);
-        movie_free_nal(movie);
+        movie_free(movie);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/movie.hpp b/src/movie.hpp
index a971fcf9..c9a048d5 100644
--- a/src/movie.hpp
+++ b/src/movie.hpp
@@ -90,5 +90,6 @@ void movie_reset_start_time(struct ctx_movie *ffmpeg, const struct timespec *tv1
 int movie_init_timelapse(struct ctx_cam *cam, struct timespec *ts1);
 int movie_init_norm(struct ctx_cam *cam, struct timespec *ts1);
 int movie_init_motion(struct ctx_cam *cam, struct timespec *ts1);
+void movie_free(struct ctx_movie *movie);
 
 #endif /* #define _INCLUDE_MOVIE_HPP_ */