diff --git a/meshtastic/ble_interface.py b/meshtastic/ble_interface.py
index 96293d0..0b5c8b7 100644
--- a/meshtastic/ble_interface.py
+++ b/meshtastic/ble_interface.py
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 """Bluetooth interface
 """
 import asyncio
+import atexit
 import logging
 import struct
 import time
-from threading import Event, Thread
+from threading import Thread
 from typing import Optional
-from print_color import print
 
 from bleak import BleakClient, BleakScanner, BLEDevice
+from print_color import print
 
 from meshtastic.mesh_interface import MeshInterface
 from meshtastic.util import our_exit
@@ -20,18 +21,13 @@ FROMNUM_UUID = "ed9da18c-a800-4f66-a670-aa7547e34453"
 LOGRADIO_UUID = "6c6fd238-78fa-436b-aacf-15c5be1ef2e2"
 
 
-
 class BLEInterface(MeshInterface):
     """MeshInterface using BLE to connect to devices."""
 
     class BLEError(Exception):
         """An exception class for BLE errors."""
-        pass
 
-    class BLEState:  # pylint: disable=C0115
-        THREADS = False
-        BLE = False
-        MESH = False
+        pass
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -40,23 +36,23 @@ class BLEInterface(MeshInterface):
         debugOut=None,
         noNodes: bool = False,
     ):
-        self.state = BLEInterface.BLEState()
+        MeshInterface.__init__(
+            self, debugOut=debugOut, noProto=noProto, noNodes=noNodes
+        )
 
         self.should_read = False
 
         logging.debug("Threads starting")
-        self._receiveThread = Thread(target=self._receiveFromRadioImpl, name="BLEReceive", daemon=True)
-        self._receiveThread_started = Event()
-        self._receiveThread_stopped = Event()
+        self._want_receive = True
+        self._receiveThread: Optional[Thread] = Thread(
+            target=self._receiveFromRadioImpl, name="BLEReceive", daemon=True
+        )
         self._receiveThread.start()
-        self._receiveThread_started.wait(1)
-        self.state.THREADS = True
         logging.debug("Threads running")
 
         try:
             logging.debug(f"BLE connecting to: {address if address else 'any'}")
-            self.client = self.connect(address)
-            self.state.BLE = True
+            self.client: Optional[BLEClient] = self.connect(address)
             logging.debug("BLE connected")
         except BLEInterface.BLEError as e:
             self.close()
@@ -64,29 +60,30 @@ class BLEInterface(MeshInterface):
 
         self.client.start_notify(LOGRADIO_UUID, self.log_radio_handler)
 
-        logging.debug("Mesh init starting")
-        MeshInterface.__init__(
-            self, debugOut=debugOut, noProto=noProto, noNodes=noNodes
-        )
+        logging.debug("Mesh configure starting")
         self._startConfig()
         if not self.noProto:
             self._waitConnected(timeout=60.0)
             self.waitForConfig()
-        self.state.MESH = True
         logging.debug("Mesh init finished")
 
         logging.debug("Register FROMNUM notify callback")
         self.client.start_notify(FROMNUM_UUID, self.from_num_handler)
 
+        # We MUST run atexit (if we can) because otherwise (at least on linux) the BLE device is not disconnected
+        # and future connection attempts will fail.  (BlueZ kinda sucks)
+        self._exit_handler = atexit.register(self.close)
+
     def from_num_handler(self, _, b):  # pylint: disable=C0116
         """Handle callbacks for fromnum notify.
-        Note: this method does not need to be async because it is just setting a bool."""
+        Note: this method does not need to be async because it is just setting a bool.
+        """
         from_num = struct.unpack("<I", bytes(b))[0]
         logging.debug(f"FROMNUM notify: {from_num}")
         self.should_read = True
 
-    async def log_radio_handler(self, _, b): # pylint: disable=C0116
-        log_radio = b.decode('utf-8').replace('\n', '')
+    async def log_radio_handler(self, _, b):  # pylint: disable=C0116
+        log_radio = b.decode("utf-8").replace("\n", "")
         if log_radio.startswith("DEBUG"):
             print(log_radio, color="cyan", end=None)
         elif log_radio.startswith("INFO"):
@@ -103,7 +100,9 @@ class BLEInterface(MeshInterface):
         """Scan for available BLE devices."""
         with BLEClient() as client:
             logging.info("Scanning for BLE devices (takes 10 seconds)...")
-            response = client.discover(timeout=10, return_adv=True, service_uuids=[SERVICE_UUID])
+            response = client.discover(
+                timeout=10, return_adv=True, service_uuids=[SERVICE_UUID]
+            )
 
             devices = response.values()
 
@@ -153,8 +152,7 @@ class BLEInterface(MeshInterface):
         return client
 
     def _receiveFromRadioImpl(self):
-        self._receiveThread_started.set()
-        while self._receiveThread_started.is_set():
+        while self._want_receive:
             if self.should_read:
                 self.should_read = False
                 retries = 0
@@ -172,44 +170,49 @@ class BLEInterface(MeshInterface):
                     logging.debug(f"FROMRADIO read: {b.hex()}")
                     self._handleFromRadio(b)
             else:
-                time.sleep(0.1)
-        self._receiveThread_stopped.set()
+                time.sleep(0.01)
 
     def _sendToRadioImpl(self, toRadio):
         b = toRadio.SerializeToString()
         if b:
             logging.debug(f"TORADIO write: {b.hex()}")
             try:
-                self.client.write_gatt_char(TORADIO_UUID, b, response=True)  # FIXME: or False?
+                self.client.write_gatt_char(
+                    TORADIO_UUID, b, response=True
+                )  # FIXME: or False?
                 # search Bleak src for org.bluez.Error.InProgress
             except Exception as e:
-                raise BLEInterface.BLEError("Error writing BLE (are you in the 'bluetooth' user group? did you enter the pairing PIN on your computer?)") from e
+                raise BLEInterface.BLEError(
+                    "Error writing BLE (are you in the 'bluetooth' user group? did you enter the pairing PIN on your computer?)"
+                ) from e
             # Allow to propagate and then make sure we read
             time.sleep(0.01)
             self.should_read = True
 
     def close(self):
-        if self.state.MESH:
-            MeshInterface.close(self)
+        atexit.unregister(self._exit_handler)
+        MeshInterface.close(self)
 
-        if self.state.THREADS:
-            self._receiveThread_started.clear()
-            self._receiveThread_stopped.wait(5)
+        if self._want_receive:
+            self.want_receive = False  # Tell the thread we want it to stop
+            self._receiveThread.join()
+            self._receiveThread = None
 
-        if self.state.BLE:
+        if self.client:
             self.client.disconnect()
             self.client.close()
+            self.client = None
 
 
 class BLEClient:
     """Client for managing connection to a BLE device"""
 
     def __init__(self, address=None, **kwargs):
-        self._eventThread = Thread(target=self._run_event_loop, name="BLEClient", daemon=True)
-        self._eventThread_started = Event()
-        self._eventThread_stopped = Event()
+        self._eventLoop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+        self._eventThread = Thread(
+            target=self._run_event_loop, name="BLEClient", daemon=True
+        )
         self._eventThread.start()
-        self._eventThread_started.wait(1)
 
         if not address:
             logging.debug("No address provided - only discover method will work.")
@@ -240,7 +243,7 @@ class BLEClient:
 
     def close(self):  # pylint: disable=C0116
         self.async_run(self._stop_event_loop())
-        self._eventThread_stopped.wait(5)
+        self._eventThread.join()
 
     def __enter__(self):
         return self
@@ -255,14 +258,10 @@ class BLEClient:
         return asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(coro, self._eventLoop)
 
     def _run_event_loop(self):
-        # I don't know if the event loop can be initialized in __init__ so silencing pylint
-        self._eventLoop = asyncio.new_event_loop()  # pylint: disable=W0201
-        self._eventThread_started.set()
         try:
             self._eventLoop.run_forever()
         finally:
             self._eventLoop.close()
-        self._eventThread_stopped.set()
 
     async def _stop_event_loop(self):
         self._eventLoop.stop()