diff --git a/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.cpp b/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.cpp
index a26d2c18c..388fcb488 100644
--- a/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(Document& document,
                        const QString &openProject,
                        QWidget * const parent)
     : QMainWindow(parent)
+    , mShutdown(false)
     , mWelcomeDialog(nullptr)
     //, mCentralWidget(nullptr)
     , mStackWidget(nullptr)
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(Document& document,
     , mAutoSaveTimer(nullptr)
     , mAboutWidget(nullptr)
     , mAboutWindow(nullptr)
+    , mViewTimelineAct(nullptr)
     , mTimelineWindow(nullptr)
     , mTimelineWindowAct(nullptr)
     , mRenderWindow(nullptr)
@@ -422,6 +424,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(Document& document,
 
 MainWindow::~MainWindow()
 {
+    mShutdown = true;
     std::cout << "Closing Friction, please wait ... " << std::endl;
     if (mAutoSaveTimer->isActive()) { mAutoSaveTimer->stop(); }
     writeSettings();
@@ -1009,14 +1012,14 @@ void MainWindow::setupMenuBar()
         else { showNormal(); }
     });
 
-    const auto viewTimelineAct = mViewMenu->addAction(tr("View Timeline"));
-    viewTimelineAct->setCheckable(true);
-    viewTimelineAct->setChecked(true);
-    viewTimelineAct->setShortcut(QKeySequence(Qt::Key_T));
-    connect(viewTimelineAct, &QAction::triggered,
+    mViewTimelineAct = mViewMenu->addAction(tr("View Timeline"));
+    mViewTimelineAct->setCheckable(true);
+    mViewTimelineAct->setChecked(true);
+    mViewTimelineAct->setShortcut(QKeySequence(Qt::Key_T));
+    connect(mViewTimelineAct, &QAction::triggered,
             this, [this](bool triggered) {
         if (mTimelineWindowAct->isChecked()) {
-            openTimelineWindow();
+            mViewTimelineAct->setChecked(true); // ignore if window
         } else {
             mUI->setDockVisible(tr("Timeline"), triggered);
         }
@@ -1026,12 +1029,9 @@ void MainWindow::setupMenuBar()
     mTimelineWindowAct->setCheckable(true);
     connect(mTimelineWindowAct, &QAction::triggered,
             this, [this](bool triggered) {
-        if (!triggered) {
-            mUI->addDockWidget(tr("Timeline"), mTimeline);
-            mTimelineWindow->deleteLater();
-        } else {
-            openTimelineWindow();
-        }
+        if (mShutdown) { return; }
+        if (!triggered) { mTimelineWindow->close(); }
+        else { openTimelineWindow(); }
         AppSupport::setSettings("ui",
                                 "TimelineWindow",
                                 triggered);
@@ -1041,14 +1041,9 @@ void MainWindow::setupMenuBar()
     mRenderWindowAct->setCheckable(true);
     connect(mRenderWindowAct, &QAction::triggered,
             this, [this](bool triggered) {
-        if (!triggered) {
-            mTabQueueIndex = mTabProperties->addTab(mRenderWidget,
-                                                    QIcon::fromTheme("render_animation"),
-                                                    tr("Queue"));
-            mRenderWindow->deleteLater();
-        } else {
-            openRenderQueueWindow();
-        }
+        if (mShutdown) { return; }
+        if (!triggered) { mRenderWindow->close(); }
+        else { openRenderQueueWindow(); }
         AppSupport::setSettings("ui",
                                 "RenderWindow",
                                 triggered);
@@ -1234,28 +1229,57 @@ void MainWindow::openTimelineWindow()
                                      true,
                                      true,
                                      true);
-        mUI->setDockVisible(tr("Timeline"), false);
+        connect(mTimelineWindow, &Window::closed,
+                this, [this]() {
+            if (mShutdown) { return; }
+            closedTimelineWindow();
+        });
+    } else {
+        mTimelineWindow->addWidget(mTimeline);
     }
+    mTimelineWindowAct->setChecked(true);
+    mUI->setDockVisible(tr("Timeline"), false);
     mTimelineWindow->focusWindow();
 }
 
-void MainWindow::openRenderQueueWindow(const bool &focus)
+void MainWindow::closedTimelineWindow()
+{
+    mTimelineWindowAct->setChecked(false);
+    mUI->addDockWidget(tr("Timeline"), mTimeline);
+}
+
+void MainWindow::openRenderQueueWindow()
 {
+    mRenderWindowAct->setChecked(true);
+    mTabProperties->removeTab(mTabQueueIndex);
+    mRenderWidget->setVisible(true);
     if (!mRenderWindow) {
-        mTabProperties->removeTab(mTabQueueIndex);
-        mRenderWidget->setVisible(true);
         mRenderWindow = new Window(this,
                                    mRenderWidget,
                                    tr("Renderer"),
                                    QString("RenderWindow"),
-                                   focus,
+                                   true,
                                    true,
                                    false);
+        connect(mRenderWindow, &Window::closed,
+                this, [this]() {
+            if (mShutdown) { return; }
+            closedRenderQueueWindow();
+        });
+    } else {
+        mRenderWindow->addWidget(mRenderWidget);
     }
-    if (!focus) { return; }
     mRenderWindow->focusWindow();
 }
 
+void MainWindow::closedRenderQueueWindow()
+{
+    mRenderWindowAct->setChecked(false);
+    mTabQueueIndex = mTabProperties->addTab(mRenderWidget,
+                                            QIcon::fromTheme("render_animation"),
+                                            tr("Queue"));
+}
+
 void MainWindow::openWelcomeDialog()
 {
     mStackWidget->setCurrentIndex(mStackIndexWelcome);
@@ -1648,7 +1672,7 @@ void MainWindow::readSettings(const QString &openProject)
     mRenderWindowAct->blockSignals(false);
 
     if (isTimelineWindow) { openTimelineWindow(); }
-    if (isRenderWindow) { openRenderQueueWindow(false); }
+    if (isRenderWindow) { openRenderQueueWindow(); }
 
     if (isFull) { showFullScreen(); }
     else if (isMax) { showMaximized(); }
diff --git a/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.h b/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.h
index f3236bf3e..b45c715c3 100644
--- a/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.h
+++ b/src/app/GUI/mainwindow.h
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
     void showEvent(QShowEvent *e);
 
 private:
+    bool mShutdown;
     QWidget *mWelcomeDialog;
     //CentralWidget *mCentralWidget;
     QStackedWidget *mStackWidget;
@@ -396,13 +397,16 @@ class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
     Window *mAboutWindow;
     void openAboutWindow();
 
+    QAction *mViewTimelineAct;
     Window *mTimelineWindow;
     QAction *mTimelineWindowAct;
     void openTimelineWindow();
+    void closedTimelineWindow();
 
     Window *mRenderWindow;
     QAction *mRenderWindowAct;
-    void openRenderQueueWindow(const bool &focus = true);
+    void openRenderQueueWindow();
+    void closedRenderQueueWindow();
 
 protected:
     void keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent *event);
diff --git a/src/app/GUI/window.cpp b/src/app/GUI/window.cpp
index 5eb6c7ebd..98eafe95a 100644
--- a/src/app/GUI/window.cpp
+++ b/src/app/GUI/window.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include "appsupport.h"
 
 #include <QDebug>
-#include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include <QWindow>
 
 #include "mainwindow.h"
@@ -38,6 +37,7 @@ Window::Window(QWidget *parent,
                bool blockEscKey,
                bool forwardKeys)
     : QDialog(parent)
+    , mLayout(nullptr)
     , mBlockEscKey(blockEscKey)
     , mForwardKeys(forwardKeys)
 {
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Window::Window(QWidget *parent,
     setObjectName(id);
 
     setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0);
-    QVBoxLayout *mLayout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
+    mLayout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
     mLayout->setMargin(0);
     mLayout->addWidget(child);
 
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ void Window::focusWindow()
     if (windowHandle()) { windowHandle()->requestActivate(); }
 }
 
+void Window::addWidget(QWidget *child)
+{
+    if (!child) { return; }
+    mLayout->addWidget(child);
+}
+
 void Window::keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent *event)
 {
     if (mForwardKeys) {
@@ -82,6 +88,7 @@ void Window::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event)
 {
     qDebug() << "closed window" << objectName();
     saveState();
+    emit closed();
     QDialog::closeEvent(event);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/GUI/window.h b/src/app/GUI/window.h
index 4f8e882e8..aa9aea72c 100644
--- a/src/app/GUI/window.h
+++ b/src/app/GUI/window.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #define WINDOW_H
 
 #include <QDialog>
+#include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include <QKeyEvent>
 #include <QCloseEvent>
 
@@ -42,12 +43,17 @@ class Window : public QDialog
                     bool forwardKeys = false);
     ~Window();
     void focusWindow();
+    void addWidget(QWidget *child);
+
+signals:
+    void closed();
 
 protected:
     void keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent *event) override;
     void closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event) override;
 
 private:
+    QVBoxLayout *mLayout;
     void loadState(bool visible = true);
     void saveState();
     bool mBlockEscKey;