diff --git a/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp b/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp
index 3aef6f7b7..1d9d88534 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp
@@ -102,7 +102,9 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		int disk_allocations() const
 		{ return m_allocations; }
 #endif
-	
+
+		void join();
+
 		// aborts read operations
 		void stop(boost::intrusive_ptr<piece_manager> s);
 		void add_job(disk_io_job const& j
diff --git a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
index e0fa982bc..886d5d891 100644
--- a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
+++ b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
@@ -62,12 +62,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	disk_io_thread::~disk_io_thread()
 	{
-		mutex_t::scoped_lock l(m_mutex);
-		m_abort = true;
-		m_signal.notify_all();
-		l.unlock();
-
-		m_disk_io_thread.join();
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_abort == true);
 	}
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
@@ -95,6 +90,16 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 #endif
 
+	void disk_io_thread::join()
+	{
+		mutex_t::scoped_lock l(m_mutex);
+		m_abort = true;
+		m_signal.notify_all();
+		l.unlock();
+
+		m_disk_io_thread.join();
+	}
+
 	// aborts read operations
 	void disk_io_thread::stop(boost::intrusive_ptr<piece_manager> s)
 	{
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index dd243e0f0..56ffbfe08 100755
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -2195,6 +2195,11 @@ namespace detail
 #endif
 		m_checker_thread->join();
 
+#if defined(TORRENT_VERBOSE_LOGGING) || defined(TORRENT_LOGGING)
+		(*m_logger) << time_now_string() << " waiting for disk io thread\n";
+#endif
+		m_disk_thread.join();
+
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_torrents.empty());
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_connections.empty());
 #if defined(TORRENT_VERBOSE_LOGGING) || defined(TORRENT_LOGGING)
diff --git a/test/test_storage.cpp b/test/test_storage.cpp
index c4ce276e2..c1c210cfa 100644
--- a/test/test_storage.cpp
+++ b/test/test_storage.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ void run_storage_tests(boost::intrusive_ptr<torrent_info> info
 	pm->async_read(r, bind(&on_read_piece, _1, _2, piece2, piece_size));
 	pm->async_release_files(none);
 
+	io.join();
 	}
 }