diff --git a/src/padfoot/connection.rs b/src/padfoot/connection.rs
index d9ab7c4..6dea258 100644
--- a/src/padfoot/connection.rs
+++ b/src/padfoot/connection.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ pub const CONN_OBJECT_PATH: &'static str = "/org/freedesktop/Telepathy/Connectio
 pub struct Connection {
     id: String,
     ctx: Arc<RwLock<Context>>,
+
+    // set to false when disconnect() is called. Note that it is true even
+    // before connect() is called
+    disconnected: Arc<RwLock<bool>>,
 }
 
 impl Connection {
@@ -83,6 +87,7 @@ impl Connection {
         Ok(Connection {
             id: id,
             ctx: Arc::new(RwLock::new(ctx)),
+            disconnected: Arc::new(RwLock::new(false)),
         })
     }
 
@@ -93,7 +98,7 @@ impl Connection {
     pub fn run(self) {
         let bus = self.bus();
         let path = self.path();
-        let ctx = self.ctx.clone();
+        let disconnected = self.disconnected.clone();
         let c_rc = std::rc::Rc::new(self);
 
         let f = tree::Factory::new_fn::<()>();
@@ -129,58 +134,7 @@ impl Connection {
 
         // Set up delta jobs last in case registering to DBUS fails
         // "Borrowed" from https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-core-rust/blob/master/examples/simple.rs
-        let running = Arc::new(RwLock::new(true));
-
-        let inbox_ctx = ctx.clone();
-        let r1 = running.clone();
-        let _t1 = thread::spawn(move || {
-            while *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                dc::job::perform_inbox_jobs(&inbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                if *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                    dc::job::perform_inbox_fetch(&inbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
-
-                    if *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                        dc::job::perform_inbox_idle(&inbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        });
-
-        let smtp_ctx = ctx.clone();
-        let r1 = running.clone();
-        let _t2 = thread::spawn(move || {
-            while *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                dc::job::perform_smtp_jobs(&smtp_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                if *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                    dc::job::perform_smtp_idle(&smtp_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                }
-            }
-        });
-
-        let mvbox_ctx = ctx.clone();
-        let r1 = running.clone();
-        let _t3 = thread::spawn(move || {
-            while *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                dc::job::perform_mvbox_fetch(&mvbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                if *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                    dc::job::perform_mvbox_idle(&mvbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                }
-            }
-        });
-
-        let sentbox_ctx = ctx.clone();
-        let r1 = running.clone();
-        let _t4 = thread::spawn(move || {
-            while *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                dc::job::perform_sentbox_fetch(&sentbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                if *r1.read().unwrap() {
-                    dc::job::perform_sentbox_idle(&sentbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
-                }
-            }
-        });
-
-        let r1 = running.clone();
-        while *r1.read().unwrap() {
+        while !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
             match c.process(Duration::from_millis(100)) {
                 Err(e) => {
                     println!("Error processing: {}", e);
@@ -188,9 +142,10 @@ impl Connection {
                 }
                 _ => {}
             }
-
-            // TODO: notice when the conn wants to exit
         }
+
+        // TODO: clean up, emit disconnected signal. Join on threads started in
+        // connect() ?
     }
 
     pub fn bus(&self) -> String {
@@ -209,8 +164,59 @@ impl AsRef<dyn telepathy::Connection + 'static> for std::rc::Rc<Connection> {
 }
 
 impl telepathy::Connection for Connection {
+    // In connect(), we start the threads that drive the deltachat context
     fn connect(&self) -> Result<(), tree::MethodErr> {
-        Err(tree::MethodErr::no_arg()) // FIXME: should be NotImplemented?
+        println!("Connection<{}>::connect()", self.id);
+
+        let inbox_ctx = self.ctx.clone();
+        let disconnected = self.disconnected.clone();
+        let _inbox_thread = thread::spawn(move || {
+            while !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                dc::job::perform_inbox_jobs(&inbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                if !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                    dc::job::perform_inbox_fetch(&inbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
+
+                    if !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                        dc::job::perform_inbox_idle(&inbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        let smtp_ctx = self.ctx.clone();
+        let disconnected = self.disconnected.clone();
+        let _smtp_thread = thread::spawn(move || {
+            while !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                dc::job::perform_smtp_jobs(&smtp_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                if !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                    dc::job::perform_smtp_idle(&smtp_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        let mvbox_ctx = self.ctx.clone();
+        let disconnected = self.disconnected.clone();
+        let _mvbox_thread = thread::spawn(move || {
+            while !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                dc::job::perform_mvbox_fetch(&mvbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                if !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                    dc::job::perform_mvbox_idle(&mvbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        let sentbox_ctx = self.ctx.clone();
+        let disconnected = self.disconnected.clone();
+        let _sentbox_thread = thread::spawn(move || {
+            while !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                dc::job::perform_sentbox_fetch(&sentbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                if !*disconnected.read().unwrap() {
+                    dc::job::perform_sentbox_idle(&sentbox_ctx.read().unwrap());
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     fn disconnect(&self) -> Result<(), tree::MethodErr> {
diff --git a/src/padfoot/connection_manager.rs b/src/padfoot/connection_manager.rs
index 3876ec2..616f441 100644
--- a/src/padfoot/connection_manager.rs
+++ b/src/padfoot/connection_manager.rs
@@ -59,13 +59,16 @@ impl ConnectionManager {
         std::thread::spawn(move || conn.run());
 
         // Emit a NewConnection signal for the benefit of others, but the caller
-        // learns immediately
+        // learns from our RPC response
         let sig = telepathy::ConnectionManagerNewConnection {
             bus_name: bus.to_owned(),
             object_path: dbus_conn_path.clone(),
             protocol: super::PROTO_NAME.to_string(),
         };
 
+        // FIXME: ...but for now, just sleep for a bit
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1));
+
         let dbus_cm_path = dbus::strings::Path::new(CM_OBJECT_PATH.to_string())
             .expect("Object path should meet DBUS requirements");