diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink.c b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink.c
index 5eb7cba9b2..cbcd4adfb8 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink.c
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink.c
@@ -743,7 +743,7 @@ int mavlink_thread_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	thread_running = false;
 
-	exit(0);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ int mavlink_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		/* this is not an error */
 		if (thread_running)
-			errx(0, "mavlink already running\n");
+			errx(0, "mavlink already running");
 
 		thread_should_exit = false;
 		mavlink_task = task_spawn_cmd("mavlink",
@@ -776,15 +776,25 @@ int mavlink_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 					  2048,
 					  mavlink_thread_main,
 					  (const char **)argv);
+
+		while (!thread_running) {
+			usleep(200);
+		}
+
 		exit(0);
 	}
 
 	if (!strcmp(argv[1], "stop")) {
+
+		/* this is not an error */
+		if (!thread_running)
+			errx(0, "mavlink already stopped");
+
 		thread_should_exit = true;
 
 		while (thread_running) {
 			usleep(200000);
-			printf(".");
+			warnx(".");
 		}
 
 		warnx("terminated.");
diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
index 4674f7a248..222d1f45f2 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
@@ -755,5 +755,7 @@ receive_start(int uart)
 
 	pthread_t thread;
 	pthread_create(&thread, &receiveloop_attr, receive_thread, &uart);
+
+	pthread_attr_destroy(&receiveloop_attr);
 	return thread;
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/orb_listener.c b/src/modules/mavlink/orb_listener.c
index 53d86ec005..d11a67fc6f 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/orb_listener.c
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/orb_listener.c
@@ -829,5 +829,7 @@ uorb_receive_start(void)
 
 	pthread_t thread;
 	pthread_create(&thread, &uorb_attr, uorb_receive_thread, NULL);
+
+	pthread_attr_destroy(&uorb_attr);
 	return thread;
 }