diff --git a/pubsub/pubsubd.c b/pubsub/pubsubd.c
index b49c6cc..d6d38ba 100644
--- a/pubsub/pubsubd.c
+++ b/pubsub/pubsubd.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ struct workers *my_workers;
 // element of the list
 // worker : process to handle (threaded)
 struct worker {
+    pthread_t *thr;
     struct channels *chans;
     struct channel *chan;
     struct app_list_elm *ale;
@@ -60,6 +61,30 @@ void pubsubd_worker_del (struct workers *wrkrs, struct worker *w)
     }
 }
 
+// kill the threads
+void pubsubd_workers_stop (struct workers *wrkrs)
+{
+    if (!wrkrs)
+        return;
+
+    struct worker *w = NULL;
+    struct worker *wtmp = NULL;
+
+    LIST_FOREACH_SAFE(w, wrkrs, entries, wtmp) {
+        if (w->thr == NULL)
+            continue;
+
+        pthread_cancel (*w->thr);
+        void *ret = NULL;
+        pthread_join (*w->thr, &ret);
+        if (ret != NULL) {
+            free (ret);
+        }
+        free (w->thr);
+        w->thr = NULL;
+    }
+}
+
 void pubsubd_workers_del_all (struct workers *wrkrs)
 {
     if (!wrkrs)
@@ -154,6 +179,9 @@ void * pubsubd_worker_thread (void *params)
     free (w->ale);
     w->ale = NULL;
 
+    free (w->thr);
+    w->thr = NULL;
+
     pubsubd_worker_del (my_workers, w);
 
     pthread_exit (NULL);
@@ -176,10 +204,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv, char **env)
     memset (&chans, 0, sizeof (struct channels));
     pubsubd_channels_init (&chans);
 
-    pthread_t *thr = NULL;
-    thr = malloc (sizeof (pthread_t));
-    memset (thr, 0, sizeof (pthread_t));
-
     my_workers = malloc (sizeof (struct workers));
     memset (my_workers, 0, sizeof (struct workers));
     pubsubd_workers_init (my_workers);
@@ -203,6 +227,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv, char **env)
         // thread to handle multiple clients at a time
         struct worker *w = NULL;
         w = malloc (sizeof (struct worker));
+        w->thr = malloc (sizeof (pthread_t));
+        memset (w->thr, 0, sizeof (pthread_t));
         w->ale = pubsubd_app_list_elm_copy (&ale);
         w->chans = &chans;
         w->chan = chan;
@@ -211,36 +237,15 @@ main(int argc, char **argv, char **env)
         free (w);
         w = wtmp;
 
-        // realloc memory for further workers
-        pthread_t * tmpthr = realloc (thr, sizeof (pthread_t) * (i+1));
-        if (tmpthr == NULL) {
-            fprintf (stderr, "err: can't allocate more thread contexts\n");
-            pubsubd_app_list_elm_free (&ale);
-            break;
-        }
-        else {
-            thr = tmpthr;
-        }
-        memset (thr + i, 0, sizeof (pthread_t));
-
-        pthread_create (thr + i, NULL, pubsubd_worker_thread, w);
-        pthread_detach (thr[i]);
+        pthread_create (w->thr, NULL, pubsubd_worker_thread, w);
+        pthread_detach (*w->thr);
 
         pubsubd_app_list_elm_free (&ale);
     }
 
     printf ("Quitting ...\n");
-    // stop threads
-    for (int j = 0 ; j < i ; j++) {
-        pthread_cancel (thr[j]);
-        void *ret = NULL;
-        pthread_join (thr[j], &ret);
-        if (ret != NULL) {
-            free (ret);
-        }
-    }
-    free (thr);
 
+    pubsubd_workers_stop (my_workers);
     pubsubd_channels_del_all (&chans);
     pubsubd_workers_del_all (my_workers);