diff --git a/libxfce4panel/xfce-panel-macros-46.h b/libxfce4panel/xfce-panel-macros-46.h
index d36678e1808048c4961dcf636a4fa4b228a71afa..2a6f3e54de3cc03601bdb239514d3c6c0717b1c3 100644
--- a/libxfce4panel/xfce-panel-macros-46.h
+++ b/libxfce4panel/xfce-panel-macros-46.h
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ enum /*< skip >*/
   PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_SET_SENSITIVE,
   PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_SET_SIZE,
   PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_SHOW_ABOUT,
-  PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_SHOW_CONFIGURE
+  PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_SHOW_CONFIGURE,
+  PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_QUIT
 };
 
 /*< private >*/
@@ -277,6 +278,18 @@ enum /*< skip >*/
   static gdouble  _xpp_alpha = 1.00; \
   static gboolean _xpp_composited = FALSE; \
   \
+  static void \
+  _xpp_quit_main_loop (void) \
+  { \
+     static gboolean quiting = FALSE; \
+     \
+     if (!quiting) \
+       { \
+         quiting = TRUE; \
+         gtk_main_quit (); \
+       } \
+  } \
+  \
   static gboolean \
   _xpp_client_event (GtkWidget       *plug, \
                      GdkEventClient  *event, \
@@ -340,6 +353,10 @@ enum /*< skip >*/
             xfce_panel_plugin_provider_show_configure (provider); \
             break; \
             \
+          case PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_QUIT: \
+            _xpp_quit_main_loop (); \
+            break; \
+            \
           default: \
             g_warning ("Received unknow client event %d", message); \
             break; \
@@ -433,7 +450,7 @@ enum /*< skip >*/
     g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_PLUG (plug)); \
     \
     if (!gtk_plug_get_embedded (plug)) \
-      gtk_main_quit (); \
+      _xpp_quit_main_loop (); \
   } \
   \
   gint \
@@ -502,7 +519,7 @@ enum /*< skip >*/
     g_signal_connect_after (G_OBJECT (xpp), "realize", \
         G_CALLBACK (_xpp_realize), NULL); \
     g_signal_connect_after (G_OBJECT (xpp), "destroy", \
-        G_CALLBACK (gtk_main_quit), NULL); \
+        G_CALLBACK (_xpp_quit_main_loop), NULL); \
     g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (xpp), "provider-signal", \
         G_CALLBACK (_xpp_provider_signal), plug); \
     gtk_widget_show (xpp); \
diff --git a/panel/panel-plugin-external-46.c b/panel/panel-plugin-external-46.c
index b6f58c52753464894216715c3ec9ef8b8d604dc4..415d615f0a8ee3a38e382f52091a5b3d21248b5e 100644
--- a/panel/panel-plugin-external-46.c
+++ b/panel/panel-plugin-external-46.c
@@ -414,18 +414,27 @@ panel_plugin_external_46_realize (GtkWidget *widget)
 static void
 panel_plugin_external_46_unrealize (GtkWidget *widget)
 {
-  PanelPluginExternal46  *external = PANEL_PLUGIN_EXTERNAL_46 (widget);
+  PanelPluginExternal46 *external = PANEL_PLUGIN_EXTERNAL_46 (widget);
 
   /* the plug is not embedded anymore */
   external->plug_embedded = FALSE;
 
+  panel_debug (PANEL_DEBUG_DOMAIN_EXTERNAL46,
+               "Plugin %s-%d unrealized, quiting GtkPlug",
+               panel_module_get_name (external->module),
+               external->unique_id);
+
   if (external->watch_id != 0)
     {
       /* remove the child watch so we don't leave zomies */
       g_source_remove (external->watch_id);
       g_child_watch_add (external->pid, (GChildWatchFunc) g_spawn_close_pid, NULL);
+      external->pid = 0;
     }
 
+  /* quit the plugin */
+  panel_plugin_external_46_send_client_event (external, PANEL_CLIENT_EVENT_QUIT, FALSE);
+
   (*GTK_WIDGET_CLASS (panel_plugin_external_46_parent_class)->unrealize) (widget);
 }
 
diff --git a/panel/panel-plugin-external.c b/panel/panel-plugin-external.c
index e860c57e0d021544bc9b781e90ae9ab7fbe1ab3b..a31dc45e513d53ad7b52b75ee491fa597a7a1251 100644
--- a/panel/panel-plugin-external.c
+++ b/panel/panel-plugin-external.c
@@ -515,6 +515,11 @@ panel_plugin_external_unrealize (GtkWidget *widget)
   panel_plugin_external_queue_add_noop (PANEL_PLUGIN_EXTERNAL (widget),
                                         TRUE, SIGNAL_WRAPPER_QUIT);
 
+  panel_debug (PANEL_DEBUG_DOMAIN_EXTERNAL,
+               "Plugin %s-%d unrealized, quiting wrapper",
+               panel_module_get_name (external->module),
+               external->unique_id);
+
   (*GTK_WIDGET_CLASS (panel_plugin_external_parent_class)->unrealize) (widget);
 }