diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/lifecycle/Initialize.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/lifecycle/Initialize.groovy
index e4903b26..aa057312 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/lifecycle/Initialize.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/lifecycle/Initialize.groovy
@@ -146,16 +146,10 @@ class Initialize extends AbstractLifecycleHandler {
 
                 def exit = new MenuItem(Translator.trans("EXIT"))
                 exit.addActionListener({
-                    application.getWindowManager().findWindow("main-frame").setVisible(false)
-                    application.getWindowManager().findWindow("shutdown-window").setVisible(true)
-                    Core core = application.getContext().get("core")
-                    if (core != null) {
-                        Thread t = new Thread({
-                            core.shutdown()
-                            application.shutdown()
-                        }as Runnable)
-                        t.start()
-                    } else
+                    def mainFrame = application.getMvcGroupManager().findGroup("MainFrame")
+                    if (mainFrame != null)
+                        mainFrame.view.closeApplication()
+                    else
                         application.shutdown()
                     tray.remove(trayIcon)
                 })
diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
index ddbd76b8..ce08ff28 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ class MainFrameView {
         rv
     }
     
-    private void closeApplication() {
+    void closeApplication() {
         Core core = application.getContext().get("core")
         
         def tabbedPane = builder.getVariable("result-tabs")
@@ -1531,17 +1531,16 @@ class MainFrameView {
         settings.mainFrameX = mainFrame.getSize().width
         settings.mainFrameY = mainFrame.getSize().height
         mainFrame.setVisible(false)
-        application.getWindowManager().findWindow("shutdown-window").setVisible(true)
+        application.getWindowManager().findWindow("shutdown-window")?.setVisible(true)
         if (core != null) {
             Thread t = new Thread({
                 core.shutdown()
                 application.shutdown()
             }as Runnable)
             t.start()
+            File uiPropsFile = new File(core.home, "gui.properties")
+            uiPropsFile.withOutputStream { settings.write(it) }
         }
-        
-        File uiPropsFile = new File(core.home, "gui.properties")
-        uiPropsFile.withOutputStream { settings.write(it) }
     }
 
     private static class TreeExpansions implements TreeExpansionListener {