diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index ad68ca35..e4ebcc30 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   Zobrist::init();
   Bitbases::init_kpk();
   Search::init();
-  Threads.init();
   Eval::init();
+  Threads.init();
   TT.set_size(Options["Hash"]);
 
   std::string args;
@@ -47,4 +47,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
       args += std::string(argv[i]) + " ";
 
   UCI::loop(args);
+
+  Threads.exit();
 }
diff --git a/src/thread.cpp b/src/thread.cpp
index 541610a1..50412468 100644
--- a/src/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/thread.cpp
@@ -196,9 +196,9 @@ void ThreadPool::init() {
 }
 
 
-// d'tor cleanly terminates the threads when the program exits.
+// exit() cleanly terminates the threads before the program exits.
 
-ThreadPool::~ThreadPool() {
+void ThreadPool::exit() {
 
   for (size_t i = 0; i < threads.size(); i++)
       delete threads[i];
diff --git a/src/thread.h b/src/thread.h
index 6a929a98..38a29e8d 100644
--- a/src/thread.h
+++ b/src/thread.h
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ public:
 class ThreadPool {
 
 public:
-  void init(); // No c'tor, Threads object is global and engine shall be fully initialized
- ~ThreadPool();
+  void init(); // No c'tor and d'tor, threads rely on globals that should
+  void exit(); // be initialized and valid during the whole thread lifetime.
 
   Thread& operator[](size_t id) { return *threads[id]; }
   bool use_sleeping_threads() const { return useSleepingThreads; }