src/events.cpp      | 28 ++++++++++++++++++++--------
 src/events.hpp      |  6 +++++-
 src/preferences.cpp |  2 ++
 3 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/events.cpp b/src/events.cpp
index 18469eb..6a76303 100644
--- a/src/events.cpp
+++ b/src/events.cpp
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ void context::cycle_focus()
        return;
    }

-   handler_list::const_iterator current = focused_handler;
-   handler_list::const_iterator last = focused_handler;
+   handler_list::iterator current = focused_handler;
+   handler_list::iterator last = focused_handler;

    if (last != handlers.begin()) {
        --last;
@@ -124,12 +124,16 @@ void context::cycle_focus()

 void context::set_focus(const sdl_handler* ptr)
 {
-   const handler_list::const_iterator i = std::find(handlers.begin(),handlers.end(),ptr);
+   const handler_list::iterator i = std::find(handlers.begin(),handlers.end(),ptr);
    if(i != handlers.end() && (*i)->requires_event_focus()) {
        focused_handler = i;
    }
 }

+context::~context() {
+   std::cerr << "context destructor called. handlers size is " << handlers.size() << std::endl;
+}
+
 //this object stores all the event handlers. It is a stack of event 'contexts'.
 //a new event context is created when e.g. a modal dialog is opened, and then
 //closed when that dialog is closed. Each context contains a list of the handlers
@@ -177,12 +181,14 @@ sdl_handler::sdl_handler(const bool auto_join) :

 sdl_handler::~sdl_handler()
 {
-   if (has_joined_)
+   std::cerr << "sdl_handler destructor called" << std::endl;
+   if (has_joined_) {
        leave();
+   }

-   if (has_joined_global_)
+   if (has_joined_global_) {
        leave_global();
-
+   }
 }

 void sdl_handler::join() {
@@ -262,6 +268,10 @@ void sdl_handler::join_global()

 void sdl_handler::leave_global()
 {
+   //std::cerr << "leave global called" << std::endl;
+
+   //std::cerr << "handlers size is " << event_contexts.back().handlers.size() << std::endl;
+
    sdl_handler_vector members = handler_members();
    if(!members.empty()) {
        for(sdl_handler_vector::iterator i = members.begin(); i != members.end(); ++i) {
@@ -269,7 +279,9 @@ void sdl_handler::leave_global()
        }
    }

-   global_context.remove_handler(this);
+   //if(!global_context.handlers.empty()) {
+       global_context.remove_handler(this);
+   //}

    has_joined_global_ = false;
 }
@@ -291,7 +303,7 @@ bool has_focus(const sdl_handler* hand, const SDL_Event* event)
        return true;
    }

-   const handler_list::const_iterator foc = event_contexts.back().focused_handler;
+   const handler_list::iterator foc = event_contexts.back().focused_handler;
    auto& handlers = event_contexts.back().handlers;

    // If no-one has focus at the moment, this handler obviously wants
diff --git a/src/events.hpp b/src/events.hpp
index ca0da54..3e370c0 100644
--- a/src/events.hpp
+++ b/src/events.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <SDL_version.h>
 #include <vector>
 #include <list>
+#include <iostream>

 //our user-defined double-click event type
 #define DOUBLE_CLICK_EVENT SDL_USEREVENT
@@ -42,17 +43,20 @@ struct context
        handlers(),
        focused_handler(handlers.end())
    {
+       std::cerr << "constructing context" << std::endl;
    }

    context(const context&) = delete;

+   ~context();
+
    void add_handler(sdl_handler* ptr);
    bool remove_handler(sdl_handler* ptr);
    void cycle_focus();
    void set_focus(const sdl_handler* ptr);

    handler_list handlers;
-   handler_list::const_iterator focused_handler;
+   handler_list::iterator focused_handler;
 };

 //any classes that derive from this class will automatically
diff --git a/src/preferences.cpp b/src/preferences.cpp
index a213600..6b86ef7 100644
--- a/src/preferences.cpp
+++ b/src/preferences.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ base_manager::base_manager()

 base_manager::~base_manager()
 {
+   event_handler_.leave_global();
+
    try {
        if (no_preferences_save) return;