diff --git a/include/user.h b/include/user.h
index 00cd9ae311d..8e6c5e21aeb 100644
--- a/include/user.h
+++ b/include/user.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ extern WORD USER_HeapSel;
 
 void WINAPI USER_SignalProc(HANDLE16, UINT16, UINT16, HINSTANCE16, HQUEUE16);
 void USER_ExitWindows(void);
+void USER_QueueCleanup( HQUEUE16 hQueue );
 HGLOBAL16 USER_CallDefaultRsrcHandler( HGLOBAL16 hMemObj, HMODULE16 hModule,
 				       HRSRC16 hRsrc );
 
diff --git a/scheduler/thread.c b/scheduler/thread.c
index b68a3f6b198..0cd707f31fb 100644
--- a/scheduler/thread.c
+++ b/scheduler/thread.c
@@ -335,6 +335,10 @@ void WINAPI ExitThread(
     SYSTEM_LOCK();
     thdb->exit_code = code;
 
+    /* cleanup the message queue, if there's one */
+    if (thdb->teb.queue)
+        USER_QueueCleanup( thdb->teb.queue );
+        
     /* FIXME: should free the stack somehow */
 #if 0
     /* FIXME: We cannot do this; once the current thread is destroyed,
diff --git a/windows/queue.c b/windows/queue.c
index fcaff9763e4..9195e2776cc 100644
--- a/windows/queue.c
+++ b/windows/queue.c
@@ -512,9 +512,18 @@ BOOL32 QUEUE_DeleteMsgQueue( HQUEUE16 hQueue )
     while (*pPrev && (*pPrev != hQueue))
     {
         MESSAGEQUEUE *msgQ = (MESSAGEQUEUE*)GlobalLock16(*pPrev);
+
+        /* sanity check */
+        if ( !msgQ || (msgQ->magic != QUEUE_MAGIC) )
+        {
+            /* HQUEUE link list is corrupted, try to exit gracefully */
+            WARN( msg, "HQUEUE link list corrupted!\n");
+            pPrev = 0;
+            break;
+        }
         pPrev = &msgQ->next;
     }
-    if (*pPrev) *pPrev = msgQueue->next;
+    if (pPrev && *pPrev) *pPrev = msgQueue->next;
     msgQueue->self = 0;
 
     SYSTEM_UNLOCK();
@@ -579,7 +588,7 @@ static void QUEUE_Wait( DWORD wait_mask )
 
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           QUEUE_SetWakeBit               `
+ *           QUEUE_SetWakeBit
  *
  * See "Windows Internals", p.449
  */
diff --git a/windows/user.c b/windows/user.c
index d8241b87c34..8a709033020 100644
--- a/windows/user.c
+++ b/windows/user.c
@@ -161,22 +161,14 @@ static void USER_ModuleUnload( HMODULE16 hModule )
 }
 
 /**********************************************************************
- *           USER_AppExit
+ *           USER_QueueCleanup
  */
-static void USER_AppExit( HTASK16 hTask, HINSTANCE16 hInstance, HQUEUE16 hQueue )
+void USER_QueueCleanup( HQUEUE16 hQueue )
 {
     if ( hQueue )
     {
-        /* FIXME: empty clipboard if needed, maybe destroy menus (Windows
-         *	      only complains about them but does nothing);
-         */
-
         WND* desktop = WIN_GetDesktop();
 
-        /* Patch desktop window */
-        if( desktop->hmemTaskQ == hQueue )
-    	desktop->hmemTaskQ = GetTaskQueue(TASK_GetNextTask(hTask));
-
         /* Patch resident popup menu window */
         MENU_PatchResidentPopup( hQueue, NULL );
 
@@ -193,6 +185,24 @@ static void USER_AppExit( HTASK16 hTask, HINSTANCE16 hInstance, HQUEUE16 hQueue
         /* Free the message queue */
         QUEUE_DeleteMsgQueue( hQueue );
     }
+}
+
+/**********************************************************************
+ *           USER_AppExit
+ */
+static void USER_AppExit( HTASK16 hTask, HINSTANCE16 hInstance, HQUEUE16 hQueue )
+{
+    /* FIXME: empty clipboard if needed, maybe destroy menus (Windows
+     *	      only complains about them but does nothing);
+     */
+
+    WND* desktop = WIN_GetDesktop();
+
+    /* Patch desktop window */
+    if( desktop->hmemTaskQ == hQueue )
+        desktop->hmemTaskQ = GetTaskQueue(TASK_GetNextTask(hTask));
+                  
+    USER_QueueCleanup(hQueue);
 
     /* ModuleUnload() in "Internals" */