diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 89998b53..f98b7863 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 all:
+	@node-gyp clean 2>/dev/null
 	node-gyp configure
 	node-gyp build
 
diff --git a/binding.gyp b/binding.gyp
index 4fdda7d0..9c77b492 100644
--- a/binding.gyp
+++ b/binding.gyp
@@ -31,11 +31,9 @@
       '-lboost_thread',
       '-lboost_chrono',
       # leveldb:
-      '-L<!(echo "$HOME")/bitcoin/src/leveldb/libleveldb.a',
+      #'<!(echo "$HOME")/bitcoin/src/leveldb/libleveldb.a',
       # bitcoind:
-      '-L<!(echo "$HOME")/bitcoin/src/bitcoind',
-      #'-L<!(echo "$HOME")/bitcoin/src/bitcoind_root.so',
-      # '-L/usr/bin/bitcoind',
+      '<!(echo "$HOME")/bitcoin/src/libbitcoind.so',
     ]
   }]
 }
diff --git a/lib/bitcoind.js b/lib/bitcoind.js
index 933511d9..2579ce1c 100644
--- a/lib/bitcoind.js
+++ b/lib/bitcoind.js
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ function Bitcoin(options) {
     self.emit('open', status);
   });
 
+  // bitcoind's boost threads aren't in the thread pool
+  // or on node's event loop, so we need to keep node open.
+  this._interval = setInterval(function() {
+    ;
+  }, 10000);
+
   this.log('log pipe opened: %d', this.log_pipe);
 }
 
@@ -56,6 +62,10 @@ Bitcoin.prototype.error = function() {
   return process.stderr.write('bitcoind: ' + out + '\n');
 };
 
+Bitcoin.prototype.close = function() {
+  clearInterval(this._interval);
+  delete this._interval;
+};
 
 /**
  * Expose
diff --git a/src/bitcoindjs.cc b/src/bitcoindjs.cc
index 40daf3b3..c16af4e6 100644
--- a/src/bitcoindjs.cc
+++ b/src/bitcoindjs.cc
@@ -279,7 +279,8 @@ start_node(void) {
   detectShutdownThread = new boost::thread(
     boost::bind(&DetectShutdownThread, &threadGroup));
 
-  for (int i = 0; i < nScriptCheckThreads - 1; i++) {
+  int _nScriptCheckThreads = 0;
+  for (int i = 0; i < _nScriptCheckThreads - 1; i++) {
     threadGroup.create_thread(&ThreadScriptCheck);
   }