diff --git a/daemon/aux.c b/daemon/aux.c
index 02b6cfc93..6e6aa65fc 100644
--- a/daemon/aux.c
+++ b/daemon/aux.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ struct scheduler {
 	int nice;
 };
 struct looper_thread {
-	void (*f)(void);
+	enum thread_looper_action (*f)(void);
 	const char *name;
 	long long interval_us;
 };
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ static void thread_looper_helper(void *fp) {
 	while (!rtpe_shutdown) {
 		gettimeofday(&rtpe_now, NULL);
 
-		lh.f();
+		enum thread_looper_action ret = lh.f();
 
 		struct timeval stop;
 		gettimeofday(&stop, NULL);
@@ -335,13 +335,17 @@ static void thread_looper_helper(void *fp) {
 					warn_limit_pct,
 					warn_limit_us / 1000000, warn_limit_us % 1000000);
 
+		if (ret == TLA_BREAK)
+			break;
+
 		thread_cancel_enable();
 		usleep(interval_us);
 		thread_cancel_disable();
 	}
 }
 
-void thread_create_looper(void (*f)(void), const char *scheduler, int priority, const char *name,
+void thread_create_looper(enum thread_looper_action (*f)(void), const char *scheduler, int priority,
+		const char *name,
 		long long interval_us)
 {
 	struct looper_thread *lh = g_slice_alloc(sizeof(*lh));
diff --git a/daemon/ice.c b/daemon/ice.c
index ae2c9f050..0368a8bb7 100644
--- a/daemon/ice.c
+++ b/daemon/ice.c
@@ -758,8 +758,9 @@ void ice_free(void) {
 	mutex_destroy(&sdp_fragments_lock);
 }
 
-void ice_slow_timer(void) {
+enum thread_looper_action ice_slow_timer(void) {
 	fragments_cleanup(false);
+	return TLA_CONTINUE;
 }
 
 static void __fail_pair(struct ice_candidate_pair *pair) {
diff --git a/daemon/media_socket.c b/daemon/media_socket.c
index d0c0dea57..393119e69 100644
--- a/daemon/media_socket.c
+++ b/daemon/media_socket.c
@@ -972,7 +972,7 @@ static void release_port_now(socket_t *r, struct intf_spec *spec) {
 /**
  * Sockets releaser.
  */
-void release_closed_sockets(void) {
+enum thread_looper_action release_closed_sockets(void) {
 	struct late_port_release * lpr;
 
 	/* for the separate releaser thread (one working with `sockets_releaser()`)
@@ -992,6 +992,8 @@ void release_closed_sockets(void) {
 			g_slice_free1(sizeof(*lpr), lpr);
 		}
 	}
+
+	return TLA_CONTINUE;
 }
 /**
  * Appends thread scope (local) sockets to the global releasing list.
@@ -3327,7 +3329,7 @@ struct interface_stats_block *interface_sampled_rate_stats_get(struct interface_
 /**
  * Ports iterations (stats update from the kernel) functionality.
  */
-void kernel_stats_updater(void) {
+enum thread_looper_action kernel_stats_updater(void) {
 	struct rtpengine_list_entry *ke;
 	struct packet_stream *ps;
 	int j;
@@ -3493,4 +3495,5 @@ next:
 		log_info_pop();
 	}
 
+	return TLA_CONTINUE;
 }
diff --git a/include/aux.h b/include/aux.h
index fb684b9ba..31660448c 100644
--- a/include/aux.h
+++ b/include/aux.h
@@ -322,12 +322,17 @@ struct thread_waker {
 	mutex_t *lock;
 	cond_t *cond;
 };
+enum thread_looper_action {
+	TLA_CONTINUE,
+	TLA_BREAK,
+};
 
 void thread_waker_add(struct thread_waker *);
 void thread_waker_del(struct thread_waker *);
 void threads_join_all(bool cancel);
 void thread_create_detach_prio(void (*)(void *), void *, const char *, int, const char *);
-void thread_create_looper(void (*f)(void), const char *scheduler, int priority, const char *name, long long);
+void thread_create_looper(enum thread_looper_action (*f)(void), const char *scheduler, int priority,
+		const char *name, long long);
 INLINE void thread_create_detach(void (*f)(void *), void *a, const char *name) {
 	thread_create_detach_prio(f, a, NULL, 0, name);
 }
diff --git a/include/ice.h b/include/ice.h
index 8a4af0fed..7a9fcf58e 100644
--- a/include/ice.h
+++ b/include/ice.h
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ void dequeue_sdp_fragments(struct call_monologue *);
 bool trickle_ice_update(struct ng_buffer *ngbuf, struct call *call, struct sdp_ng_flags *flags,
 		GQueue *streams);
 
-void ice_slow_timer(void);
+enum thread_looper_action ice_slow_timer(void);
 
 #include "call.h"
 
diff --git a/include/media_socket.h b/include/media_socket.h
index 45d911da4..574ca49ad 100644
--- a/include/media_socket.h
+++ b/include/media_socket.h
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ int get_consecutive_ports(GQueue *out, unsigned int num_ports, unsigned int num_
 struct stream_fd *stream_fd_new(socket_t *fd, struct call *call, struct local_intf *lif);
 struct stream_fd *stream_fd_lookup(const endpoint_t *);
 void stream_fd_release(struct stream_fd *);
-void release_closed_sockets(void);
+enum thread_looper_action release_closed_sockets(void);
 void append_thread_lpr_to_glob_lpr(void);
 
 void free_intf_list(struct intf_list *il);
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ const struct transport_protocol *transport_protocol(const str *s);
 //void play_buffered(struct packet_stream *sink, struct codec_packet *cp, int buffered);
 void play_buffered(struct jb_packet *cp);
 
-void kernel_stats_updater(void);
+enum thread_looper_action kernel_stats_updater(void);
 
 INLINE int proto_is_rtp(const struct transport_protocol *protocol) {
 	// known to be RTP? therefore unknown is not RTP