diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 663094da70..8a665eb852 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -3563,3 +3563,22 @@ Charlie 16 Jun 2011
         installerv2/
             redist/
                 all_projects_list.xml
+
+David  16 Jun 2011
+    - client: we were assuming that if we ask a task to exit
+        and its main process exits, everything is OK.
+        That's not necessarily the case - buggy apps may have
+        subprocesses that the main process fails to kill.
+
+        Solution: when we request a task to exit or abort,
+        make a list of the descendants.
+        When the main process exits, kill any remaining descendants.
+        
+        Also: we weren't checking for the ABORT_PENDING case
+        in the process exit logic.
+        This may explain the 5/15 second delay in detaching or
+        resetting a project with running tasks
+
+    client/
+        app.cpp,h
+        app_control.cpp
diff --git a/client/app.cpp b/client/app.cpp
index 7446c19d99..2274c91c77 100644
--- a/client/app.cpp
+++ b/client/app.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::preempt(int preempt_type) {
                 result->name
             );
         }
-        set_task_state(PROCESS_QUIT_PENDING, "preempt");
         retval = request_exit();
     } else {
         if (log_flags.cpu_sched) {
diff --git a/client/app.h b/client/app.h
index 07c8b687d8..cb246806ed 100644
--- a/client/app.h
+++ b/client/app.h
@@ -187,27 +187,50 @@ struct ACTIVE_TASK {
         // disk used by output files and temp files of this task
     void get_free_slot(RESULT*);
     int start(bool first_time);         // start a process
-    int request_exit();
-        // ask the process to exit gracefully,
-        // i.e. by sending a <quit> message
-    int request_abort();                // send "abort" message
-    bool process_exists();
 
+    // Termination stuff.
+    // Terminology:
+    // "kill": forcibly kill the main process and all its descendants.
+    //    (note: on Windows secure mode, we can't kill the descendants)
+    // "request exit": send a request-exit message, and enumerate descendants.
+    //      If after 15 secs any processes remain, kill them
+    //      called from:
+    //          task preemption
+    //          project detach or reset
+    //      implementation:
+    //          sends msg, sets quit_time, state QUIT_PENDING;
+    //              get list of descendants
+    //          normal exit handled in handle_premature_exit()
+    //          timeout handled in ACTIVE_TASK_SET::poll()
+    // "abort_task": like request exit,
+    //      but the app is supposed to write a stack trace to stderr
+    //      called from: rsc exceeded; got ack of running task;
+    //          intermediate upload failure
+    //          client exiting w/ abort_jobs_on_exit set
+    //
+    int request_exit();
+    int request_abort();
     int kill_task(bool restart);
         // Kill process forcibly,
 		// otherwise it ends with an error
         // Unix: send a SIGKILL signal, Windows: TerminateProcess()
-		// if restart is true, arrange for resulted to get restarted;
+		// if restart is true, arrange for result to get restarted;
+    int abort_task(int exit_status, const char*);
+        // can be called whether or not process exists
+
+
+    // Implementation stuff related to termination
+    //
+    std::vector<int> descendants;
+    bool process_exists();
+    bool has_task_exited();
+        // return true if this task has exited
 
     int suspend();
         // tell a process to stop executing (but stay in mem)
         // Done by sending it a <suspend> message
     int unsuspend();
         // Undo a suspend: send a <resume> message
-    int abort_task(int exit_status, const char*);
-        // can be called whether or not process exists
-    bool has_task_exited();
-        // return true if this task has exited
     int preempt(int preempt_type);
         // preempt (via suspend or quit) a running task
     int resume_or_start(bool);
diff --git a/client/app_control.cpp b/client/app_control.cpp
index 1b81522f7a..e3767844a2 100644
--- a/client/app_control.cpp
+++ b/client/app_control.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::request_exit() {
         "<quit/>",
         app_client_shm.shm->process_control_request
     );
+    set_task_state(PROCESS_QUIT_PENDING, "request_exit()");
     quit_time = gstate.now;
+    descendants.clear();
+    get_descendants(pid, descendants);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -183,6 +186,12 @@ static void kill_app_process(int pid) {
 #endif
 }
 
+static inline void kill_processes(vector<int> pids) {
+    for (unsigned int i=0; i<pids.size(); i++) {
+        kill_app_process(pids[i]);
+    }
+}
+
 // Kill the task (and descendants) by OS-specific means.
 //
 int ACTIVE_TASK::kill_task(bool restart) {
@@ -200,9 +209,7 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::kill_task(bool restart) {
 #endif
     get_descendants(pid, pids);
     pids.push_back(pid);
-    for (unsigned int i=0; i<pids.size(); i++) {
-        kill_app_process(pids[i]);
-    }
+    kill_processes(pids);
     cleanup_task();
     if (restart) {
         set_task_state(PROCESS_UNINITIALIZED, "kill_task");
@@ -279,14 +286,19 @@ static void clear_backoffs(ACTIVE_TASK* atp) {
     }
 }
 
-// handle a task that exited prematurely (i.e. the job isn't done)
+// handle a task that exited prematurely (i.e. no finish file)
 //
 void ACTIVE_TASK::handle_premature_exit(bool& will_restart) {
-    // if it exited because we sent it a quit message, don't count
-    //
-    if (task_state() == PROCESS_QUIT_PENDING) {
+    switch (task_state()) {
+    case PROCESS_QUIT_PENDING:
         set_task_state(PROCESS_UNINITIALIZED, "handle_premature_exit");
         will_restart = true;
+        kill_processes(descendants);
+        return;
+    case PROCESS_ABORT_PENDING:
+        set_task_state(PROCESS_UNINITIALIZED, "handle_premature_exit");
+        will_restart = false;
+        kill_processes(descendants);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -745,6 +757,8 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::abort_task(int exit_status, const char* msg) {
         set_task_state(PROCESS_ABORT_PENDING, "abort_task");
         abort_time = gstate.now;
         request_abort();
+        descendants.clear();
+        get_descendants(pid, descendants);
     } else {
         set_task_state(PROCESS_ABORTED, "abort_task");
     }
@@ -831,7 +845,7 @@ void ACTIVE_TASK_SET::request_reread_app_info() {
 }
 
 
-// send quit signal to all tasks in the project
+// send quit message to all tasks in the project
 // (or all tasks, if proj==0).
 // If they don't exit in 5 seconds,
 // send them a kill signal and wait up to 5 more seconds to exit.