diff --git a/console.cpp b/console.cpp
index 523ea84..2e5fe72 100644
--- a/console.cpp
+++ b/console.cpp
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@
 #include "utils.h"
 
 
-console::console(std::atomic_bool *const terminate, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, bus *const b) :
-	terminate(terminate),
-	interrupt_emulation(interrupt_emulation),
+console::console(std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, bus *const b) :
+	stop_event(stop_event),
 	b(b)
 {
 	memset(screen_buffer, ' ', sizeof screen_buffer);
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ std::string console::read_line(const std::string & prompt)
 	for(;;) {
 		char c = wait_char(500);
 
-		if (*terminate || stop_thread_flag)
+		if (*stop_event == EVENT_TERMINATE)
 			return "";
 
 		if (c == -1)
@@ -208,9 +207,9 @@ void console::operator()()
 {
 	D(fprintf(stderr, "Console thread started\n");)
 
-	set_thread_name("kek:console");
+	set_thread_name("kek::console");
 
-	while(!*terminate && !stop_thread_flag) {
+	while(*stop_event != EVENT_TERMINATE && !stop_thread_flag) {
 		int c = wait_for_char_ll(100);
 
 		if (c == -1)
@@ -221,9 +220,9 @@ void console::operator()()
 //		printf("%d %d\n", running_flag, c);
 
 		if (running_flag == false && c == 3)  // ^c
-			*interrupt_emulation = *terminate = true;
+			*stop_event = EVENT_TERMINATE;
 		else if (running_flag == true && c == 5)  // ^e
-			*interrupt_emulation = true;
+			*stop_event = EVENT_INTERRUPT;
 		else if (running_flag == false && c == 12)  // ^l
 			refresh_virtual_terminal();
 		else {
diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index 5ab1d2b..4aa32c5 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ private:
 	std::mutex              input_lock;
 
 protected:
-	std::atomic_bool *const terminate           { nullptr };
-	std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation { nullptr };
+	std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event    { nullptr };
 
 	bus              *const b                { nullptr };
 	std::thread            *th               { nullptr };
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ protected:
 	virtual void put_char_ll(const char c) = 0;
 
 public:
-	console(std::atomic_bool *const terminate, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, bus *const b);
+	console(std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, bus *const b);
 	virtual ~console();
 
 	void         start_thread();
diff --git a/console_ncurses.cpp b/console_ncurses.cpp
index 6772319..79993e3 100644
--- a/console_ncurses.cpp
+++ b/console_ncurses.cpp
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@
 #include "console_ncurses.h"
 #include "cpu.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "gen.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
 
-console_ncurses::console_ncurses(std::atomic_bool *const terminate, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, bus *const b) :
-	console(terminate, interrupt_emulation, b)
+console_ncurses::console_ncurses(std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, bus *const b) :
+	console(stop_event, b)
 {
 	init_ncurses(true);
 
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ void console_ncurses::panel_update_thread()
 
 	constexpr int refresh_rate = 50;
 
-	while(!*terminate) {
+	while(*stop_event != EVENT_TERMINATE) {
 		myusleep(1000000 / refresh_rate);
 
 		// note that these are approximately as there's no mutex on the emulation
diff --git a/console_ncurses.h b/console_ncurses.h
index 7f910c8..b8d7999 100644
--- a/console_ncurses.h
+++ b/console_ncurses.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ protected:
 	void put_char_ll(const char c) override;
 
 public:
-	console_ncurses(std::atomic_bool *const terminate, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, bus *const b);
+	console_ncurses(std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, bus *const b);
 	virtual ~console_ncurses();
 
 	void put_string_lf(const std::string & what) override;
diff --git a/console_posix.cpp b/console_posix.cpp
index 826232e..9d7b3b8 100644
--- a/console_posix.cpp
+++ b/console_posix.cpp
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 #include "error.h"
 
 
-console_posix::console_posix(std::atomic_bool *const terminate, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, bus *const b) :
-	console(terminate, interrupt_emulation, b)
+console_posix::console_posix(std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, bus *const b) :
+	console(stop_event, b)
 {
 	if (tcgetattr(STDIN_FILENO, &org_tty_opts) == -1)
 		error_exit(true, "console_posix: tcgetattr failed");
diff --git a/console_posix.h b/console_posix.h
index 25954be..42890cd 100644
--- a/console_posix.h
+++ b/console_posix.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ protected:
 	void put_char_ll(const char c) override;
 
 public:
-	console_posix(std::atomic_bool *const terminate, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, bus *const b);
+	console_posix(std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, bus *const b);
 	virtual ~console_posix();
 
 	void resize_terminal() override;
diff --git a/cpu.cpp b/cpu.cpp
index 1a37fd1..f18fe8e 100644
--- a/cpu.cpp
+++ b/cpu.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 #define IS_0(x, wm) ((wm) ? ((x) & 0xff) == 0 : (x) == 0)
 
-cpu::cpu(bus *const b, uint32_t *const event) : b(b), event(event)
+cpu::cpu(bus *const b, std::atomic_uint32_t *const event) : b(b), event(event)
 {
 	reset();
 }
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ bool cpu::misc_operations(const uint16_t instr)
 {
 	switch(instr) {
 		case 0b0000000000000000: // HALT
-			*event = 1;
+			*event = EVENT_HALT;
 			return true;
 
 		case 0b0000000000000001: // WAIT
diff --git a/cpu.h b/cpu.h
index 0d27c11..7380f99 100644
--- a/cpu.h
+++ b/cpu.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ private:
 
 	bus *const b { nullptr };
 
-	uint32_t *const event { nullptr };
+	std::atomic_uint32_t *const event { nullptr };
 
 	bool check_queued_interrupts();
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ private:
 	operand_parameters addressing_to_string(const uint8_t mode_register, const uint16_t pc, const bool word_mode) const;
 
 public:
-	explicit cpu(bus *const b, uint32_t *const event);
+	explicit cpu(bus *const b, std::atomic_uint32_t *const event);
 	~cpu();
 
 	bool check_breakpoint();
diff --git a/debugger.cpp b/debugger.cpp
index 0295382..4836e7c 100644
--- a/debugger.cpp
+++ b/debugger.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "bus.h"
 #include "console.h"
 #include "cpu.h"
+#include "gen.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
 
@@ -8,9 +9,6 @@
 void setBootLoader(bus *const b);
 #endif
 
-extern uint32_t         event;
-extern std::atomic_bool terminate;
-
 // returns size of instruction (in bytes)
 int disassemble(cpu *const c, console *const cnsl, const int pc, const bool instruction_only)
 {
@@ -72,7 +70,7 @@ std::map<std::string, std::string> split(const std::vector<std::string> & kv_arr
 	return out;
 }
 
-void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, const bool tracing_in)
+void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, const bool tracing_in)
 {
 	int32_t trace_start_addr = -1;
 	bool    tracing          = tracing_in;
@@ -83,9 +81,8 @@ void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_bool *const interru
 
 	bool single_step = false;
 
-	while(!terminate) {
-		bool        temp  = terminate;
-		std::string cmd   = cnsl->read_line(format("%d%d", event, temp));
+	while(*stop_event != EVENT_TERMINATE) {
+		std::string cmd   = cnsl->read_line(format("%d", stop_event->load()));
 		auto        parts = split(cmd, " ");
 		auto        kv    = split(parts, "=");
 
@@ -184,9 +181,7 @@ void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_bool *const interru
 #if defined(ESP32)
 			ESP.restart();
 #else
-			terminate = false;
-
-			event = 0;
+			*stop_event = EVENT_NONE;
 
 			c->reset();
 #endif
@@ -222,7 +217,7 @@ void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_bool *const interru
 
 		*cnsl->get_running_flag() = true;
 
-		while(!event && !*interrupt_emulation) {
+		while(*stop_event == EVENT_NONE) {
 			c->step_a();
 
 			if (trace_start_addr != -1 && c->getPC() == trace_start_addr)
@@ -249,12 +244,10 @@ void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_bool *const interru
 			cnsl->debug("MIPS: %.2f, relative speed: %.2f%%", speed.first, speed.second);
 		}
 
-		if (*interrupt_emulation) {
+		if (*stop_event == EVENT_INTERRUPT) {
 			single_step = true;
 
-			event = 0;
-
-			*interrupt_emulation = false;
+			*stop_event = EVENT_NONE;
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/debugger.h b/debugger.h
index dd444f9..2fe3b8b 100644
--- a/debugger.h
+++ b/debugger.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #include "bus.h"
 #include "console.h"
 
-void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_bool *const interrupt_emulation, const bool tracing);
+void debugger(console *const cnsl, bus *const b, std::atomic_uint32_t *const stop_event, const bool tracing);
diff --git a/gen.h b/gen.h
index a5b3e2e..5b9423d 100644
--- a/gen.h
+++ b/gen.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 extern bool trace_output;
 
+typedef enum { EVENT_NONE = 0, EVENT_HALT, EVENT_INTERRUPT, EVENT_TERMINATE } stop_event_t;
+
 #if defined(ESP32)
 #define D(...) do { } while(0);
 #else
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 5408588..602d8bf 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@
 typedef enum { BL_NONE, BL_RK05, BL_RL02 } bootloader_t;
 
 bool              withUI       { false };
-uint32_t          event        { 0 };
-std::atomic_bool  terminate    { false };
+std::atomic_uint32_t event     { 0 };
 std::atomic_bool *running      { nullptr };
 bool              trace_output { false };
 
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ void sw_handler(int s)
 	else {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Terminating...\n");
 
-		terminate = true;
+		event = EVENT_TERMINATE;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -342,13 +341,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	std::atomic_bool interrupt_emulation { false };
 
 	if (withUI)
-		cnsl = new console_ncurses(&terminate, &interrupt_emulation, b);
+		cnsl = new console_ncurses(&event, b);
 	else {
 		fprintf(stderr, "This PDP-11 emulator is called \"kek\" (reason for that is forgotten) and was written by Folkert van Heusden.\n");
 
 		fprintf(stderr, "Built on: " __DATE__ " " __TIME__ "\n");
 
-		cnsl = new console_posix(&terminate, &interrupt_emulation, b);
+		cnsl = new console_posix(&event, b);
 	}
 
 	if (rk05_files.empty() == false)
@@ -390,19 +389,22 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	cnsl->start_thread();
 
 	if (run_debugger)
-		debugger(cnsl, b, &interrupt_emulation, tracing);
+		debugger(cnsl, b, &event, tracing);
 	else {
 		c->emulation_start();  // for statistics
 
 		*running = true;
 
-		// TODO combine event, interrupt_emulation and terminate into one thing
-		while(!event) {
-			if (interrupt_emulation)
-				break;
+		for(;;) {
+			while(!event) {
+				c->step_a();
+				c->step_b();
+			}
 
-			c->step_a();
-			c->step_b();
+			uint32_t stop_event = event.exchange(EVENT_NONE);
+
+			if (stop_event == EVENT_HALT || stop_event == EVENT_INTERRUPT || stop_event == EVENT_TERMINATE)
+				break;
 		}
 
 		auto stats = c->get_mips_rel_speed();
@@ -412,7 +414,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		*running = false;
 	}
 
-	terminate = true;
+	event = EVENT_TERMINATE;
 
 	delete cnsl;