diff --git a/src/control/control.c b/src/control/control.c
index 1effb5c2f064..869077ad3cb0 100644
--- a/src/control/control.c
+++ b/src/control/control.c
@@ -203,7 +203,6 @@ void dt_control_init(const gboolean withgui)
   s->input_drivers = NULL;
   dt_atomic_set_int(&s->quitting, 0);
   dt_atomic_set_int(&s->pending_jobs, 0);
-  dt_atomic_set_int(&s->running_jobs, 0);
   s->cups_started = FALSE;
 
   dt_action_define_fallback(DT_ACTION_TYPE_IOP, &dt_action_def_iop);
@@ -221,7 +220,6 @@ void dt_control_init(const gboolean withgui)
   // same thread as init
   s->gui_thread = pthread_self();
 
-  // s->last_expose_time = dt_get_wtime();
   s->log_pos = s->log_ack = 0;
   s->busy = 0;
   s->log_message_timeout_id = 0;
@@ -284,11 +282,6 @@ void dt_control_change_cursor(dt_cursor_t curs)
     via DT_CONTROL_STATE_CLEANUP before doing so.
 */
 
-gboolean dt_control_running()
-{
-  return darktable.control && dt_atomic_get_int(&darktable.control->running) == DT_CONTROL_STATE_RUNNING;
-}
-
 void dt_control_quit()
 {
   // Make sure we proceed further only if control is running
diff --git a/src/control/control.h b/src/control/control.h
index 0447b53b06d8..b1118be15a2b 100644
--- a/src/control/control.h
+++ b/src/control/control.h
@@ -175,13 +175,11 @@ typedef struct dt_control_t
 
   // gui settings
   dt_pthread_mutex_t global_mutex, image_mutex;
-  double last_expose_time;
 
   // job management
   dt_atomic_int running;
   dt_atomic_int quitting;
   dt_atomic_int pending_jobs;
-  dt_atomic_int running_jobs;
   gboolean cups_started;
   gboolean export_scheduled;
   dt_pthread_mutex_t queue_mutex, cond_mutex;
@@ -249,7 +247,20 @@ void dt_control_cleanup(const gboolean withgui);
 void dt_control_quit(void);
 
 /** get threadsafe running state. */
-gboolean dt_control_running(void);
+#define dt_control_running() dt_control_running_with_caller(__FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__)
+static inline gboolean dt_control_running_with_caller(const char *file,
+                                                    const int line,
+                                                    const char *function)
+{
+  dt_control_t *c = darktable.control;
+  if(!c)
+  {
+    dt_print(DT_DEBUG_ALWAYS, "darktable.control is undefined in '%s': `%s:%d`", function, file, line);
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  else
+    return dt_atomic_get_int(&c->running) == DT_CONTROL_STATE_RUNNING;
+}
 
 // thread-safe interface between core and gui.
 // is the locking really needed?
diff --git a/src/control/jobs.c b/src/control/jobs.c
index 24a82dfaaf61..731991da567a 100644
--- a/src/control/jobs.c
+++ b/src/control/jobs.c
@@ -511,12 +511,8 @@ static void *_control_work_res(void *ptr)
   worker_thread_parameters_t *params = (worker_thread_parameters_t *)ptr;
   dt_control_t *s = params->self;
   threadid = params->threadid;
-  char name[16] = {0};
-  snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "worker res %d", threadid);
-  dt_pthread_setname(name);
   free(params);
   const int32_t threadid_res = _control_get_threadid_res();
-  dt_atomic_add_int(&s->running_jobs, 1);
   while(dt_control_running())
   {
     // dt_print(DT_DEBUG_CONTROL, "[control_work] %d", threadid_res);
@@ -539,7 +535,6 @@ static void *_control_worker_kicker(void *ptr)
 {
   dt_control_t *control = (dt_control_t *)ptr;
   dt_pthread_setname("kicker");
-  dt_atomic_add_int(&control->running_jobs, 1);
   while(dt_control_running())
   {
     sleep(2);
@@ -558,12 +553,7 @@ static void *_control_work(void *ptr)
   worker_thread_parameters_t *params = (worker_thread_parameters_t *)ptr;
   dt_control_t *control = params->self;
   threadid = params->threadid;
-  char name[16] = {0};
-  snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "worker %d", threadid);
-  dt_pthread_setname(name);
   free(params);
-
-  dt_atomic_add_int(&control->running_jobs, 1);
   while(dt_control_running())
   {
     if(_control_run_job(control))
@@ -651,37 +641,9 @@ void dt_control_jobs_init()
 
   if(err != 0)
   {
-    /* FIXME can we handle this better?
-        Should we unset control->running here? requires further investigation
-        on how to join or avoid rogue threads
-    */
+    /* FIXME can we handle this better? */
     dt_print(DT_DEBUG_ALWAYS, "[dt_control_jobs_init] ERROR STARTING THREADS, PROBLEMS AHEAD");
   }
-  else // no errors reported so we test & wait
-  {
-    const int requested = control->num_threads + 1 + DT_CTL_WORKER_RESERVED;
-    int running = 0;
-    for(int i = 0; i < 1000; i++)
-    {
-      running = dt_atomic_get_int(&control->running_jobs);
-      dt_print(DT_DEBUG_CONTROL, "[dt_control_jobs_init] %d of %d threads running", running, requested);
-      if(running == requested) break;
-      g_usleep(1000);   // let's wait for up to 1sec for OS dispatching the pthreads
-    }
-    if(running != requested)
-      dt_print(DT_DEBUG_ALWAYS, "[dt_control_jobs_init] ERROR STARTED %d THREADS of %d, PROBLEMS AHEAD",
-        running, requested);
-  }
-}
-
-gboolean dt_control_all_running()
-{
-  if(!dt_control_running())
-    return FALSE;
-
-  dt_control_t *control = darktable.control;
-  const int requested = control->num_threads + 1 + DT_CTL_WORKER_RESERVED;
-  return dt_atomic_get_int(&control->running_jobs) == requested;
 }
 
 void dt_control_jobs_cleanup()
diff --git a/src/control/jobs.h b/src/control/jobs.h
index 3e1161701c5f..2fc46ac1c23d 100644
--- a/src/control/jobs.h
+++ b/src/control/jobs.h
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ double dt_control_job_get_progress(const dt_job_t *job);
 void dt_control_jobs_init(void);
 void dt_control_jobs_cleanup(void);
 int dt_control_jobs_pending(void);
-gboolean dt_control_all_running(void);
 
 gboolean dt_control_add_job(dt_job_queue_t queue_id, dt_job_t *job);
 gboolean dt_control_add_job_res(dt_job_t *job, const int32_t res);
diff --git a/src/gui/gtk.c b/src/gui/gtk.c
index 7816660a01d8..2e70fea4f88e 100644
--- a/src/gui/gtk.c
+++ b/src/gui/gtk.c
@@ -1278,9 +1278,11 @@ int dt_gui_theme_init(dt_gui_gtk_t *gui)
 
 int dt_gui_gtk_init(dt_gui_gtk_t *gui)
 {
-  /* lets zero mem */
-  memset(gui, 0, sizeof(dt_gui_gtk_t));
-
+  /* Note:
+    *gui has been calloced in dt_init() so no need to clear via memset
+    also it got some changes already, let's keep them
+    memset(gui, 0, sizeof(dt_gui_gtk_t));
+  */
   dt_pthread_mutex_init(&gui->mutex, NULL);
 
   // force gtk3 to use normal scroll bars instead of the popup
@@ -1603,6 +1605,15 @@ int dt_gui_gtk_init(dt_gui_gtk_t *gui)
                         darktable.gui->focus_peaking_button, &dt_action_def_toggle);
   dt_shortcut_register(ac, 0, 0, GDK_KEY_f, GDK_CONTROL_MASK | GDK_SHIFT_MASK);
 
+  // give Gtk a chance to update the screen; we need to let the event
+  // processing run several times for the window to actually be
+  // fully displayed/updated
+  for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+  {
+    g_usleep(1000);
+    dt_gui_process_events();
+  }
+
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1625,7 +1636,7 @@ void dt_gui_gtk_run(dt_gui_gtk_t *gui)
   dt_osx_focus_window();
 #endif
   /* start the event loop */
-  if(dt_control_all_running())
+  if(dt_control_running())
   {
     g_atomic_int_set(&darktable.gui_running, 1);
     gtk_main();