diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9a37068..a1bff55 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use donglora_bridge::{config, gossip, radio, rate_limit, router, setup, tui};
 
 use std::sync::Arc;
-use std::time::Instant;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
@@ -174,13 +174,18 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
     } else {
         let terminal = tui::run(config_watch_rx, swarm.clone(), stats, log_rx, cancel.clone(), start_time);
 
-        cancel.cancel();
-        swarm.shutdown().await;
-        info!("donglora-bridge stopped");
-
+        // Restore the terminal first so the user's shell reappears the moment
+        // they hit `q`. iroh-gossip-rendezvous needs no synchronous DHT work
+        // on shutdown — entries age out — so the only remaining wait is
+        // `endpoint.close()` flushing in-flight connections. Bound it.
         if let Ok(mut term) = terminal {
             tui::restore_terminal(&mut term);
         }
+        cancel.cancel();
+        if tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(2), swarm.shutdown()).await.is_err() {
+            warn!("graceful shutdown timed out — exiting anyway");
+        }
+        info!("donglora-bridge stopped");
 
         return Ok(());
     }
diff --git a/src/tui.rs b/src/tui.rs
index 528fd85..789079e 100644
--- a/src/tui.rs
+++ b/src/tui.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use ratatui::layout::{Alignment, Constraint, Direction, Layout, Rect};
 use ratatui::style::{Color, Modifier, Style};
 use ratatui::symbols;
 use ratatui::text::{Line, Span};
-use ratatui::widgets::{Block, Borders, Clear, Paragraph, Sparkline};
+use ratatui::widgets::{Block, Borders, Paragraph, Sparkline};
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 use tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken;
 
@@ -173,7 +173,6 @@ pub fn run(
         &mut series,
     );
 
-    terminal.draw(|frame| draw_shutdown_overlay(frame, frame.area()))?;
     Ok(terminal)
 }
 
@@ -631,29 +630,6 @@ fn pad_right_align(data: &[u64], width: usize) -> Vec<u64> {
     padded
 }
 
-// ── Shutdown overlay ─────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-fn draw_shutdown_overlay(frame: &mut ratatui::Frame, area: Rect) {
-    let dim = Paragraph::new("").style(Style::default().bg(Color::Black));
-    frame.render_widget(dim, area);
-
-    let w = 36u16;
-    let h = 3u16;
-    let x = area.x + area.width.saturating_sub(w) / 2;
-    let y = area.y + area.height.saturating_sub(h) / 2;
-    let popup = Rect::new(x, y, w.min(area.width), h.min(area.height));
-
-    frame.render_widget(Clear, popup);
-    let block = Block::default().borders(Borders::ALL).border_style(Style::default().fg(C_BORDER));
-    let text = Paragraph::new(Line::from(vec![
-        Span::styled(" Shutting down", Style::default().fg(C_RATE_DROP)),
-        Span::styled(" — updating DHT...", Style::default().fg(C_LABEL)),
-    ]))
-    .alignment(Alignment::Center)
-    .block(block);
-    frame.render_widget(text, popup);
-}
-
 // ── Shared helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 fn panel_block(title: &str) -> Block<'static> {