diff --git a/include/osg/ImageStream b/include/osg/ImageStream
index 2749cd296..4b4a6d593 100644
--- a/include/osg/ImageStream
+++ b/include/osg/ImageStream
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT ImageStream : public Image
         
         LoopingMode getLoopingMode() const { return _loopingMode; }
 
-
+        virtual double getCreationTime() const { return HUGE_VAL; }
         virtual double getLength() const { return 0.0; }
         virtual double getFrameRate() const { return 0.0; } 
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp
index 6176dccfc..a783f0161 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ class FormatContextPtr
         
         T* get() { return _ptr; }
 
+        operator bool() const { return _ptr != 0; }
+
         T * operator-> () const // never throws
         {
             return _ptr;
@@ -74,6 +76,7 @@ public:
     void loop(bool loop);
     bool loop() const;
 
+    double creation_time() const;
     double duration() const;
     double reference();
 
@@ -144,6 +147,11 @@ inline bool FFmpegDecoder::loop() const
     return m_loop;
 }
 
+inline double FFmpegDecoder::creation_time() const
+{
+   if(m_format_context) return m_format_context->timestamp;
+   else return HUGE_VAL;
+}
 
 inline double FFmpegDecoder::duration() const
 {
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp
index 769bda16a..f7020fb8f 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp
@@ -54,15 +54,7 @@ FFmpegDecoderAudio::FFmpegDecoderAudio(PacketQueue & packets, FFmpegClocks & clo
 
 FFmpegDecoderAudio::~FFmpegDecoderAudio()
 {
-    if (isRunning())
-    {
-        m_exit = true;
-#if 0        
-        while(isRunning()) { OpenThreads::YieldCurrentThread(); }
-#else        
-        join();
-#endif
-    }
+    this->close(true);
 }
 
 
@@ -123,11 +115,11 @@ void FFmpegDecoderAudio::pause(bool pause)
 
 void FFmpegDecoderAudio::close(bool waitForThreadToExit)
 {
-    m_exit = true;
-    
-    if (isRunning() && waitForThreadToExit)
+    if (isRunning())
     {
-        while(isRunning()) { OpenThreads::Thread::YieldCurrentThread(); }
+        m_exit = true;
+        if (waitForThreadToExit)
+            join();
     }
 }
 
@@ -238,7 +230,7 @@ void FFmpegDecoderAudio::decodeLoop()
             m_clocks.pause(true);
             m_pause_timer.setStartTick();
 
-            while(m_paused)
+            while(m_paused && !m_exit)
             {
                 microSleep(10000);
             }
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderVideo.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderVideo.cpp
index eed5825dd..e2bc11e3c 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderVideo.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderVideo.cpp
@@ -57,17 +57,8 @@ FFmpegDecoderVideo::~FFmpegDecoderVideo()
 {
     OSG_INFO<<"Destructing FFmpegDecoderVideo..."<<std::endl;
 
+    this->close(true);
 
-    if (isRunning())
-    {
-        m_exit = true;
-#if 0        
-        while(isRunning()) { OpenThreads::YieldCurrentThread(); }
-#else        
-        join();
-#endif
-    }
-    
 #ifdef USE_SWSCALE
     if (m_swscale_ctx)
     {
@@ -132,11 +123,11 @@ void FFmpegDecoderVideo::open(AVStream * const stream)
 
 void FFmpegDecoderVideo::close(bool waitForThreadToExit)
 {
-    m_exit = true;
-    
-    if (isRunning() && waitForThreadToExit)
+    if (isRunning())
     {
-        while(isRunning()) { OpenThreads::Thread::YieldCurrentThread(); }
+        m_exit = true;
+        if (waitForThreadToExit)
+            join();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp
index e14fbd97a..bd25ef8bd 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ float FFmpegImageStream::getVolume() const
     return m_decoder->audio_decoder().getVolume();
 }
 
+double FFmpegImageStream::getCreationTime() const
+{
+    return m_decoder->creation_time();
+}
+
 double FFmpegImageStream::getLength() const
 { 
     return m_decoder->duration(); 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp
index 033a892db..4395a58df 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ namespace osgFFmpeg
         virtual void setVolume(float volume);
         virtual float getVolume() const;
 
+        virtual double getCreationTime() const;
         virtual double getLength() const;
         virtual double getReferenceTime () const; 
         virtual double getFrameRate() const;
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp
index fb1a0ddc8..28eb31ed0 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ public:
         supportsExtension("sav",    "MPEG-4");
         supportsExtension("3gp",    "MPEG-4");
         supportsExtension("sdp",    "MPEG-4");
+        
+        // enable thread locking
+        av_lockmgr_register(&lockMgr);
 
         // Register all FFmpeg formats/codecs
         av_register_all();
@@ -97,6 +100,36 @@ public:
 
 private:
 
+    static int lockMgr(void **mutex, enum AVLockOp op)
+    {
+        // returns are 0 success
+        OpenThreads::Mutex **m=(OpenThreads::Mutex**)mutex;
+        if (op==AV_LOCK_CREATE)
+        {
+            *m=new OpenThreads::Mutex;
+            return !*m;
+        }
+        else if (op==AV_LOCK_DESTROY)
+        {
+            delete *m;
+            return 0;
+        }
+        else if (op==AV_LOCK_OBTAIN)
+        {
+            (*m)->lock();
+            return 0;
+        }
+        else if (op==AV_LOCK_RELEASE)
+        {
+            (*m)->unlock();
+            return 0;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
 };