diff --git a/src/nostrdb.c b/src/nostrdb.c
index f86a14d..bc4502d 100644
--- a/src/nostrdb.c
+++ b/src/nostrdb.c
@@ -3980,6 +3980,7 @@ static void ndb_notify_subscriptions(struct ndb_monitor *monitor,
 
 static void *ndb_writer_thread(void *data)
 {
+	ndb_debug("started writer thread\n");
 	struct ndb_writer *writer = data;
 	struct ndb_writer_msg msgs[THREAD_QUEUE_BATCH], *msg;
 	struct written_note written_notes[THREAD_QUEUE_BATCH];
@@ -3999,6 +4000,7 @@ static void *ndb_writer_thread(void *data)
 	while (!done) {
 		txn.mdb_txn = NULL;
 		num_notes = 0;
+		ndb_debug("writer waiting for items\n");
 		popped = prot_queue_pop_all(&writer->inbox, msgs, THREAD_QUEUE_BATCH);
 		ndb_debug("writer popped %d items\n", popped);
 
@@ -4029,6 +4031,7 @@ static void *ndb_writer_thread(void *data)
 			switch (msg->type) {
 			case NDB_WRITER_QUIT:
 				// quits are handled before this
+				ndb_debug("writer thread got quit message\n");
 				done = 1;
 				continue;
 			case NDB_WRITER_PROFILE:
@@ -4242,14 +4245,18 @@ static int ndb_writer_destroy(struct ndb_writer *writer)
 
 	// kill thread
 	msg.type = NDB_WRITER_QUIT;
+	ndb_debug("writer: pushing quit message\n");
 	if (!prot_queue_push(&writer->inbox, &msg)) {
 		// queue is too full to push quit message. just kill it.
+		ndb_debug("writer: terminating thread\n");
 		THREAD_TERMINATE(writer->thread_id);
 	} else {
+		ndb_debug("writer: joining thread\n");
 		THREAD_FINISH(writer->thread_id);
 	}
 
 	// cleanup
+	ndb_debug("writer: cleaning up protected queue\n");
 	prot_queue_destroy(&writer->inbox);
 
 	free(writer->queue_buf);
@@ -4515,12 +4522,17 @@ void ndb_destroy(struct ndb *ndb)
 		return;
 
 	// ingester depends on writer and must be destroyed first
+	ndb_debug("destroying ingester\n");
 	ndb_ingester_destroy(&ndb->ingester);
+	ndb_debug("destroying writer\n");
 	ndb_writer_destroy(&ndb->writer);
+	ndb_debug("destroying monitor\n");
 	ndb_monitor_destroy(&ndb->monitor);
 
+	ndb_debug("closing env\n");
 	mdb_env_close(ndb->lmdb.env);
 
+	ndb_debug("ndb destroyed\n");
 	free(ndb);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/thread.h b/src/thread.h
index e798fd2..c3f976a 100644
--- a/src/thread.h
+++ b/src/thread.h
@@ -5,27 +5,47 @@
   #include <windows.h>
 
   #define     ErrCode()       GetLastError()
-  #define pthread_t	HANDLE
-  #define pthread_mutex_t	HANDLE
-  #define pthread_cond_t	HANDLE
-  #define pthread_cond_destroy(x)	
-  #define pthread_mutex_unlock(x)	ReleaseMutex(*x)
-  #define pthread_mutex_destroy(x) \
-  	(CloseHandle(*x) ? 0 : ErrCode())
-  #define pthread_mutex_lock(x)	WaitForSingleObject(*x, INFINITE)
-  #define pthread_mutex_init(mutex, attr) \
-    ((*mutex = CreateMutex(NULL, FALSE, NULL)) ? 0 : ErrCode())
-  #define pthread_cond_init(x, attr) (InitializeConditionVariable(x), 0)
-  #define pthread_cond_signal(x)	SetEvent(*x)
-  #define pthread_cond_wait(cond,mutex)	do{SignalObjectAndWait(*mutex, *cond, INFINITE, FALSE); WaitForSingleObject(*mutex, INFINITE);}while(0)
-  #define THREAD_CREATE(thr,start,arg) \
-  	(((thr) = CreateThread(NULL, 0, start, arg, 0, NULL)) ? 0 : ErrCode())
-  #define THREAD_FINISH(thr) \
-  	(WaitForSingleObject(thr, INFINITE) ? ErrCode() : 0)
-  #define THREAD_TERMINATE(thr) \
-	(TerminateThread(thr, 0) ? ErrCode() : 0)
-  #define LOCK_MUTEX(mutex)		WaitForSingleObject(mutex, INFINITE)
-  #define UNLOCK_MUTEX(mutex)		ReleaseMutex(mutex)
+// Define POSIX-like thread types
+typedef HANDLE pthread_t;
+typedef CRITICAL_SECTION pthread_mutex_t;
+typedef CONDITION_VARIABLE pthread_cond_t;
+
+#define ErrCode() GetLastError()
+
+// Mutex functions
+#define pthread_mutex_init(mutex, attr) \
+    (InitializeCriticalSection(mutex), 0)
+
+#define pthread_mutex_destroy(mutex) \
+    (DeleteCriticalSection(mutex), 0)
+
+#define pthread_mutex_lock(mutex) \
+    (EnterCriticalSection(mutex), 0)
+
+#define pthread_mutex_unlock(mutex) \
+    (LeaveCriticalSection(mutex), 0)
+
+// Condition variable functions
+#define pthread_cond_init(cond, attr) \
+    (InitializeConditionVariable(cond), 0)
+
+#define pthread_cond_destroy(cond)
+
+#define pthread_cond_signal(cond) \
+    (WakeConditionVariable(cond), 0)
+
+#define pthread_cond_wait(cond, mutex) \
+    (SleepConditionVariableCS(cond, mutex, INFINITE) ? 0 : ErrCode())
+
+// Thread functions
+#define THREAD_CREATE(thr, start, arg) \
+    (((thr = CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)start, arg, 0, NULL)) != NULL) ? 0 : ErrCode())
+
+#define THREAD_FINISH(thr) \
+    (WaitForSingleObject(thr, INFINITE), CloseHandle(thr), 0)
+
+#define THREAD_TERMINATE(thr) \
+    (TerminateThread(thr, 0) ? ErrCode() : 0)
 
 #else // _WIN32
   #include <pthread.h>