diff --git a/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQTransportFactoryNN.cxx b/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQTransportFactoryNN.cxx
index a845682c..288bc3da 100644
--- a/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQTransportFactoryNN.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQTransportFactoryNN.cxx
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ FairMQPollerPtr FairMQTransportFactoryNN::CreatePoller(const FairMQSocket& cmdSo
 
 void FairMQTransportFactoryNN::Shutdown()
 {
-    // nothing to do for nanomsg, transport is ready to be terminated any time.
+    nn_term();
 }
 
 void FairMQTransportFactoryNN::Terminate()
 {
-    nn_term();
+    // nothing to do for nanomsg
 }
 
 FairMQ::Transport FairMQTransportFactoryNN::GetType() const
diff --git a/fairmq/run/startMQBenchmark.sh.in b/fairmq/run/startMQBenchmark.sh.in
index f765007e..7459486a 100755
--- a/fairmq/run/startMQBenchmark.sh.in
+++ b/fairmq/run/startMQBenchmark.sh.in
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ SAMPLER+=" --same-msg $sameMsg"
 SAMPLER+=" --num-msgs $numMsgs"
 SAMPLER+=" --mq-config @CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/bin/config/benchmark.json"
 xterm -geometry 90x23+0+0 -hold -e $affinitySamp @CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/bin/$SAMPLER &
+echo ""
+echo "started: xterm -geometry 90x23+0+0 -hold -e $affinitySamp @CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/bin/$SAMPLER"
+echo "pid: $!"
 
 SINK="sink"
 SINK+=" --id sink1"
@@ -80,3 +83,7 @@ SINK+=" --transport $transport"
 SINK+=" --num-msgs $numMsgs"
 SINK+=" --mq-config @CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/bin/config/benchmark.json"
 xterm -geometry 90x23+550+0 -hold -e $affinitySink @CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/bin/$SINK &
+echo ""
+echo "started: xterm -geometry 90x23+550+0 -hold -e $affinitySink @CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/bin/$SINK"
+echo "pid: $!"
+echo ""
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQShmDeviceCounter.h b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQShmDeviceCounter.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1f4e3e89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQShmDeviceCounter.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/********************************************************************************
+ *    Copyright (C) 2014 GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH    *
+ *                                                                              *
+ *              This software is distributed under the terms of the             * 
+ *         GNU Lesser General Public Licence version 3 (LGPL) version 3,        *  
+ *                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       *
+ ********************************************************************************/
+#ifndef FAIRMQSHMDEVICECOUNTER_H_
+#define FAIRMQSHMDEVICECOUNTER_H_
+
+#include <atomic>
+
+namespace FairMQ
+{
+namespace shmem
+{
+
+struct FairMQShmDeviceCounter
+{
+    FairMQShmDeviceCounter(unsigned int c)
+        : count(c)
+    {}
+    std::atomic<unsigned int> count;
+};
+
+} // namespace shmem
+} // namespace FairMQ
+
+#endif /* FAIRMQSHMDEVICECOUNTER_H_ */
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.cxx b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.cxx
index c7dbeebc..7ec7e63a 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.cxx
@@ -5,10 +5,18 @@
  *         GNU Lesser General Public Licence version 3 (LGPL) version 3,        *  
  *                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       *
  ********************************************************************************/
-#include "zmq.h"
+#include <zmq.h>
+
 #include <boost/version.hpp>
 #include <boost/interprocess/managed_shared_memory.hpp>
 
+#include <boost/interprocess/ipc/message_queue.hpp>
+#include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
+
+#include <boost/interprocess/sync/scoped_lock.hpp>
+
+#include <chrono>
+
 #include "FairMQLogger.h"
 #include "FairMQShmManager.h"
 #include "FairMQTransportFactorySHM.h"
@@ -16,11 +24,17 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace FairMQ::shmem;
+namespace bipc = boost::interprocess;
 
 FairMQ::Transport FairMQTransportFactorySHM::fTransportType = FairMQ::Transport::SHM;
 
 FairMQTransportFactorySHM::FairMQTransportFactorySHM()
     : fContext(nullptr)
+    , fHeartbeatSocket(nullptr)
+    , fHeartbeatThread()
+    , fSendHeartbeats(true)
+    , fShMutex(bipc::open_or_create, "fairmq_shmem_mutex")
+    , fDeviceCounter(nullptr)
 {
     int major, minor, patch;
     zmq_version(&major, &minor, &patch);
@@ -51,17 +65,65 @@ void FairMQTransportFactorySHM::Initialize(const FairMQProgOptions* config)
 
     if (zmq_ctx_set(fContext, ZMQ_IO_THREADS, numIoThreads) != 0)
     {
-        LOG(ERROR) << "failed configuring context, reason: " << zmq_strerror(errno);
+        LOG(ERROR) << "shmem: failed configuring context, reason: " << zmq_strerror(errno);
     }
 
     // Set the maximum number of allowed sockets on the context.
     if (zmq_ctx_set(fContext, ZMQ_MAX_SOCKETS, 10000) != 0)
     {
-        LOG(ERROR) << "failed configuring context, reason: " << zmq_strerror(errno);
+        LOG(ERROR) << "shmem: failed configuring context, reason: " << zmq_strerror(errno);
     }
 
+    fSendHeartbeats = true;
+    fHeartbeatThread = thread(&FairMQTransportFactorySHM::SendHeartbeats, this);
+
     Manager::Instance().InitializeSegment("open_or_create", "FairMQSharedMemory", segmentSize);
     LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: created/opened shared memory segment of " << segmentSize << " bytes. Available are " << Manager::Instance().Segment()->get_free_memory() << " bytes.";
+
+    { // mutex scope
+        bipc::scoped_lock<bipc::named_mutex> lock(fShMutex);
+
+        pair<FairMQShmDeviceCounter*, size_t> result = Manager::Instance().Segment()->find<FairMQShmDeviceCounter>(bipc::unique_instance);
+        if (result.first != nullptr)
+        {
+            fDeviceCounter = result.first;
+            LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: device counter found, with value of " << fDeviceCounter->count << ". incrementing.";
+            (fDeviceCounter->count)++;
+            LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: incremented device counter, now: " << fDeviceCounter->count;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: no device counter found, creating one and initializing with 1";
+            fDeviceCounter = Manager::Instance().Segment()->construct<FairMQShmDeviceCounter>(bipc::unique_instance)(1);
+            LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: initialized device counter with: " << fDeviceCounter->count;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void FairMQTransportFactorySHM::SendHeartbeats()
+{
+    while (fSendHeartbeats)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            bipc::message_queue mq(bipc::open_only, "fairmq_shmem_control_queue");
+            bool heartbeat = true;
+            boost::posix_time::ptime sndTill = boost::posix_time::microsec_clock::universal_time() + boost::posix_time::milliseconds(100);
+            if (mq.timed_send(&heartbeat, sizeof(heartbeat), 0, sndTill))
+            {
+                this_thread::sleep_for(chrono::milliseconds(100));
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                LOG(DEBUG) << "control queue timeout";
+            }
+        }
+        catch (bipc::interprocess_exception& ie)
+        {
+            this_thread::sleep_for(chrono::milliseconds(500));
+            // LOG(WARN) << "no fairmq_shmem_control_queue found";
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 FairMQMessagePtr FairMQTransportFactorySHM::CreateMessage() const
@@ -106,6 +168,9 @@ void FairMQTransportFactorySHM::Shutdown()
     {
         LOG(ERROR) << "shmem: failed shutting down context, reason: " << zmq_strerror(errno);
     }
+
+    fSendHeartbeats = false;
+    fHeartbeatThread.join();
 }
 
 void FairMQTransportFactorySHM::Terminate()
@@ -120,23 +185,38 @@ void FairMQTransportFactorySHM::Terminate()
             }
             else
             {
-                fContext = NULL;
+                fContext = nullptr;
                 return;
             }
         }
     }
     else
     {
-        LOG(ERROR) << "shmem: Terminate(): context now available for shutdown";
+        LOG(ERROR) << "shmem: Terminate(): context not available for shutdown";
     }
 
-    if (boost::interprocess::shared_memory_object::remove("FairMQSharedMemory"))
-    {
-        LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: successfully removed shared memory segment after the device has stopped.";
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: did not remove shared memory segment after the device stopped. Already removed?";
+    { // mutex scope
+        bipc::scoped_lock<bipc::named_mutex> lock(fShMutex);
+
+        (fDeviceCounter->count)--;
+
+        if (fDeviceCounter->count == 0)
+        {
+            LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: last FairMQSharedMemory user, removing segment.";
+
+            if (bipc::shared_memory_object::remove("FairMQSharedMemory"))
+            {
+                LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: successfully removed shared memory segment after the device has stopped.";
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: did not remove shared memory segment after the device stopped. Already removed?";
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            LOG(DEBUG) << "shmem: other FairMQSharedMemory users present (" << fDeviceCounter->count << "), not removing it.";
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.h b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.h
index 8219ce80..3a32166a 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQTransportFactorySHM.h
@@ -10,11 +10,16 @@
 
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
+#include <thread>
+#include <atomic>
+
+#include <boost/interprocess/sync/named_mutex.hpp>
 
 #include "FairMQTransportFactory.h"
 #include "FairMQMessageSHM.h"
 #include "FairMQSocketSHM.h"
 #include "FairMQPollerSHM.h"
+#include "FairMQShmDeviceCounter.h"
 
 class FairMQTransportFactorySHM : public FairMQTransportFactory
 {
@@ -38,11 +43,18 @@ class FairMQTransportFactorySHM : public FairMQTransportFactory
     void Shutdown() override;
     void Terminate() override;
 
+    void SendHeartbeats();
+
     ~FairMQTransportFactorySHM() override {};
 
   private:
     static FairMQ::Transport fTransportType;
     void* fContext;
+    void* fHeartbeatSocket;
+    std::thread fHeartbeatThread;
+    std::atomic<bool> fSendHeartbeats;
+    boost::interprocess::named_mutex fShMutex;
+    FairMQ::shmem::FairMQShmDeviceCounter* fDeviceCounter;
 };
 
 #endif /* FAIRMQTRANSPORTFACTORYSHM_H_ */