diff --git a/src/musrfit.cpp b/src/musrfit.cpp
index 654c88af9..f83f8ecba 100644
--- a/src/musrfit.cpp
+++ b/src/musrfit.cpp
@@ -518,6 +518,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
   }
 
+  memset(filename, '\0', sizeof(filename));
   strcpy(filename, "");
   for (int i=1; i<argc; i++) {
     if (strstr(argv[i], ".msr")) {
@@ -645,7 +646,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     std::cerr << std::endl << ">> musrfit **WARNING** couldn't find " << startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data();
     std::cerr << std::endl;
   } else {
-    strcpy(startup_path_name, startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data());
+    memset(startup_path_name, '\0', sizeof(startup_path_name));
+    strncpy(startup_path_name, startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data(), sizeof(startup_path_name));
     saxParser->ConnectToHandler("PStartupHandler", startupHandler.get());
     //status = saxParser->ParseFile(startup_path_name);
     // parsing the file as above seems to lead to problems in certain environments;
@@ -696,15 +698,35 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
   bool success = dataHandler->IsAllDataAvailable();
   if (!success) {
-    std::cout << std::endl << ">> musrfit **ERROR** Couldn't read all data files, will quit ..." << std::endl;
+    std::cerr << std::endl << ">> musrfit **ERROR** Couldn't read all data files, will quit ..." << std::endl;
   }
 
   // if present, replace the run title of the <msr-file> with the run title of the FIRST run in the run block of the msr-file
   if (title_from_data_file && success) {
     PMsrRunList *rl  = msrHandler->GetMsrRunList();
-    PRawRunData *rrd = dataHandler->GetRunData(*(rl->at(0).GetRunName()));
-    if (rrd->GetRunTitle()->Length() > 0)
-      msrHandler->SetMsrTitle(*rrd->GetRunTitle());
+    if (rl->empty()) {
+      success = false;
+      std::cerr << std::endl << ">> musrfit **ERROR** no run list present." << std::endl;
+    }
+    if (success) {
+      TString *name = rl->at(0).GetRunName();
+      if (name == nullptr) {
+        std::cerr << std::endl << ">> musrfit **ERROR** to obtain run list name." << std::endl;
+        success = false;
+      }
+      PRawRunData *rrd = nullptr;
+      if (success) {
+        rrd = dataHandler->GetRunData(*(rl->at(0).GetRunName()));
+        if (rrd == nullptr) {
+          std::cerr << std::endl << ">> musrfit **ERROR** no raw run data avaliable." << std::endl;
+          success = false;
+        }
+      }
+      if (success) {
+        if (rrd->GetRunTitle()->Length() > 0)
+          msrHandler->SetMsrTitle(*rrd->GetRunTitle());
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   // generate the necessary fit histogramms for the fit
@@ -725,7 +747,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   // start timeout thread
   std::unique_ptr<TThread> th;
   if (timeout_enabled) {
-    pid_t musrfit_pid = getpid();
+    static pid_t musrfit_pid = getpid();
     th = std::make_unique<TThread>(musrfit_timeout, (void*)&musrfit_pid);
     if (th) {
       th->Run();
@@ -813,6 +835,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
   }
 
+  if (th && timeout_enabled) {
+    th->Kill();
+  }
+
   std::cout << std::endl << "done ..." << std::endl;
 
   return PMUSR_SUCCESS;