diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/sharedMemory.h b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/sharedMemory.h
index edf5d5ef7..6a9e43d57 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/sharedMemory.h
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/sharedMemory.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 void sharedMemory_print();
 int sharedMemory_create(int port);
-void sharedMemory_initialize();
+int sharedMemory_initialize();
 int sharedMemory_open(int port);
 int sharedMemory_attach();
 int sharedMemory_detach();
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/sharedMemory.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/sharedMemory.c
index 1ccf46f83..c448bc71d 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/sharedMemory.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/sharedMemory.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #define SHM_NAME    "sls_server_shared_memory"
 #define SHM_VERSION 0x200625
 #define SHM_KEY     5678
+#define MEM_SIZE 128
 
 typedef struct Memory {
     int version;
@@ -43,34 +44,47 @@ void sharedMemory_print() {
 }
 
 int sharedMemory_create(int port) {
-    // if sham existed, delete old shm and create again
+    // if shm existed, delete old shm and create again
     shmFd =
-        shmget(SHM_KEY + port, sizeof(sharedMem), IPC_CREAT | IPC_EXCL | 0666);
+        shmget(SHM_KEY + port, MEM_SIZE, IPC_CREAT | IPC_EXCL | 0666);
     if (shmFd == -1 && errno == EEXIST) {
-        char cmd[MAX_STR_LENGTH];
-        memset(cmd, 0, MAX_STR_LENGTH);
-        sprintf(cmd, "ipcrm -M 0x%x", SHM_KEY + port);
-        system(cmd);
+        // open existing one
+        shmFd = shmget(SHM_KEY + port, MEM_SIZE,
+                       IPC_CREAT | 0666);
+        if (shmFd == -1) {
+            LOG(logERROR, ("Create shared memory failed: %s\n", strerror(errno)));
+            return FAIL;
+        }
+        // delete existing one
+        sharedMemory_remove();
         LOG(logWARNING,
-            ("Removed old shared memory with id 0x%x\n", SHM_KEY + port));
-        shmFd = shmget(SHM_KEY + port, sizeof(sharedMem),
+            ("Removed old shared memory with id 0x%x (%d)\n", SHM_KEY + port, SHM_KEY + port));
+        
+        // create it again with current structure
+        shmFd = shmget(SHM_KEY + port, MEM_SIZE,
                        IPC_CREAT | IPC_EXCL | 0666);
     }
     if (shmFd == -1) {
         LOG(logERROR, ("Create shared memory failed: %s\n", strerror(errno)));
         return FAIL;
     }
-    LOG(logINFO, ("Shared memory created\n"));
+    LOG(logINFO, ("Shared memory created with key 0x%x\n", SHM_KEY + port));
     if (sharedMemory_attach() == FAIL) {
         return FAIL;
     }
-    sharedMemory_initialize();
+    if (sharedMemory_initialize() == FAIL) {
+        return FAIL;
+    }
     return OK;
 }
 
-void sharedMemory_initialize() {
+int sharedMemory_initialize() {
     shm->version = SHM_VERSION;
-    sem_init(&(shm->sem), 1, 1);
+    if (sem_init(&(shm->sem), 1, 1)) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Failed to initialize semaphore for shared memory\n"));
+        LOG(logERROR, ("ERror: %s\n", strerror(errno)));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
     shm->scanStatus = IDLE;
     shm->scanStop = 0;
 #ifdef VIRTUAL
@@ -78,10 +92,11 @@ void sharedMemory_initialize() {
     shm->stop = 0;
 #endif
     LOG(logINFO, ("Shared memory initialized\n"))
+    return OK;
 }
 
 int sharedMemory_open(int port) {
-    shmFd = shmget(SHM_KEY + port, sizeof(sharedMem), 0666);
+    shmFd = shmget(SHM_KEY + port, MEM_SIZE, 0666);
     if (shmFd == -1) {
         LOG(logERROR, ("Open shared memory failed: %s\n", strerror(errno)));
         return FAIL;
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer.c
index 8f96ff875..1d7aa125c 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer.c
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ extern int phaseShift;
 
 void error(char *msg) { perror(msg); }
 
+void sigInterruptHandler(int p) { 
+    sharedMemory_detach();
+    sharedMemory_remove();
+    exit(-1);
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
     // print version
@@ -99,6 +105,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // control server
     if (isControlServer) {
         LOG(logINFOBLUE, ("Control Server [%d]\n", portno));
+
+        // Catch signal SIGINT to destroy shm properly
+        struct sigaction sa;
+        sa.sa_flags = 0;// no flags
+        sa.sa_handler = sigInterruptHandler;// handler function
+        sigemptyset(&sa.sa_mask); // dont block additional signals during invocation
+                                // of handler
+        if (sigaction(SIGINT, &sa, NULL) == -1) {
+            LOG(logERROR,("Could not set handler function for SIGINT"));
+        }
+
         if (sharedMemory_create(portno) == FAIL) {
             return -1;
         }