diff --git a/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera.go b/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera.go
index c06d55a0..9db131f4 100644
--- a/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera.go
+++ b/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera.go
@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@ type camera struct {
 	Params params
 	OnData func(time.Duration, [][]byte)
 
-	cmd     *exec.Cmd
-	pipeOut *pipe
-	pipeIn  *pipe
+	cmd      *exec.Cmd
+	pipeOut  *pipe
+	pipeIn   *pipe
+	finalErr error
 
-	waitDone   chan error
-	readerDone chan error
+	terminate chan struct{}
+	done      chan struct{}
 }
 
 func (c *camera) initialize() error {
@@ -64,78 +65,92 @@ func (c *camera) initialize() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	c.terminate = make(chan struct{})
+	c.done = make(chan struct{})
+
+	go c.run()
+
 	c.pipeOut.write(append([]byte{'c'}, c.Params.serialize()...))
 
-	c.waitDone = make(chan error)
-	go func() {
-		c.waitDone <- c.cmd.Wait()
-	}()
-
-	c.readerDone = make(chan error)
-	go func() {
-		c.readerDone <- c.readReady()
-	}()
-
-	select {
-	case err := <-c.waitDone:
-		c.pipeOut.close()
-		c.pipeIn.close()
-		<-c.readerDone
-		freeComponent()
-		return fmt.Errorf("process exited unexpectedly: %v", err)
-
-	case err := <-c.readerDone:
-		if err != nil {
-			c.pipeOut.write([]byte{'e'})
-			<-c.waitDone
-			c.pipeOut.close()
-			c.pipeIn.close()
-			freeComponent()
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	c.readerDone = make(chan error)
-	go func() {
-		c.readerDone <- c.readData()
-		close(c.readerDone)
-	}()
-
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *camera) close() {
-	c.pipeOut.write([]byte{'e'})
-	<-c.waitDone
-	c.pipeOut.close()
-	c.pipeIn.close()
-	<-c.readerDone
+	close(c.terminate)
+	<-c.done
 	freeComponent()
 }
 
-func (c *camera) reloadParams(params params) {
-	c.pipeOut.write(append([]byte{'c'}, params.serialize()...))
+func (c *camera) run() {
+	defer close(c.done)
+	c.finalErr = c.runInner()
 }
 
-func (c *camera) readReady() error {
-	buf, err := c.pipeIn.read()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+func (c *camera) runInner() error {
+	cmdDone := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		cmdDone <- c.cmd.Wait()
+	}()
 
-	switch buf[0] {
-	case 'e':
-		return fmt.Errorf(string(buf[1:]))
+	readDone := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		readDone <- c.runReader()
+	}()
 
-	case 'r':
-		return nil
+	for {
+		select {
+		case err := <-cmdDone:
+			c.pipeIn.close()
+			c.pipeOut.close()
 
-	default:
-		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected output from video pipe: '0x%.2x'", buf[0])
+			<-readDone
+
+			return err
+
+		case err := <-readDone:
+			c.pipeIn.close()
+
+			c.pipeOut.write([]byte{'e'})
+			c.pipeOut.close()
+
+			<-cmdDone
+
+			return err
+
+		case <-c.terminate:
+			c.pipeIn.close()
+			<-readDone
+
+			c.pipeOut.write([]byte{'e'})
+			c.pipeOut.close()
+
+			<-cmdDone
+
+			return fmt.Errorf("terminated")
+		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *camera) readData() error {
+func (c *camera) runReader() error {
+outer:
+	for {
+		buf, err := c.pipeIn.read()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		switch buf[0] {
+		case 'e':
+			return fmt.Errorf(string(buf[1:]))
+
+		case 'r':
+			break outer
+
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected data from pipe: '0x%.2x'", buf[0])
+		}
+	}
+
 	for {
 		buf, err := c.pipeIn.read()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -159,11 +174,16 @@ func (c *camera) readData() error {
 			c.OnData(dts, nalus)
 
 		default:
-			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected output from pipe (%c)", buf[0])
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected data from pipe: '0x%.2x'", buf[0])
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *camera) error() chan error {
-	return c.readerDone
+func (c *camera) reloadParams(params params) {
+	c.pipeOut.write(append([]byte{'c'}, params.serialize()...))
+}
+
+func (c *camera) wait() error {
+	<-c.done
+	return c.finalErr
 }
diff --git a/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera_disabled.go b/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera_disabled.go
index 461649d6..ac84ee59 100644
--- a/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera_disabled.go
+++ b/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/camera_disabled.go
@@ -22,6 +22,6 @@ func (c *camera) close() {
 func (c *camera) reloadParams(_ params) {
 }
 
-func (c *camera) error() chan error {
+func (c *camera) wait() error {
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/source.go b/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/source.go
index 9331300f..491c444a 100644
--- a/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/source.go
+++ b/internal/staticsources/rpicamera/source.go
@@ -117,6 +117,12 @@ func (s *Source) Run(params defs.StaticSourceRunParams) error {
 		})
 	}
 
+	defer func() {
+		if stream != nil {
+			s.Parent.SetNotReady(defs.PathSourceStaticSetNotReadyReq{})
+		}
+	}()
+
 	cam := &camera{
 		Params: paramsFromConf(s.LogLevel, params.Conf),
 		OnData: onData,
@@ -127,15 +133,14 @@ func (s *Source) Run(params defs.StaticSourceRunParams) error {
 	}
 	defer cam.close()
 
-	defer func() {
-		if stream != nil {
-			s.Parent.SetNotReady(defs.PathSourceStaticSetNotReadyReq{})
-		}
+	cameraErr := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		cameraErr <- cam.wait()
 	}()
 
 	for {
 		select {
-		case err := <-cam.error():
+		case err := <-cameraErr:
 			return err
 
 		case cnf := <-params.ReloadConf: